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David McK (3562 KP) rated Sharpe's Justice (1997) in Movies

Jan 8, 2023 (Updated Jan 8, 2023)  
Sharpe's Justice (1997)
Sharpe's Justice (1997)
1997 |
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Rating
There's only, I think, a single novel in the original run of Sharpe stories by Bernard Conrwell in which Sharpe spends most of his time in England.

That's Sharpe's Regiment.

As such, it never touches at all upon the impact of the war on the 'ordinary folk', which is exactly what this one (of only two) specially-written-for-TV episodes do, with Sharpe returning home to England, during the peace of 1814, with his reputation restored (following the events of Sharpe's Revenge) in search of his money which has been stolen by his unfaithful wife who is now having an affair.

Posted to the Yorkshire moors, Sharpe soon finds himself trapped between his corrupt employers and their downtrodden (and luddite, as they fear machines are taking their place) workers, reconnecting with those from his childhood and discovering along the way that some of them are closer related to him than he thought ...
  
Catch Me If You Can (2002)
Catch Me If You Can (2002)
2002 | Action, Drama
Spielbergian drama starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks and supposedly based on the true-life story of Frank Abagnale Jr (I wonder how much of it is, how much made up, and how much dramatised?), with DiCaprio playing the role of Frank Abagnale, who successfully bluffed his way into work as a co-pilot at a major airway, as a doctor and as a lawyer all before he reached his 18th birthday.

In order to do so, he also forged numerous official documents, which brings him to the attention of Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks), who makes it his mission to capture Abagnale, with the two then forming a sort of co-dependent relationship on each other.

It's not a bad movie by any means, with it also attempting to provide some form of justification/explanation for Frank's actions through the lens of his childhood and his relationships with his parents, although I did find it a little slow to start with.
  
The Magicians: Book 1
The Magicians: Book 1
Lev Grossman | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry
10
7.3 (19 Ratings)
Book Rating
Clear and unhidden links to favourite child hood books. (0 more)
Harry Potter for grown ups
Contains spoilers, click to show
I was a fan of this book long before the TV series of the same name, and a firm believer that the book in this case is better than the screen. Unlike the TV series, the book comes across more intelligently and the characters are a lot more relatable. Lev Grossman uses popular fantasy books such as The Chronicles of Narnia and the Harry Potter series for ideas for this novel, but adapts these childhood fantasies to an adult level.


Quentin, the main character within the novel is not your usual hero, being the high achieving teenager who could never quite best his peers, is fixated by a Narnia style story from his child hood (Fillory), which he could never quite overcome. The narrative shares Quentins journey from joining a magical college, making friends to early adulthood and finding that Fillory is real.

Despite the obvious links to other stories, Lev Grossman intelligently uses his story to explore a range of issues such as sexuality and depression, making his characters more relatable to the reader. The villains and events in the story are a lot more sinister than you might expect from a tale that combines so many of our childhood favourites, demonstrating Grossmans clever use in adult emotions. All of this succeeds in engaging the reader even further.

Although this was a book I enjoyed reading from start to finish, I did find the pace was a little fast at times, speeding from one time period in Quentins life to another. I realise that this is because Lev Grossman is portraying the events happening over the course of Quentins late teens and early twenties, but It did become a little frustrating as a reader.

The end of the plot was bitter sweet and did not follow the typical ‘all live happily ever after’ ending that you would expect from this type of tale. Ultimately the book ends on a cliff hanger and left me wanting to know more about what happened next. To me this makes the book a success.
  
The Familiar Dark
The Familiar Dark
Amy Engel | 2020 | Mystery, Thriller
9
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
This book was powerful and utterly absorbing. I couldn't wait to get my hands on it after reading Amy Engel's previous novel, The Roanoke Girls, which is one of my favorite of books. It's one that I recommend to everyone. The Familiar Dark has much of the grittiness of The Roanoke Girls and, man, Engel is an amazing writer who excels at creating these worlds that just suck you in and, in some ways, spit you right back out.


"It had happened now, finally. The disaster I'd been anticipating from the second Junie was born. And I had never even seen it coming."


The title of the book simply doesn't cover it. This is a dark story. Engel captures the small town of Barren Springs perfectly. Our story is told completely from Eve's perspective, which I loved, and things unwind and unfurl as she figures things out. As mentioned, this is a dark tale, as Junie and Izzy's deaths are terrible. Eve's grief just pours off the pages. She is quickly pulled back to the horrors of her childhood and all that she endured. We see immediately that she's going to seek vengenance for what happened to Junie--no matter what. In any fashion, in any way.

I felt as if I almost became one with Eve as I read this book. She is riveting. As a mom, this book broke my heart, and the novel was a testament to a mother's love. It's oddly tender despite its horrifying and sad moments, and I defy you not to love Eve, despite her flaws. The book shows how her childhood formed her, and her brother Cal, whom is really the only person Eve has left after Junie's death.

I could rave on and on, but I don't want to risk spoiling anything. This book isn't for the faint of heart and it's not exactly an uplifting read, but as mentioned, it still resonates as a read about the power of family and love, despite its tense, uncomfortable moments. I am wowed by Engel's writing and can't wait to see what she comes up with next.