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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 These journals remained unpublished and unread 40 years later.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.
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated Sniper Elite 4 in Video Games
Oct 10, 2017 (Updated Oct 10, 2017)
Satisfying gameplay. (2 more)
X-Ray camera.
Neat settings.
Generic characters and plot. (1 more)
Sub par graphics.
Hits It's Target
The fourth game in the third person WW2 shooter series, this game expands on the groundwork laid by it's predecessors. If you are coming off of a story driven game and are just looking for something satisfying and fun, then this is perfect for you. The story and characters are paper thin and the voice acting is all over the place in terms of quality, but that's not why you come to Sniper Elite, you come to watch a Nazi's brains explode from the sheer impact of your well placed bullet.
This is definitely the best game in the series in terms of it's gameplay systems. The control given to the player is clear and specific and if you miss a shot, you have no one to blame but yourself. The infamous X-ray cam makes a glorious return and it is even more detailed and brutal than in previous entries. No matter how many times you make a pair of Nazi testicles go pop from across a beautiful Italian town, it never gets old.
The other great thing about this game is it's various settings. There is an array of different maps that you work your way through during the game's campaign and each is unique and well thought out enough to give you a challenge, but also make you feel like a total bad-ass when you land a near impossible shot, in equal measure.
Although the landscapes are nice to run around in and function well in terms of matching with the game's gameplay style, the quality of the graphics itself isn't going to astonish anyone. We are around halfway through the PS4's life-cycle and this looks at best, like a late generation PS3 game. Again though, it doesn't really matter here, no one is buying Sniper Elite 4 for it's graphical quality.
Overall, there is a ton of fun to be had here. Don't think too much about the story and just enjoy systematically working your way through each various map, popping Nazi skulls as you go.
This is definitely the best game in the series in terms of it's gameplay systems. The control given to the player is clear and specific and if you miss a shot, you have no one to blame but yourself. The infamous X-ray cam makes a glorious return and it is even more detailed and brutal than in previous entries. No matter how many times you make a pair of Nazi testicles go pop from across a beautiful Italian town, it never gets old.
The other great thing about this game is it's various settings. There is an array of different maps that you work your way through during the game's campaign and each is unique and well thought out enough to give you a challenge, but also make you feel like a total bad-ass when you land a near impossible shot, in equal measure.
Although the landscapes are nice to run around in and function well in terms of matching with the game's gameplay style, the quality of the graphics itself isn't going to astonish anyone. We are around halfway through the PS4's life-cycle and this looks at best, like a late generation PS3 game. Again though, it doesn't really matter here, no one is buying Sniper Elite 4 for it's graphical quality.
Overall, there is a ton of fun to be had here. Don't think too much about the story and just enjoy systematically working your way through each various map, popping Nazi skulls as you go.
Frontline Commando: D-Day
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ClareR (5991 KP) rated You Will Be Safe Here in Books
May 12, 2019
History that affects the present.
At first glance, you would wonder why this book starts off in a South African concentration camp in 1901, and then goes on to follow a boy whose parents pay for him to go to the New Dawn Safari Training Camp. It does become clear: the title tells us what the British army said to the women and children as they entered Bloemfontein, and what Willem and his parents are told before he goes to New Dawn. They are all lied to.
My dad told me about the concentration camps during the Boer war as I went off to study German at university. He’d read about the history part of the course I’d be studying, and WW2 was missing. He thought it important that I should know that the National Socialists had got all of their ‘best’ ideas from the British (“everyone should shoulder their share of guilt”). I admit I didn’t know this much detail though.
The descriptions in this book are heartbreaking. Cruelty disguised as safe-keeping. New Dawn is cruelty disguised as (re)education. As I attempted to empathise with Will’s mother, I couldn’t help but judge her - how could a mother NOT protect her child? How could she be so easily influenced to give him to someone else to ‘make him a man’? She thinks that this IS protecting him though. The world is a harsh place, and those who are different are not always accepted by their peers (I have two sons, one of whom is disabled. I’ve always worried about how he will be accepted by other children - unfounded worries so far, as it turns out.).
The old adage ‘cruel to be kind’ is just that though: old, outdated. The new world order should be about tolerance and understanding, something that is totally lacking in some of the characters of this book (and out in the real world, too). ADHD is NEVER cured with cruelty. Respect is never gained through starvation and deprivation.
This book is written with such care and understanding: I could imagine the sights and sounds of both camps, smell the cigarette smoke of Willem’s grandmother. I felt so much for Sarah van der Watt and her son and Willem. People put into impossible circumstances. The way we find out about what happens to Sarah and her son is devastating: Willem and his class visit Bloemfontein concentration camp, and Fredericks story is part of their history lesson. This was so cleverly done, and although seemingly detached by the years that had passed, its only one hundred pages or so for the reader.
This is such a moving story, and it shows that history really can affect the present day. I can’t recommend reading this book enough.
My dad told me about the concentration camps during the Boer war as I went off to study German at university. He’d read about the history part of the course I’d be studying, and WW2 was missing. He thought it important that I should know that the National Socialists had got all of their ‘best’ ideas from the British (“everyone should shoulder their share of guilt”). I admit I didn’t know this much detail though.
The descriptions in this book are heartbreaking. Cruelty disguised as safe-keeping. New Dawn is cruelty disguised as (re)education. As I attempted to empathise with Will’s mother, I couldn’t help but judge her - how could a mother NOT protect her child? How could she be so easily influenced to give him to someone else to ‘make him a man’? She thinks that this IS protecting him though. The world is a harsh place, and those who are different are not always accepted by their peers (I have two sons, one of whom is disabled. I’ve always worried about how he will be accepted by other children - unfounded worries so far, as it turns out.).
The old adage ‘cruel to be kind’ is just that though: old, outdated. The new world order should be about tolerance and understanding, something that is totally lacking in some of the characters of this book (and out in the real world, too). ADHD is NEVER cured with cruelty. Respect is never gained through starvation and deprivation.
This book is written with such care and understanding: I could imagine the sights and sounds of both camps, smell the cigarette smoke of Willem’s grandmother. I felt so much for Sarah van der Watt and her son and Willem. People put into impossible circumstances. The way we find out about what happens to Sarah and her son is devastating: Willem and his class visit Bloemfontein concentration camp, and Fredericks story is part of their history lesson. This was so cleverly done, and although seemingly detached by the years that had passed, its only one hundred pages or so for the reader.
This is such a moving story, and it shows that history really can affect the present day. I can’t recommend reading this book enough.
Eilidh G Clark (177 KP) rated Goblin in Books
Jul 2, 2019
Brilliant book, well wriiten, original
Winner of the Saltire Society first book of the year award 2017, Goblin, by Ever Dundas is a brilliant and brave first novel. Set in both London during WW2 and in Edinburgh in 2011, the story is told in flashback. For me, the first half of the novel is the best, we meet Goblin as a nine-year-old tomboy with a love for animals and a passion for storytelling - both of which the protagonist collects.
Goblin has a difficult family life; a mother who doesn’t want her, 'Goblin-runt born blue. Nothing can kill you. [...] You're like a cockroach,' (p.5) a father who mends radio’s and barely talks and a brother (David) who spends most of his time in his bedroom. Left to her own devices, the protagonist, her dog Devil, and her two friends Mac and Stevie roam the neighbourhood and hang around in an abandoned worksite. As a collector of stories, Goblin enthusiastically attends the local church with Mac, 'I loved the stories, turning them over in my head, weaving my own.' (p.24) before meeting The Crazy Pigeon Lady who tells her tales of Lizards people from the realm below. The childhood innocence in these chapters, mixed with magic realism, break down the walls of adult reasoning and creates a wonderful suspension of disbelief.
But without giving away the story plot, the suspension of disbelief serves another purpose; to divert the reader (as well as the adult protagonist) from the truth. So, while the adult Goblin searches amongst her tangled past, she takes the reader along for the ride. We meet multiple parents, live life on the road, come alive on the streets and in the circus, explore love, death, desire, and hate – and somewhere in the middle we meet an impressive collection of animals - Goblin has it all. And as far as strong female protagonists go, she’s right up there with Anais Hendricks from Jenni Fagan’s Panopticon, to Janie Ryan in Kerry Hudson’s Tony Hogan Bought Me an Ice Cream Float Before He Stole My Ma, characters who are so real you might just walk by them on the street.
The only teeny tiny criticism about the novel is that the second half spans over a lengthy period of time and it felt a little rushed. However, there is so much to say about this novel, so many angles to discuss, from Queer Theory to Religion, from Myth to Realism, and as a graduate of English Literature I could have a field day studying this book but for now, as a lover of good books, I’ll give it a big thumbs up and a huge recommendation, it’ll be finding a space on my ‘keep’ book shelve.
Goblin, Ever Dundas (2017) published by Saraband
Goblin has a difficult family life; a mother who doesn’t want her, 'Goblin-runt born blue. Nothing can kill you. [...] You're like a cockroach,' (p.5) a father who mends radio’s and barely talks and a brother (David) who spends most of his time in his bedroom. Left to her own devices, the protagonist, her dog Devil, and her two friends Mac and Stevie roam the neighbourhood and hang around in an abandoned worksite. As a collector of stories, Goblin enthusiastically attends the local church with Mac, 'I loved the stories, turning them over in my head, weaving my own.' (p.24) before meeting The Crazy Pigeon Lady who tells her tales of Lizards people from the realm below. The childhood innocence in these chapters, mixed with magic realism, break down the walls of adult reasoning and creates a wonderful suspension of disbelief.
But without giving away the story plot, the suspension of disbelief serves another purpose; to divert the reader (as well as the adult protagonist) from the truth. So, while the adult Goblin searches amongst her tangled past, she takes the reader along for the ride. We meet multiple parents, live life on the road, come alive on the streets and in the circus, explore love, death, desire, and hate – and somewhere in the middle we meet an impressive collection of animals - Goblin has it all. And as far as strong female protagonists go, she’s right up there with Anais Hendricks from Jenni Fagan’s Panopticon, to Janie Ryan in Kerry Hudson’s Tony Hogan Bought Me an Ice Cream Float Before He Stole My Ma, characters who are so real you might just walk by them on the street.
The only teeny tiny criticism about the novel is that the second half spans over a lengthy period of time and it felt a little rushed. However, there is so much to say about this novel, so many angles to discuss, from Queer Theory to Religion, from Myth to Realism, and as a graduate of English Literature I could have a field day studying this book but for now, as a lover of good books, I’ll give it a big thumbs up and a huge recommendation, it’ll be finding a space on my ‘keep’ book shelve.
Goblin, Ever Dundas (2017) published by Saraband
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Manny Steinberg (1925-2015) spent his teens in Nazi concentration camps in Germany, miraculously...
RəX Regent (349 KP) rated Downfall (Der Untergang) (2004) in Movies
Feb 19, 2019
The true story of the last days of NAZI Germany, focusing on Hitler and his cohorts as they sought refuge on his Berlin Bunker and is chronicled here with such honesty.
Told in a straight forward manner, we are given a portrait of not only Adolf Hitler himself, played perfectly by Bruno Ganz, who manages to humanize him without ever apologising for his heinous acts, but also those close to him. Shown through the young eyes of his final secretary, Traudl Junge (Alexandra Maria Lara), we are given a picture of what The Third Reich was to those who believed in it as well as what it had become for those who would suffer at it bloody hands.
Directed by Hirschbiegel to put us, the audience in the anterooms with these monsters, we are placed into a complex environment, edgy, atmospheric and most of all, real, as we witness noble acts of patriotism, conscience and pure, despicable horror, none less so that Magda Geobells, with the full consent of her husband, Joseph, first drugging, then murdering their six children as they slept, rather than “let them live in a world without national socialism.”
The only redeeming factors were their eventual suicides and in terms of the film, their first rate performances throughout this harrowing scene. Corinna Harfouch, who portrays Magda manages to portray this evil woman yet convey the emotion which was subdued deep beneath the surface. No small feat to allow such a fleeting glimpse of humanity during such and inhuman act.
But the same must be said Bruno Ganz, who manages to portray Hitler with such humanity; whilst showing us the true nature of his monstrosities, highlighting that the REAL monsters live among us and can seduce us at any time, any where, especially when we are vulnerable.
During one of the film’s early scenes, Hitler and Albert Speer (Heino Ferch), his Armaments Minister, discussing his vision for The Third Reich as he looks over a model of the new Germany which would be built after he won the war, a Germany without department stores, instead focusing on art, literature and culture.
Surely a noble goal, but as we all know, this cultural hub would have been built at an unacceptable cost, mainly with the blood of those who Hitler and his cohorts deemed to be inferior.
This is one of many clever methods used to convey a fair portrait of Hitler and The Third Reich. To demonstrate how bad they were, you first have to show impartiality, pointing out the good in what they do, play devil’s advocate as it were. Because whether we like it or not, evil motives are often built upon decent goals.
But as this film demonstrates, as Hitler shows his destine for anyone, even his own people, who will not give their lives for HIS vision of Germany, his Third Reich was being eaten away by a cancer of his own making, a Germany rotting from the very top.
Downfall is without a doubt one of the best World War 2 films which I have ever seen, delivering a compelling and immersive look behind the scenes of one of the most important defeats in modern history.
But being British and having to follow this with subtitles, which was great as watching this in its native German only adds to the experience, it can be a bit difficult to keep up with every plot machination, as we spend two and half hours reading about troop deployments, tactics and the philosophy of the Third Reich as we are presented with such atmospheric work, but if you can keep up with but the text and visuals, this is one hell of an education for those who do not know and an immersive masterpiece for those who follow WW2 history.
Told in a straight forward manner, we are given a portrait of not only Adolf Hitler himself, played perfectly by Bruno Ganz, who manages to humanize him without ever apologising for his heinous acts, but also those close to him. Shown through the young eyes of his final secretary, Traudl Junge (Alexandra Maria Lara), we are given a picture of what The Third Reich was to those who believed in it as well as what it had become for those who would suffer at it bloody hands.
Directed by Hirschbiegel to put us, the audience in the anterooms with these monsters, we are placed into a complex environment, edgy, atmospheric and most of all, real, as we witness noble acts of patriotism, conscience and pure, despicable horror, none less so that Magda Geobells, with the full consent of her husband, Joseph, first drugging, then murdering their six children as they slept, rather than “let them live in a world without national socialism.”
The only redeeming factors were their eventual suicides and in terms of the film, their first rate performances throughout this harrowing scene. Corinna Harfouch, who portrays Magda manages to portray this evil woman yet convey the emotion which was subdued deep beneath the surface. No small feat to allow such a fleeting glimpse of humanity during such and inhuman act.
But the same must be said Bruno Ganz, who manages to portray Hitler with such humanity; whilst showing us the true nature of his monstrosities, highlighting that the REAL monsters live among us and can seduce us at any time, any where, especially when we are vulnerable.
During one of the film’s early scenes, Hitler and Albert Speer (Heino Ferch), his Armaments Minister, discussing his vision for The Third Reich as he looks over a model of the new Germany which would be built after he won the war, a Germany without department stores, instead focusing on art, literature and culture.
Surely a noble goal, but as we all know, this cultural hub would have been built at an unacceptable cost, mainly with the blood of those who Hitler and his cohorts deemed to be inferior.
This is one of many clever methods used to convey a fair portrait of Hitler and The Third Reich. To demonstrate how bad they were, you first have to show impartiality, pointing out the good in what they do, play devil’s advocate as it were. Because whether we like it or not, evil motives are often built upon decent goals.
But as this film demonstrates, as Hitler shows his destine for anyone, even his own people, who will not give their lives for HIS vision of Germany, his Third Reich was being eaten away by a cancer of his own making, a Germany rotting from the very top.
Downfall is without a doubt one of the best World War 2 films which I have ever seen, delivering a compelling and immersive look behind the scenes of one of the most important defeats in modern history.
But being British and having to follow this with subtitles, which was great as watching this in its native German only adds to the experience, it can be a bit difficult to keep up with every plot machination, as we spend two and half hours reading about troop deployments, tactics and the philosophy of the Third Reich as we are presented with such atmospheric work, but if you can keep up with but the text and visuals, this is one hell of an education for those who do not know and an immersive masterpiece for those who follow WW2 history.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated the PC version of Battlefield V in Video Games
Jun 19, 2019
The latest chapter in the long-running Battlefield series has arrived with the release of Battlefield V. The game looks to follow up the success of Battlefield 1 with a World War 2 based game that puts players directly into the action with large and highly-detailed maps.
The solo portion of the game has players battle in some diverse locales and focuses on situations form history where the participants were not well known and did not receive much glory or attention for their deeds.
After the introduction, players have the following options as described by E.A.
The stories were very enjoyable and thought provoking though I did get a few bugs while playing like a cut-scene lock up and some clipping issues where enemy characters were lodged in walls. Thankfully issues like this were few and I was able to complete the missions as they were engrossing and kept me riveted throughout.
I especially liked the Nordlys mission where I was able to don Skis and made my way around the frozen landscapes to complete my mission.
The missions were a mix of stealth, surviving waves of enemies, and capturing objectives which is what you would expect for a game of this type. The game does allow players to have a more diverse approach to completing missions as you can use vehicles and other objects found in the game to be creative. I was able to “borrow” a plane in Under No Flag to strafe the enemy locales. When my piloting skills were not up to snuff and I crashed in a lake; I redid the mission from a direct assault approach and things went much better for me.
The game uses a regenerative health system so should you take too much damage, simply take cover until you heal up and battle on. There is also an option to heal from time to time when battling online. Players will be able to pick up new weapons and ammunition off fallen enemies as well as at various points throughout the game.
Visually the game is very appealing from the open desert to the raging blizzard in the campaigns; there is plenty of eye candy to enjoy along with the action.
The online modes were very enjoyable as there were a variety of modes for players to enjoy.
The multiplay was good and what impressed me was how fair the hit detection was. You did not have to empty an entire clip into an enemy to take them down nor did glancing shots also produce a fatal result. The maps were large and highly detailed which allowed players to try a mixture of gameplay styles to best suit their needs.
It should be noted that additional content for the game will be coming as the menus made mention of solo missions and other features that were listed as “coming soon” and we know that the Battle Royale mode for the game is not due until 2019 as an example.
It should also be noted that I did not see the Female fighter with the prosthetic arm that was featured in the announcement trailers for the game and caused division amongst fans upon the reveal for the game. If she was edited out, planned for a later date, or simply included for demonstration purposes remains to be seen. What is clear is that although fans may expect more content and be disappointed in having to wait for parts of the game to release at a later date, the game is enjoyable for fans of the series and after my experiences with the Beta; even better than expected. I look forward to seeing what the game will look like in the future once the coming updates and patches are applied, but for now; Battlefield V is a solid WW2 game with solid visuals and sound and is a worthy entry into the series.
http://sknr.net/2018/11/12/battlefield-v/
The solo portion of the game has players battle in some diverse locales and focuses on situations form history where the participants were not well known and did not receive much glory or attention for their deeds.
After the introduction, players have the following options as described by E.A.
The stories were very enjoyable and thought provoking though I did get a few bugs while playing like a cut-scene lock up and some clipping issues where enemy characters were lodged in walls. Thankfully issues like this were few and I was able to complete the missions as they were engrossing and kept me riveted throughout.
I especially liked the Nordlys mission where I was able to don Skis and made my way around the frozen landscapes to complete my mission.
The missions were a mix of stealth, surviving waves of enemies, and capturing objectives which is what you would expect for a game of this type. The game does allow players to have a more diverse approach to completing missions as you can use vehicles and other objects found in the game to be creative. I was able to “borrow” a plane in Under No Flag to strafe the enemy locales. When my piloting skills were not up to snuff and I crashed in a lake; I redid the mission from a direct assault approach and things went much better for me.
The game uses a regenerative health system so should you take too much damage, simply take cover until you heal up and battle on. There is also an option to heal from time to time when battling online. Players will be able to pick up new weapons and ammunition off fallen enemies as well as at various points throughout the game.
Visually the game is very appealing from the open desert to the raging blizzard in the campaigns; there is plenty of eye candy to enjoy along with the action.
The online modes were very enjoyable as there were a variety of modes for players to enjoy.
The multiplay was good and what impressed me was how fair the hit detection was. You did not have to empty an entire clip into an enemy to take them down nor did glancing shots also produce a fatal result. The maps were large and highly detailed which allowed players to try a mixture of gameplay styles to best suit their needs.
It should be noted that additional content for the game will be coming as the menus made mention of solo missions and other features that were listed as “coming soon” and we know that the Battle Royale mode for the game is not due until 2019 as an example.
It should also be noted that I did not see the Female fighter with the prosthetic arm that was featured in the announcement trailers for the game and caused division amongst fans upon the reveal for the game. If she was edited out, planned for a later date, or simply included for demonstration purposes remains to be seen. What is clear is that although fans may expect more content and be disappointed in having to wait for parts of the game to release at a later date, the game is enjoyable for fans of the series and after my experiences with the Beta; even better than expected. I look forward to seeing what the game will look like in the future once the coming updates and patches are applied, but for now; Battlefield V is a solid WW2 game with solid visuals and sound and is a worthy entry into the series.
http://sknr.net/2018/11/12/battlefield-v/