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Solitary
Book
Solitary is the unforgettable life story of a man who served more than four decades in solitary...
Cochabamba!: Water Rebellion in Bolivia
Book
Many of the wars of this [20th] century were about oil, but the wars of the next century will be...
The Longevity Diet: Discover the New Science Behind Stem Cell Activation and Regeneration to Slow Aging, Fight Disease
Book
The internationally renowned, clinically tested, revolutionary diet program to lose weight, fight...
health and fitness
The Most Fun We Ever Had
10.0
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Book
"A gripping and poignant ode to a messy, loving family in all its glory." --Madeline Miller A...
![The Paris Network [Audiobook]](/uploads/profile_image/adb/dee0596d-e0e8-4650-b71f-ea5ec5ec6adb.jpg?m=1645979041)
The Paris Network [Audiobook]
6.0
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Book
Paris, 1940: He pressed the tattered book into her hands. ‘You must go to the café and ask at the...
I was really looking forward to reading a new Ian McEwan novel, and I’m very pleased to say that I haven’t been disappointed.
Lessons is the story of Roland Baines’ life. His successes, loves, losses - all set against an historical background of the 20th and 21st centuries: World War 2, the Cuban Missile Crisis, Chernobyl and Covid 19 (and others besides, but there are too many to mention them all!).
I was completely engrossed, and it’s a book that you don’t want to race through. I love McEwans writing - so much is said in each sentence.
I’ll admit it now, a lot of what really kept my attention were the details about Germany: WW2 and it’s aftermath, Roland’s trips beyond the Berlin Wall and it’s fall.
The future is set for Alissa (Roland’s wife) when her English mother presents her with her journals, written when she travelled to Germany after the war. She had wanted to write articles about German Resistance during the war, and specifically the Scholls White Rose movement. These journals remained unpublished and unread 40 years later. And so when Alissa walks away from Roland and their baby to ensure her own dreams of literary success, it’s unsurprising even if it’ll ears callous.
The book is told from Roland’s point of view, first person, so we hear his inner voice throughout. What stood out most for me, was that his voice doesn’t change through the years. Yes, I know this is obvious - it’s the same book. What I mean is that what younger people often forget, is that the 72 year old man at the end of the book is the same as the 11 year old boy - just with 61 years experience. His experiences as an 11-14 year old with his piano teacher have a lasting and life-changing impact.
I loved this book and would highly recommend it. It’s a book to be savoured.
Lessons is the story of Roland Baines’ life. His successes, loves, losses - all set against an historical background of the 20th and 21st centuries: World War 2, the Cuban Missile Crisis, Chernobyl and Covid 19 (and others besides, but there are too many to mention them all!).
I was completely engrossed, and it’s a book that you don’t want to race through. I love McEwans writing - so much is said in each sentence.
I’ll admit it now, a lot of what really kept my attention were the details about Germany: WW2 and it’s aftermath, Roland’s trips beyond the Berlin Wall and it’s fall.
The future is set for Alissa (Roland’s wife) when her English mother presents her with her journals, written when she travelled to Germany after the war. She had wanted to write articles about German Resistance during the war, and specifically the Scholls White Rose movement. These journals remained unpublished and unread 40 years later. And so when Alissa walks away from Roland and their baby to ensure her own dreams of literary success, it’s unsurprising even if it’ll ears callous.
The book is told from Roland’s point of view, first person, so we hear his inner voice throughout. What stood out most for me, was that his voice doesn’t change through the years. Yes, I know this is obvious - it’s the same book. What I mean is that what younger people often forget, is that the 72 year old man at the end of the book is the same as the 11 year old boy - just with 61 years experience. His experiences as an 11-14 year old with his piano teacher have a lasting and life-changing impact.
I loved this book and would highly recommend it. It’s a book to be savoured.
Sing, Memory
8.0
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Book
A Polish musician, a Jewish conductor, a secret choir, and the rescue of a trove of music from the...
Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated The Zookeeper's Wife (2017) in Movies
Nov 24, 2017 (Updated Nov 24, 2017)
Story is harrowing and essential but film could have been made better
As a massive fan of biopics, The Zookeeper's Wife is an incredibly important tale of a the real life Polish couple who sheltered Jews in their zoo during the Second World War, helping 300 people to escape from Warsaw.
Dr. Jan Zabinski was the director of the Warsaw Zoo in the 1930's, and along with his wife Antonina and young son, they ensured the safety and care of animals in the area. Their life came to an abrupt halt with the German invasion of Poland in 1939, when most of their animals and structures were destroyed in the bombings and siege of the city. The zoo was closed under German occupation, but the Zabinskis continued to occupy the villa, and the zoo itself was used first as a pig farm and subsequently as a fur farm. All the while, Dr Zabinski smuggled Jewish people out of the Warsaw Ghetto and aided their way out of city, not before allowing them to stay in their own house. He was injured while fighting in the Polish resistance, but the couple were given an honorary title by Yad Vashem (Israel's official memorial for Jewish victims of the Holocaust) for their brave efforts.
Similar in the vein of films such as @Schindler's List (1993), there is an element of a saviour complex in these films, but unlike Steven Spielberg's Oscar-winner, it is less extravagant and less well-made, as there was very little engagement with the Jewish characters - focusing more on Antonina, played by Jessica Chastain. It is definitely heart-wrenching watching films based on the holocaust, and there were scenes I had to turn away from, such as when an elderly woman and her mother were shot dead in the streets by soldiers. The script and cinematography weren't at a high standard, however, and as a result the film definitely fell short. I would suggest reading the book @The Zookeeper's Wife - it has far more detail than the film, in which there were glaringly obvious plot holes.
Dr. Jan Zabinski was the director of the Warsaw Zoo in the 1930's, and along with his wife Antonina and young son, they ensured the safety and care of animals in the area. Their life came to an abrupt halt with the German invasion of Poland in 1939, when most of their animals and structures were destroyed in the bombings and siege of the city. The zoo was closed under German occupation, but the Zabinskis continued to occupy the villa, and the zoo itself was used first as a pig farm and subsequently as a fur farm. All the while, Dr Zabinski smuggled Jewish people out of the Warsaw Ghetto and aided their way out of city, not before allowing them to stay in their own house. He was injured while fighting in the Polish resistance, but the couple were given an honorary title by Yad Vashem (Israel's official memorial for Jewish victims of the Holocaust) for their brave efforts.
Similar in the vein of films such as @Schindler's List (1993), there is an element of a saviour complex in these films, but unlike Steven Spielberg's Oscar-winner, it is less extravagant and less well-made, as there was very little engagement with the Jewish characters - focusing more on Antonina, played by Jessica Chastain. It is definitely heart-wrenching watching films based on the holocaust, and there were scenes I had to turn away from, such as when an elderly woman and her mother were shot dead in the streets by soldiers. The script and cinematography weren't at a high standard, however, and as a result the film definitely fell short. I would suggest reading the book @The Zookeeper's Wife - it has far more detail than the film, in which there were glaringly obvious plot holes.
Jamie (131 KP) rated An Eccentric Engagement in Books
May 24, 2017
Sweet romance (1 more)
Good commentary about social justice
Does more telling than showing (1 more)
Felt more like a lecture than a love story
A sweet regency romance
So this was a bit of a non-traditional romance as it takes place after the courtship. Sorrow and Bertram are engaged to be married and the two return to Sorrow’s country home for the wedding. The two are very clearly in the early stages of excitement over a new relationship, stealing kissing and admiring each other — the “puppy love” stage. Neither of the two truly love each other but are already prepared for marriage. The actual romance was more told than shown and it unfortunately just didn’t work for me. The romantic aspect seemed to take a back seat to the other two major plot lines: Sorrow’s altruistic family and Bert’s difficult relationship with his overbearing father.
Both of these plot lines are actually really good, but I felt that they both needed more time to be developed and would have been better in a full length novel. All of the conflict was resolved in a few pages with barely any resistance and the discussion felt more like a lecture that was repeated multiple times. Not that the message was bad, I appreciated the way they approach discussing the mentally ill and the elderly, and I actually liked the Marchand’s way of life, but I think it could have been delivered better.
It also didn’t help that Sorrow kind of annoyed me. When she talks to other people to try and explain her views it again turns into a mildly pretentious lecture. Her insistence on absolute harmony and willingness to throw everything out of the window if she didn’t get her way was also extremely grating. Creating needless drama for the sake of drama is not a good way of filling up pages.
Overall its not bad, it’s a cute and clean love story that will appeal to folks with a strong sense of social justice. It was a fluffy and pleasant way to pass the time, but I didn’t feel much of anything while reading it.
Both of these plot lines are actually really good, but I felt that they both needed more time to be developed and would have been better in a full length novel. All of the conflict was resolved in a few pages with barely any resistance and the discussion felt more like a lecture that was repeated multiple times. Not that the message was bad, I appreciated the way they approach discussing the mentally ill and the elderly, and I actually liked the Marchand’s way of life, but I think it could have been delivered better.
It also didn’t help that Sorrow kind of annoyed me. When she talks to other people to try and explain her views it again turns into a mildly pretentious lecture. Her insistence on absolute harmony and willingness to throw everything out of the window if she didn’t get her way was also extremely grating. Creating needless drama for the sake of drama is not a good way of filling up pages.
Overall its not bad, it’s a cute and clean love story that will appeal to folks with a strong sense of social justice. It was a fluffy and pleasant way to pass the time, but I didn’t feel much of anything while reading it.
Steven Sklansky (231 KP) rated The Strain - Season 4 in TV
Sep 20, 2017
Fantastic finish (2 more)
Twists and turns, you never see what's coming
Bring the band back together
Heart stopping ending to an amazing show
Contains spoilers, click to show
I thought I should come back and write a review for the completion of the 4th and final season of The Strain. Overall this was a fantastic season and finale. After the 3rd season ended you just thought the vampires were just going to win the whole thing and take over the world. It left you wondering where everyone was going to end up and if they were even going to fight back.
Well fight back they did. The season did start out fairly slow, learning where everyone ended up and what they were doing to win the war. Eff was the one that just gave up until running into some resistance fighters. I guess having your son start a nuclear war will do that. The rest of the team broke off to find was to fight back and kill the master. By episode 4 you saw were everyone was and they were working their way back to New York to kill the Master.
One of the coolest thing I think I got to learn about this season was some back story on Quilan and why he was in the fight. The flashbacks was something I didn't think we were going to get this season.
There were a lot of sad parts to the final 2 episode. Losing the professor I think was the hardest part. Even though he was kranky, everyone still loved him and wanted to see him finally kill the Master, but his did the next best thing and kill his Nazi enemy.
I won't tell you who dies at the end, but if you followed the comics you already know. If you have never watched the show pick it up or stream it. This was a fantastic show and sorry to see it come to a close, but it was a great closing episode, that is so rare sometimes. Happy hunting and if you see a big old wooden coffin, don't open it.
Well fight back they did. The season did start out fairly slow, learning where everyone ended up and what they were doing to win the war. Eff was the one that just gave up until running into some resistance fighters. I guess having your son start a nuclear war will do that. The rest of the team broke off to find was to fight back and kill the master. By episode 4 you saw were everyone was and they were working their way back to New York to kill the Master.
One of the coolest thing I think I got to learn about this season was some back story on Quilan and why he was in the fight. The flashbacks was something I didn't think we were going to get this season.
There were a lot of sad parts to the final 2 episode. Losing the professor I think was the hardest part. Even though he was kranky, everyone still loved him and wanted to see him finally kill the Master, but his did the next best thing and kill his Nazi enemy.
I won't tell you who dies at the end, but if you followed the comics you already know. If you have never watched the show pick it up or stream it. This was a fantastic show and sorry to see it come to a close, but it was a great closing episode, that is so rare sometimes. Happy hunting and if you see a big old wooden coffin, don't open it.