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Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated The Only Story in Books

Jan 10, 2018  
The Only Story
The Only Story
Julian Barnes | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry
8
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Slightly irritating protagonist, but good story
This unusual romance is definitely not in the same ballpark as the likes of The Notebook and other such love stories - instead it begins as a pseudo-parody of the younger man-older woman genre - ending in a tragically realistic fashion.

Following the story of protagonist Paul, a 19-year-old man-child, attempts to find his feet in the world by defying social conventions. Enter Susan, a married woman with two grown children even older than Paul. Beginning innocently after joining a tennis club, Paul seems to grow increasingly attracted to the almost middle-aged woman, but is clearly ambiguous about his motives for pursuing her. Is it out of sheer rebellion against his traditional upbringing or just another yarn to tell his university friends? What does become increasingly apparent is that it is not just a summer affair, as things start to unravel over time. The question posed by the book at the end is: "Would you rather love the more, and suffer the more; or love the less, and suffer the less?"

As per usual, Julian Barnes is a unique storyteller, able to adapt his writing every single time. It is vastly different from some of his other works such as The Noise of Time, which is written almost like a Russian classic. This, on the other hand, is written in an honest first-person narrative, sounding genuinely like a happy-go-lucky teenager. While it is not a perfect story, especially as the chronology feels inconsistent, it is an easy read.
  
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ClareR (5906 KP) Mar 6, 2018

I’ve just finished reading this and I’m mulling it over before I write my review. It really affected me, I think.
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Suswatibasu (1703 KP) Mar 6, 2018

Julian Barnes is a superb writer no doubt!
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2357 KP) rated Sunny Side Up in Books

Sep 19, 2018  
Sunny Side Up
Sunny Side Up
Daniel Stallings | 2018 | Mystery
5
5.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Cruise of Murder and Bullies
Liam Johnson is thrilled to have landed a job on the prestigious Howard Cruise Line as a waiter. His family needs the money he will be making. However, he quickly discovers that his boss hates him and some of the customers he must deal with delight in making his life miserable as well. That doesn't prepare him for finding the body of one of the passengers dead on the Sunbathing Deck. The ship's doctor is quick to rule it an accidental death due to sunstroke, but Liam isn't so sure. Several things about the scene are off. Can he prove it was murder before the cruise ends?

I really thought this book sounded like fun, but it turned out to be much more somber than I was expecting it to be. Liam faces quite a bit of abuse and bullying over the course of the story, and I didn't find it that fun to read. Even his friends on the ship turn on him regularly. The mystery is well put together with plenty of clues. I did feel things were a bit overly complex, but the clues were all there when Liam explains things at the end. This books definitely falls on the traditional side of the spectrum with a smattering of language and talk about sex (but nothing on the page) that keep it from being a true cozy. This wasn’t' truly a bad book, but I did hope for something sunnier when I picked it up.
  
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JT (287 KP) rated The Oxford Murders (2010) in Movies

Mar 10, 2020  
The Oxford Murders (2010)
The Oxford Murders (2010)
2010 | International, Drama, Horror
4
4.8 (4 Ratings)
Movie Rating
From the first couple of scenes you’d half expect to see Inspector Morse and Lewis step out from behind one of the great pillars that surround Oxford University – sadly that is not going to be the case here. The story itself could have been taken right out of an Agatha Christie novel but the subsequent plot gets mixed up like the mathematical equation it is trying to lay out.

John Hurt plays Arthur Seldom a university professor whose life revolves around mathematical equations and whether or not we can prove truth and probability. Martin (Elijah Wood) is a graduate over from America looking at using Seldom to help him with his thesis.

The pair get mixed up in an altogether different set of circumstances when they must work together to solve a series of murders based around mathematical symbols. The Oxford Murders falls some way short of delivering on any tension or drama, which is a real shame. The script is over complicated and there is no real time to develop the characters before we are thrown head first into the first murder.

All in all it seemed rushed together. More strangely was the choice of director; Spanish born Álex de la Iglesia who also wrote the screenplay. A background largely based around foreign film I find it odd that he should have any idea about the true reflections of historic Oxford. Maybe that is where amongst other things The Oxford Murders falls down. In the hands of a more traditional English director we may have had a better outcome.