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Hannah (27 KP) rated Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream in Books

Jun 6, 2017

Psychedelic 60s (2 more)

Wacky and surreal

Innovative

Wacky, "failed experiment" in Gonzo Journalism

This is one of my all-time favourite books, written by one of my all-time favourite people and authors. It is a surreal and somewhat insane story based on the real life adventures of Hunter S. Thompson, on his journey to Las Vegas in search of the "American Dream." It is a wacky, drug-fuelled, stream-of-consciousness narrative that is among one of the innovative titles in a form of New Journalism called Gonzo Journalism, accredited to Thompson. It is quite a surreal read, strange and weird but completely thrilling!
Thompson regarded it as a "failed experiment"' in Gonzo Journalism due to the fact it was edited several times before publication. Typically, a Gonzo work would be written by and about the author in the present, sent away without being edited, resulting in a stream-of-consciousness narrative and more personality. Gonzo works are far more revealing, fiction-like and personal than typical works of journalism. Despite the fact it was edited, however, I feel F&L still emulates everything Thompson wanted in a true Gonzo way. He holds nothing back, reveals everything and created a story than could be fiction. It is a drug-fuelled look at the failure of the American Dream, an astute analysis of Thompson's society and a weird book that will stay with you forever.

Kudos

Alison Pink (7 KP) rated The Shadow Queen in Books

Jan 15, 2018

I was so pleasantly surprised by this book! I'm not normally big on historical fiction unless it is about World War II, but this book was wonderful. I didn't even know who Wallis Simpson was to be honest. Sure, I'd heard of her, but didn't know much about her life at all. She is such a fascinating character with such a horrific, yet charmed life it was hard not to like her & feel for her with all that she went through.
The book is a mix of fiction & real life, so I don't know exactly what was true & what wasn't. But honestly it doesn't really matter. The story is so easy to lose yourself in & the characters are all so real (I know some of them are really real!) I found myself looking Wallis up on Wikipedia before I was even halfway through the novel, that is how fascinated I had become by her.
I really hope that Rebecca Dean writes another book about Simpson. The book ends before Prince Edward becomes her beau, but it is obvious that is where the whole thing is going. In fact, Edward is hardly even a character in the book. Sure he's in it, but most of it is as a pin up from a magazine or in girlhood fantasies of Wallis & Pamela. He doesn't become real until very late in the story. I would love to read more about their life together!!
Very well done Rebecca!!!

Kudos

Rache (174 KP) rated Audible – audio books, original series & podcasts in Apps

Jan 21, 2019

Huge range of books (2 more)

Completely portable

Great narrators!

Biggest Smallest Bookshelf Ever!

Hands-free reading at its very best, this is the biggest, smallest bookshelf around. With an incredible choice of classics, modern, fiction, non-fiction, biographies, and podcasts, the Audible app gen uinely has something for everyone, and yet it still fits in your pocket. The user interface is simple and intuitive, and subscribers get free episodic content as well as a credit for a free book every month, which can be spent on any book in the store regardless of price!
The app synchs, so you can be listening to a book on your tablet, switch to your phone and it will pick up at the same place. You can listen to books narrated by famous names like Stephen Fry, and a host of other wonderful voices, at home, in your car, through your headphones, and wherever else you can listen to music or podcasts, and the voices appear to be selected specifically with the content in mind. And if you don't like a book, you can simply swap it for another one, no questions asked.
All in all, Audible is a great, easy to use app, with fantastic content, excellent customer service, an amazing range and number of books and 'shows', and fantastic voice talents, all for a very low monthly fee. And you can give it a try with the first month (and your first book) free in a lot of cases.

Kudos

Awix (3310 KP) rated The Two Popes (2019) in Movies

Dec 6, 2019 (Updated Dec 6, 2019)

The Two Popes (2019)

2019 | Biography, Comedy, Drama

8.0

(5 Ratings)

Movie Rating

'And it's in nomine patris from me...' '...et in spiritus sancti from him.' Slightly oddball true-life drama doesn't go quite as far as that, but is still much funnier and lighter than it sounds from the capsule synopsis - any film which sees the college of cardinals going into conclave while Dancing Queen plays on the soundtrack, and droll enough to show the two pontiffs watching the World Cup final together (Germany-Argentina, of course) obviously has something to say for itself.

The question is what that is. No doubt the decision to make the film a comedy-drama was partly inspired by concerns it could be offputtingly talky, but the talk works when it's delivered by two actors like Pryce and Hopkins, working with a very good script. The film is arguably biased in favour of Jorge Bergoglio, who is presented as warm, human, and compassionate; his life story is explored in much more detail than that of Joseph Ratzinger - but then again you could say the film does Ratzinger a big favour by largely ignoring the elephant in the room and his role in covering it up. Most of the film is very plausible, and it's only near the end that you begin to suspect how much of it is complete fiction. Still, it's engaging and plausible fiction, and - some distracting hand-held camerawork aside - mostly very well played and filmed.