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ClareR (6256 KP) rated Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine in Books
Mar 28, 2018
Not what you'll expect it to be...
Eleanor lives by her routines. Every weekday morning she gets up at the same time, starts work at the same time, buys a newspaper at the same place which she always reads all of and completes the crossword in. She leaves work at 5.30 every day, travels home the same way and listens to The Archers as she makes pasta and pesto with salad (which requires one pan and one plate). She goes to bed at the same time, 10pm, every evening. Wednesday, ‘Mummy’ always phones and talks to her for 10 minutes.
On Friday nights after work, she buys pizza and two bottles of vodka, that she will drink over the course of the weekend, on her own. She spends all week on her own. Eleanor has no friends, she believes that she doesn’t need any either.
Then Eleanor sees him: the man who she becomes obsessed with, the man who Mummy never believes she will be able to attract, and Eleanor decides to reinvent herself so that he will become interested in her.
Some of these reinvention ‘adventures’ are hilarious, and include things that all women do: self-grooming, in particular. The waxing incident had me in stitches!
At work, things change when she meets Ray from IT when he comes to mend her computer. He’s affable, gentle and intrigues by Eleanor. She however is not at all interested, and her sights are set elsewhere. After work one day, Ray and Eleanor are walking home when they come upon an elderly man, Sammy, who has collapsed in the street. They help him, call an ambulance, and so a friendship is begun. Eleanor’s life is opened up, whether she wants it to or not.
Eleanor tells her own story, and we go along for the ride as she shares her story and learns how to actually live. Secrets she has even kept from herself for years, are revealed.
There are many funny parts to this story, and they are painfully funny. Eleanor’s lack of social skills is evident. I didn’t feel that fun was being poked at Eleanor, but we are encouraged to laugh at the situation and therefore learn about how difficult Eleanor’s life is. There are parts of the story where laughter is very far from the mind. I found parts to be very emotional and so, so sad.
I honestly didn’t want to leave Eleanor Oliphant’s world. The story really doesn’t end at the end of the book, and we are left with the impression that Eleanor’s story will continue in her ‘book universe’. Ultimately, this book is an interesting commentary of modern life and our biggest problem - loneliness. We are the generation of social media, internet and gadgets, and we have left behind our human kindness. We are a social animal that no longer seems to be social. All so wrapped up in our own little worlds, that we don’t realise we’re missing that connection with real human beings, and don’t see when there are others around us who are lonely and need the contact of others.
This is such an enjoyable, funny, heartwarming and heart wrenching and above all, hopeful book. I would heartily recommend it, particularly to those who enjoyed “A Man Called Ove’, ‘The Rosie Project’ and more recently ‘The Cactus’. It’s never overly sentimental, but it IS full of heart.
On Friday nights after work, she buys pizza and two bottles of vodka, that she will drink over the course of the weekend, on her own. She spends all week on her own. Eleanor has no friends, she believes that she doesn’t need any either.
Then Eleanor sees him: the man who she becomes obsessed with, the man who Mummy never believes she will be able to attract, and Eleanor decides to reinvent herself so that he will become interested in her.
Some of these reinvention ‘adventures’ are hilarious, and include things that all women do: self-grooming, in particular. The waxing incident had me in stitches!
At work, things change when she meets Ray from IT when he comes to mend her computer. He’s affable, gentle and intrigues by Eleanor. She however is not at all interested, and her sights are set elsewhere. After work one day, Ray and Eleanor are walking home when they come upon an elderly man, Sammy, who has collapsed in the street. They help him, call an ambulance, and so a friendship is begun. Eleanor’s life is opened up, whether she wants it to or not.
Eleanor tells her own story, and we go along for the ride as she shares her story and learns how to actually live. Secrets she has even kept from herself for years, are revealed.
There are many funny parts to this story, and they are painfully funny. Eleanor’s lack of social skills is evident. I didn’t feel that fun was being poked at Eleanor, but we are encouraged to laugh at the situation and therefore learn about how difficult Eleanor’s life is. There are parts of the story where laughter is very far from the mind. I found parts to be very emotional and so, so sad.
I honestly didn’t want to leave Eleanor Oliphant’s world. The story really doesn’t end at the end of the book, and we are left with the impression that Eleanor’s story will continue in her ‘book universe’. Ultimately, this book is an interesting commentary of modern life and our biggest problem - loneliness. We are the generation of social media, internet and gadgets, and we have left behind our human kindness. We are a social animal that no longer seems to be social. All so wrapped up in our own little worlds, that we don’t realise we’re missing that connection with real human beings, and don’t see when there are others around us who are lonely and need the contact of others.
This is such an enjoyable, funny, heartwarming and heart wrenching and above all, hopeful book. I would heartily recommend it, particularly to those who enjoyed “A Man Called Ove’, ‘The Rosie Project’ and more recently ‘The Cactus’. It’s never overly sentimental, but it IS full of heart.
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Sarah (7800 KP) rated Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in Video Games
Aug 20, 2018
Still one of the best
Mario Kart is one of the classics. Despite now on its 8th iteration, it’s still as good as it ever was and is one of the best games out there to play. No matter which version of Mario Kart I’ve played, I never really have a bad word to say about it, and 8 is no different.
The graphics are fantastic, and a great step up to those I was previously used to on the last version available on the Wii. The gameplay is as you’d expect from Mario Kart and this isn’t a bad thing. Why fix what isn’t broken? I also love the fact that you can now play this online properly against anyone in the world - it’s such a great feature and brings a whole new level of fun to the game. It can get a little dull and predictable if you’re playing locally as a couch co-op (or at least that’s what my other half says as I always win ?), but being able to play online multiplayer is so entertaining and we can play it for hours. Yes it is very frustrating, as sadly real players are a lot more ruthless than the computer players you’re up against locally, but it’s still a lot more fun.
My only criticisms about this game are that whilst it has quite a lot of levels/courses, for me it still isn’t enough. They’re not exactly long races and you can get through them all fairly quickly, and there’s only so many times you can do the same courses. And the only other criticism relates specifically to online play. Online play gives you points, but some players have a lot more points than others (i.e. 5k+, 10k+) which indicates they’ve been playing for a lot longer. The online match ups take no account of points and you can potentially end up playing against players with a huge difference in skill and points level. It’d be nice if they could try and match players together within a certain points, as it might make it more of a fairer race and a little more challenging if players are all similarly matched.
The graphics are fantastic, and a great step up to those I was previously used to on the last version available on the Wii. The gameplay is as you’d expect from Mario Kart and this isn’t a bad thing. Why fix what isn’t broken? I also love the fact that you can now play this online properly against anyone in the world - it’s such a great feature and brings a whole new level of fun to the game. It can get a little dull and predictable if you’re playing locally as a couch co-op (or at least that’s what my other half says as I always win ?), but being able to play online multiplayer is so entertaining and we can play it for hours. Yes it is very frustrating, as sadly real players are a lot more ruthless than the computer players you’re up against locally, but it’s still a lot more fun.
My only criticisms about this game are that whilst it has quite a lot of levels/courses, for me it still isn’t enough. They’re not exactly long races and you can get through them all fairly quickly, and there’s only so many times you can do the same courses. And the only other criticism relates specifically to online play. Online play gives you points, but some players have a lot more points than others (i.e. 5k+, 10k+) which indicates they’ve been playing for a lot longer. The online match ups take no account of points and you can potentially end up playing against players with a huge difference in skill and points level. It’d be nice if they could try and match players together within a certain points, as it might make it more of a fairer race and a little more challenging if players are all similarly matched.
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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021) in Movies
Sep 30, 2021
Venom: Let There Be Carnage Has Some Moments But Could Have Been So Much More
When audiences last saw Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy); the journalist and his parasitic symbiote Venom; had just saved the day and cemented their unusual bond with one another.
In the new film “Venom: Let There Be Carnage”; Eddie and Venom are at the end of their Honeymoon phase as Venom is lingering to be free to eat bad people and do what is natural for him. Eddie meanwhile wants a more conservative approach feeding Venom chicken and chocolate as he knows the eyes of the authorities are still upon him and he has to convince the world that Venom is dead and no longer a threat.
At the same time; serial killer Cletus Kasady (Woody Harrelson) has selected Eddie to interview him in San Quentin and the two form an unusual connection as Cletus cryptically speaks to Eddie which underlines a deeper motivation.
With the help of Venom; Eddie is able to decipher clues found on the walls of Cletus’s cell which leads authorities to several of his victims. This results in a rapid rise in status for Eddie and fast tracks Cletus for execution as his main means of leverage is now gone.
This leads to a rift where Eddie and Venom split and each has to struggle to adjust to life without one another.
At this point, the film has mainly been odd bits of whimsy between Venom and Eddie around the establishment of the plot and threat. However, things go into chaos mode when Cletus becomes infected with a Symbiote and turns into a destruction spewing death machine known as “Carnage”.
Cletus and Carnage both have their own agendas and Cletus uses Carnage to exact his revenge as well as locate a figure from his past that is as big a danger as he is.
As any fan of films of this genre knows; this scenario leads to a showdown between the central characters which are awash in abundant CGI, loud noises, and destruction. While this is not a bad thing and certainly one of the main reasons I enjoy films of this type; the film never seemed to fully click for me and as such was not as good as I thought it could have been.
In many ways, the film reminded me of how comic-based films were done before Marvel started their own studios and their phenomenal run of hits based on their work.
There have been multiple attempts to adapt comics into films over the last few decades and many of them have not lived up to expectations or failed outright. One of the biggest reasons is in my opinion is that those behind the projects were hindered by the studio, wanted to put their own spin on the material and strayed from the source; or failed to show the attributes that made the characters so appealing to fans.
What we often get is action sequences and CGI galore but without stories or characters that fully draw in the audience and fail to capture the essence of the comics.
Director Andy Serkis has done a great job with the visuals of the film but the tone seems off. The early part of the film is filled with comedic moments that are either hit or miss. Some of which was almost to the point where I wondered if it was supposed to be a parody.
The plot is fairly linear with nothing unexpected as it is simply bad guys get loose; bad guys cause death and destruction, can the heroes stop them. The climactic scene lacks any “wow” moments for me as it was mainly CGI characters rapidly moving around causing damage to one another and their environment. There was no real tension for me and the ultimate resolution seemed a bit anti-climactic.
For me the best moment of the film was a mid-credits scene that really popped as it sets up all sorts of interesting options and indicates that Venom may be about to graduate to bigger and better things.
For now; the cast is solid as is the CGI; I just wish the story was more engaging as it had the potential to be so much more.
3 stars out of 5
In the new film “Venom: Let There Be Carnage”; Eddie and Venom are at the end of their Honeymoon phase as Venom is lingering to be free to eat bad people and do what is natural for him. Eddie meanwhile wants a more conservative approach feeding Venom chicken and chocolate as he knows the eyes of the authorities are still upon him and he has to convince the world that Venom is dead and no longer a threat.
At the same time; serial killer Cletus Kasady (Woody Harrelson) has selected Eddie to interview him in San Quentin and the two form an unusual connection as Cletus cryptically speaks to Eddie which underlines a deeper motivation.
With the help of Venom; Eddie is able to decipher clues found on the walls of Cletus’s cell which leads authorities to several of his victims. This results in a rapid rise in status for Eddie and fast tracks Cletus for execution as his main means of leverage is now gone.
This leads to a rift where Eddie and Venom split and each has to struggle to adjust to life without one another.
At this point, the film has mainly been odd bits of whimsy between Venom and Eddie around the establishment of the plot and threat. However, things go into chaos mode when Cletus becomes infected with a Symbiote and turns into a destruction spewing death machine known as “Carnage”.
Cletus and Carnage both have their own agendas and Cletus uses Carnage to exact his revenge as well as locate a figure from his past that is as big a danger as he is.
As any fan of films of this genre knows; this scenario leads to a showdown between the central characters which are awash in abundant CGI, loud noises, and destruction. While this is not a bad thing and certainly one of the main reasons I enjoy films of this type; the film never seemed to fully click for me and as such was not as good as I thought it could have been.
In many ways, the film reminded me of how comic-based films were done before Marvel started their own studios and their phenomenal run of hits based on their work.
There have been multiple attempts to adapt comics into films over the last few decades and many of them have not lived up to expectations or failed outright. One of the biggest reasons is in my opinion is that those behind the projects were hindered by the studio, wanted to put their own spin on the material and strayed from the source; or failed to show the attributes that made the characters so appealing to fans.
What we often get is action sequences and CGI galore but without stories or characters that fully draw in the audience and fail to capture the essence of the comics.
Director Andy Serkis has done a great job with the visuals of the film but the tone seems off. The early part of the film is filled with comedic moments that are either hit or miss. Some of which was almost to the point where I wondered if it was supposed to be a parody.
The plot is fairly linear with nothing unexpected as it is simply bad guys get loose; bad guys cause death and destruction, can the heroes stop them. The climactic scene lacks any “wow” moments for me as it was mainly CGI characters rapidly moving around causing damage to one another and their environment. There was no real tension for me and the ultimate resolution seemed a bit anti-climactic.
For me the best moment of the film was a mid-credits scene that really popped as it sets up all sorts of interesting options and indicates that Venom may be about to graduate to bigger and better things.
For now; the cast is solid as is the CGI; I just wish the story was more engaging as it had the potential to be so much more.
3 stars out of 5
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated When You Disappeared in Books
Sep 16, 2022
167 of 230
Kindle
When you Disappeared
By John Marrs
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
All she wanted was the truth, but she’ll wish she never found out.
When Catherine wakes up alone one morning, she thinks her husband has gone for a run before work. But Simon never makes it to the office. His running shoes are by the front door. Nothing is missing—except him.
Catherine knows Simon must be in trouble. He wouldn’t just leave her. He wouldn’t leave the children.
But Simon knows the truth—about why he left and what he’s done. He knows things about his marriage that it would kill Catherine to find out. The memories she holds onto are lies.
While Catherine faces a dark new reality at home, Simon’s halfway around the world, alive and thriving. He’s doing whatever it takes to stay one step ahead of the truth.
But he can’t hide forever, and when he reappears twenty-five years later, Catherine will finally learn who he is.
And wish she’d stayed in the dark.
Holy crap that was a bit good! It was so different to what I thought it was going to be. I couldn’t put it down the characters drew you in. Who’d have thought one simple lack of communication in a perfectly happy relationship would cause so much destruction. I don’t think I’d have been able to stop where Catherine did at the end! Also do you have after hearing an authors voice automatically hear it when read their work? Nope? Just me than kinda weird 😂.
Kindle
When you Disappeared
By John Marrs
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
All she wanted was the truth, but she’ll wish she never found out.
When Catherine wakes up alone one morning, she thinks her husband has gone for a run before work. But Simon never makes it to the office. His running shoes are by the front door. Nothing is missing—except him.
Catherine knows Simon must be in trouble. He wouldn’t just leave her. He wouldn’t leave the children.
But Simon knows the truth—about why he left and what he’s done. He knows things about his marriage that it would kill Catherine to find out. The memories she holds onto are lies.
While Catherine faces a dark new reality at home, Simon’s halfway around the world, alive and thriving. He’s doing whatever it takes to stay one step ahead of the truth.
But he can’t hide forever, and when he reappears twenty-five years later, Catherine will finally learn who he is.
And wish she’d stayed in the dark.
Holy crap that was a bit good! It was so different to what I thought it was going to be. I couldn’t put it down the characters drew you in. Who’d have thought one simple lack of communication in a perfectly happy relationship would cause so much destruction. I don’t think I’d have been able to stop where Catherine did at the end! Also do you have after hearing an authors voice automatically hear it when read their work? Nope? Just me than kinda weird 😂.
Hazel (1853 KP) rated How Not to Fall in Love, Actually: A Laugh-Out-Loud Romantic Comedy in Books
Dec 7, 2018
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>
“Life, as any chancer knows, is 10% planning, 10% design and 80% totally winging it …” and Catherine Bennetto’s debut novel <i>How Not to Fall in Love, Actually</i> provides a perfect example. The protagonist, Emma George, does not have the most stable of lives: a job she is not that great at, a disappointing boyfriend, and not much hope for the future. Clinging on to dreams of working in the film industry in New York, Emma plods on in her frustrating London job, however, things are due to get a lot worse.
A quick succession of events leaves Emma boyfriend-less, homeless, penniless, grandmother-less, and, to top it off, pregnant. Although letting off a woe-is-me aura, Emma does not realise how fortunate she is. A series of serendipitous incidents, a fashion-obsessed mother, and a sister on the other side of the world make Emma’s life more bearable. Moving into her late grandmother’s Wimbledon cottage and acquiring a handsome lodger, with a loving family just around the corner, Emma’s life has the potential to be happier than it has ever been before – if only she could see that.
<i>How Not to Fall in Love, Actually</i> (a title presumably inspired by the film Love Actually) is a typical British romantic comedy that provides light-hearted relief with its jovial narrative. Full of eccentric characters – a foul-mouthed four-year-old, a felony-obsessed octogenarian, and a harried mother of four – this novel is certain to entertain, although whether it deserves the “laugh-out-loud” status it promises is questionable (but then I am more of a laugh-inside type of reader).
One of the best things about this book – and many British chick-lit – is the authenticity of the characters and settings. Although a few of the scenarios may be toward the extreme end of the scale, none of the occurrences are too far-fetched, and all the characters are relatable in some way, despite their idiosyncrasies.
Personally, I tend to avoid chick-lit, finding them rather lowbrow and written for the sake of writing. Books that have love or sexual encounters as their key theme are not something I enjoy. Therefore, I was pleasantly surprised when <i>How Not to Fall in Love, Actually</i> exceeded these rather low expectations. Admittedly, there are one too many sexual references and far too much swearing, particularly from a four-year-old character – although that does add to the overall humour - but the general storyline was enjoyable. Despite the title hinting at a love-focused story, there were so many other elements to the plot, resulting in a much more interesting novel.
<i>How Not to Fall in Love, Actually</i> is obviously targeted at women, but can be enjoyed by adults of all ages. Those in their twenties and thirties may be able to relate to the struggles Emma is dealing with, whereas older generations may be able to reminisce about their past dilemmas. Whatever the reader’s situation, this book brings laughter, relaxation and the realisation that life is not so bad.
“Life, as any chancer knows, is 10% planning, 10% design and 80% totally winging it …” and Catherine Bennetto’s debut novel <i>How Not to Fall in Love, Actually</i> provides a perfect example. The protagonist, Emma George, does not have the most stable of lives: a job she is not that great at, a disappointing boyfriend, and not much hope for the future. Clinging on to dreams of working in the film industry in New York, Emma plods on in her frustrating London job, however, things are due to get a lot worse.
A quick succession of events leaves Emma boyfriend-less, homeless, penniless, grandmother-less, and, to top it off, pregnant. Although letting off a woe-is-me aura, Emma does not realise how fortunate she is. A series of serendipitous incidents, a fashion-obsessed mother, and a sister on the other side of the world make Emma’s life more bearable. Moving into her late grandmother’s Wimbledon cottage and acquiring a handsome lodger, with a loving family just around the corner, Emma’s life has the potential to be happier than it has ever been before – if only she could see that.
<i>How Not to Fall in Love, Actually</i> (a title presumably inspired by the film Love Actually) is a typical British romantic comedy that provides light-hearted relief with its jovial narrative. Full of eccentric characters – a foul-mouthed four-year-old, a felony-obsessed octogenarian, and a harried mother of four – this novel is certain to entertain, although whether it deserves the “laugh-out-loud” status it promises is questionable (but then I am more of a laugh-inside type of reader).
One of the best things about this book – and many British chick-lit – is the authenticity of the characters and settings. Although a few of the scenarios may be toward the extreme end of the scale, none of the occurrences are too far-fetched, and all the characters are relatable in some way, despite their idiosyncrasies.
Personally, I tend to avoid chick-lit, finding them rather lowbrow and written for the sake of writing. Books that have love or sexual encounters as their key theme are not something I enjoy. Therefore, I was pleasantly surprised when <i>How Not to Fall in Love, Actually</i> exceeded these rather low expectations. Admittedly, there are one too many sexual references and far too much swearing, particularly from a four-year-old character – although that does add to the overall humour - but the general storyline was enjoyable. Despite the title hinting at a love-focused story, there were so many other elements to the plot, resulting in a much more interesting novel.
<i>How Not to Fall in Love, Actually</i> is obviously targeted at women, but can be enjoyed by adults of all ages. Those in their twenties and thirties may be able to relate to the struggles Emma is dealing with, whereas older generations may be able to reminisce about their past dilemmas. Whatever the reader’s situation, this book brings laughter, relaxation and the realisation that life is not so bad.
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