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Foucault: A Very Short Introduction
Book
Foucault is one of those rare philosophers who has become a cult figure. Born in 1926 in France,...
ClareR (5721 KP) rated The Western Wind in Books
Mar 28, 2021
I loved the setting of this book, and with the excellent narration of Nyasha Hatendi, I was immersed in the life of a 15th century Somerset village. I could feel the damp and chill of life at the start of Lent, and I was fascinated by the traditions surrounding people during this period.
The book works backwards from the time that a wealthy landowner, Thomas Newman, is seen floating, assumed drowned, in the river. The rural Dean arrives and advises the village priest, John Reve, to find the murderer or find proof that Newman has passed through purgatory - all before Lent begins.
There are a lot of confessions in this book. Villagers come to church to confess before the start of Lent, but none have the necessary information to tell Reve what happened. The Dean is a pretty unpleasant character: he pushes Reve to find a murderer, when it’s not really known whether Newman has been murdered at all.
John Reve appears to know and care for all of his parishioners. When two of them try to admit to Newman’s murder, Reve will not let them stand up and say that they’ve done it - and it does seem unlikely that they have. One, Sarah, a seriously ill woman, sees her confession as a way of escaping from her life of illness and pain.
This is a gentle, moving, descriptive book. There’s no fast action or tumultuous love affairs. This is the story of a priest who is doing his best for his parishioners. He takes his job seriously - it really is his calling. And there’s no earth shattering ending either. If you like a beautifully written book, then this will be the book for you.
The book works backwards from the time that a wealthy landowner, Thomas Newman, is seen floating, assumed drowned, in the river. The rural Dean arrives and advises the village priest, John Reve, to find the murderer or find proof that Newman has passed through purgatory - all before Lent begins.
There are a lot of confessions in this book. Villagers come to church to confess before the start of Lent, but none have the necessary information to tell Reve what happened. The Dean is a pretty unpleasant character: he pushes Reve to find a murderer, when it’s not really known whether Newman has been murdered at all.
John Reve appears to know and care for all of his parishioners. When two of them try to admit to Newman’s murder, Reve will not let them stand up and say that they’ve done it - and it does seem unlikely that they have. One, Sarah, a seriously ill woman, sees her confession as a way of escaping from her life of illness and pain.
This is a gentle, moving, descriptive book. There’s no fast action or tumultuous love affairs. This is the story of a priest who is doing his best for his parishioners. He takes his job seriously - it really is his calling. And there’s no earth shattering ending either. If you like a beautifully written book, then this will be the book for you.
BookInspector (124 KP) rated The Sea Gate in Books
Sep 24, 2020
This book is told from a dual perspective by Becky and Olivia. Becky is tasked to make the old crumbling house livable for Olivia. Becky is lovely, but quite a troubled character. Grief, unsatisfying love life, fear of illness and other things occupy Becky’s mind very often… I really liked Olivia in this novel, at present she is this tough old cookie but when we start delving into her childhood, we can see how wonderful she truly is. I enjoyed Olivia’s parts because she was very mysterious throughout this book, and I really enjoyed all the little discoveries that author had to offer with every single chapter.
I liked the narrative and how all the events were flowing throughout the pages. Present mixed with the past, never left me bored, and I was hooked to find out what will happen next. This novel has a lot to teach us, not only about self-discovery but also about how it was to live during WWII, especially when you are young, want to be carefree, but are left to fend for yourself with a very annoying child bestowed on you. I see a lot of the author’s experience in this book, such as life in Cornwall, true love for the sea and great knowledge about Morocco and it’s people.
I loved the writing style, it feels serious, but at the same breezy and enjoyable. The topics discussed in this book were abusive relationships, self-discovery, romance, survival, small community and it’s ways of life etc. The chapters are very well designed and didn’t leave me feeling bored. I liked the ending of this book, and I think it rounded up this story very nicely. So, to conclude, it was a very pleasantly surprising novel, filled with intriguing, different timelines as well as absorbing characters and their life stories.
I liked the narrative and how all the events were flowing throughout the pages. Present mixed with the past, never left me bored, and I was hooked to find out what will happen next. This novel has a lot to teach us, not only about self-discovery but also about how it was to live during WWII, especially when you are young, want to be carefree, but are left to fend for yourself with a very annoying child bestowed on you. I see a lot of the author’s experience in this book, such as life in Cornwall, true love for the sea and great knowledge about Morocco and it’s people.
I loved the writing style, it feels serious, but at the same breezy and enjoyable. The topics discussed in this book were abusive relationships, self-discovery, romance, survival, small community and it’s ways of life etc. The chapters are very well designed and didn’t leave me feeling bored. I liked the ending of this book, and I think it rounded up this story very nicely. So, to conclude, it was a very pleasantly surprising novel, filled with intriguing, different timelines as well as absorbing characters and their life stories.
ClareR (5721 KP) rated The Illustrated Child in Books
Oct 26, 2020
Romilly and her father Tobias move in to a run-down house in the countryside when she is 9 years old. Her father is an eccentric artist, and she doesn’t know anything about her mother. Later, Monty the cat joins Romilly and her friend Stacey on adventures in the local countryside, in what seems to be an idyllic childhood.
Tobias creates a series of beautifully illustrated books starring both Romilly and Monty, and their lives are changed. They find fame, as readers believe that the books are a kind of treasure hunt - which, incidentally, reminded me of the Kit Williams book, Masquerade, published in the late 1970’s. Strangers start to camp out in their garden, digging holes all over their land to find the treasure - meaning that Romilly is unable to leave the house.
Life changes again when Tobias’ behaviour becomes more and more erratic, Romilly’s mother comes back in to her life, and she meets her grandmother. Things seem to be continuously changing, and nothing is consistent - there’s no stability in Romilly’s life.
This book was not at all what I expected. It started out as something of an idyllic childhood, but as time went on, Romilly’s life is irrevocably changed. I felt so much sadness for her, and there were times when I was almost in tears (you might need a hanky!). This deals with some pretty serious themes: dementia, mental illness, death and child abuse. All the way through I was rooting for Romilly and hoping that she would get the help that she needed and deserved. This is such a beautifully written book, and I would have no hesitation in recommending it.
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my e-ARC.
Tobias creates a series of beautifully illustrated books starring both Romilly and Monty, and their lives are changed. They find fame, as readers believe that the books are a kind of treasure hunt - which, incidentally, reminded me of the Kit Williams book, Masquerade, published in the late 1970’s. Strangers start to camp out in their garden, digging holes all over their land to find the treasure - meaning that Romilly is unable to leave the house.
Life changes again when Tobias’ behaviour becomes more and more erratic, Romilly’s mother comes back in to her life, and she meets her grandmother. Things seem to be continuously changing, and nothing is consistent - there’s no stability in Romilly’s life.
This book was not at all what I expected. It started out as something of an idyllic childhood, but as time went on, Romilly’s life is irrevocably changed. I felt so much sadness for her, and there were times when I was almost in tears (you might need a hanky!). This deals with some pretty serious themes: dementia, mental illness, death and child abuse. All the way through I was rooting for Romilly and hoping that she would get the help that she needed and deserved. This is such a beautifully written book, and I would have no hesitation in recommending it.
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my e-ARC.
Eleanor Luhar (47 KP) rated The Legacy in Books
Jun 24, 2019
When I first read Malley's The Declaration series this third novel hasn't yet been released. And then I kind of forgot about the series until the end of last year.
Anna and Peter have found a safe residence in the countryside thanks to the Underground, the resistance movement against the use of Longevity. But their safety is being compromised as some unknown "illness" is spreading through the Legals - killing people who are supposed to live forever. People are pointing the finger at everyone around them, fear spreading even quicker than the virus.
Jude and Sheila are living in the main Underground facility, but are forced to move base when their leader, Pip, hands himself in and a brick comes flying in through their window. Meanwhile, Peter's ring is of high importance to Richard Pincent, who has arranged with some unknown Underground member for it to be sent to him.
Without Pip, Jude has to take over. But he wasn't expecting his half-brother to arrive, especially without the rest of his family. And now Sheila's disappeared...
Why are people dying? Are the Underground really to blame?
And then, when he didn't think things could any worse, Jude sees Pip talking to Richard Pincent's closest friend and guard, as if they were friends.
Is this really the end of the Underground? Have they finally lost?
I noticed a lot of typos and punctuation mistakes, which gave the book a bit of an unprofessional, juvenile feel. But I've always loved this series and honestly I found the book so easy to read and enjoyable, despite the mistakes. There are some really interesting twists, and the story focuses a lot on characters other than Anna an d Peter which is nice.
4 stars for this book.
Anna and Peter have found a safe residence in the countryside thanks to the Underground, the resistance movement against the use of Longevity. But their safety is being compromised as some unknown "illness" is spreading through the Legals - killing people who are supposed to live forever. People are pointing the finger at everyone around them, fear spreading even quicker than the virus.
Jude and Sheila are living in the main Underground facility, but are forced to move base when their leader, Pip, hands himself in and a brick comes flying in through their window. Meanwhile, Peter's ring is of high importance to Richard Pincent, who has arranged with some unknown Underground member for it to be sent to him.
Without Pip, Jude has to take over. But he wasn't expecting his half-brother to arrive, especially without the rest of his family. And now Sheila's disappeared...
Why are people dying? Are the Underground really to blame?
And then, when he didn't think things could any worse, Jude sees Pip talking to Richard Pincent's closest friend and guard, as if they were friends.
Is this really the end of the Underground? Have they finally lost?
I noticed a lot of typos and punctuation mistakes, which gave the book a bit of an unprofessional, juvenile feel. But I've always loved this series and honestly I found the book so easy to read and enjoyable, despite the mistakes. There are some really interesting twists, and the story focuses a lot on characters other than Anna an d Peter which is nice.
4 stars for this book.
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