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Contested Tastes: Foie Gras and the Politics of Food
Book
Who cares about foie gras? As it turns out, many do. In the last decade, this French delicacy--the...
The Bonobo and the Atheist: In Search of Humanism Among the Primates
Book
For many years, de Waal has observed chimpanzees soothe distressed neighbors and bonobos share their...
Catiline's Conspiracy, the Jugurthine War, Histories
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Book
Sallust was one of the first classical historians to move beyond a dry recitation of fact to paint...
Anarchism: A Collection of Revolutionary Writings
Book
One of the few members of the Russian aristocracy to become a revolutionary, Prince Peter Kropotkin...
Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated His Bloody Project in Books
Jul 25, 2017
Well written, realistic penny dreadful
The author has done quite a spectacular job of researching this piece of historical fiction, bringing to life a gruesome episode in 1800s Scotland. Expect to read a documentary type book and not a particularly suspenseful thriller. It took a long time to get into this book, mostly because the performance was quite dry and dull, hence I struggled to concentrate. During the crux of the story, in which Roddy is in court, the story picks up slightly, sounding more like a courtroom drama. He attempts to explore the idea of moral insanity, but falls short mostly because of the lack of understanding they would have at the time the book is set.
Well written and researched but a bit bland.
Well written and researched but a bit bland.
Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas in Books
Jul 28, 2017
An important and terrifying fable still relevant
It's probably quite important to understand that this is a novel and so there is a lot of artistic license taken with it by the author. That being said the main protagonist, nine-year-old Bruno was brilliantly written, a great juxtaposition of unwaning innocence and extreme cruelty in a time of brutality.
Having visited Auschwitz myself, the naive descriptions of the young boy is gut churning especially as he is so unaware of his fate. The reader does a great job in performing the role of an innocent child.
It is a moral story about complacency and how easy it is to fall into patterns, so it is essential to read with an open mind.
Having visited Auschwitz myself, the naive descriptions of the young boy is gut churning especially as he is so unaware of his fate. The reader does a great job in performing the role of an innocent child.
It is a moral story about complacency and how easy it is to fall into patterns, so it is essential to read with an open mind.
Enyeh (71 KP) rated The War of the Worlds in Books
Aug 9, 2017
Through the first 2/3 of this book, I thought I was going to be disappointed - in fact, given how far I'd gotten without feeling particularly engaged, I think I can say I was in fact disappointed. But in the end, Wells makes up for it: not with any extreme plot twists or cheap literary tricks, but with a sense of profundity, with a moral. War of the Worlds isn't the Hollywood movie that came after it, or even the notorious radio show that caused the panic of a nation - instead, it's a novel about a man and his thoughts in the face of the worst disaster. It's a discussion of humanity, psychology, and morality, disguised as an alien adventure.
Awix (3310 KP) rated A Clockwork Orange (1971) in Movies
Apr 7, 2019 (Updated Apr 7, 2019)
Kubrick's provocative examination of violence and morality. Young offender Alex (McDowell) leads a carefree life of theft, assault, and rape, until his actions catch up with him and he is sent to prison. There he volunteers for a new therapy which is supposed to remove his capacity for violent wrongdoing...
A massively iconic, much-imitated film, despite being taken out of circulation (in the UK at least) by the director for thirty years. The film's musings on the nature of moral agency are less striking than its baleful, scathing criticism of social attitudes towards crime and punishment, and the extraordinarily vivid opening and still difficult-to-watch opening sequence. A grotesque morality play with many coups de cinema; an extraordinary film by any standard.
A massively iconic, much-imitated film, despite being taken out of circulation (in the UK at least) by the director for thirty years. The film's musings on the nature of moral agency are less striking than its baleful, scathing criticism of social attitudes towards crime and punishment, and the extraordinarily vivid opening and still difficult-to-watch opening sequence. A grotesque morality play with many coups de cinema; an extraordinary film by any standard.
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Hitman's Bodyguard (2017) in Movies
Feb 12, 2018
Nothing says knockabout comedy like a truck bomb
Raucous action-comedy odd-couple movie with uptight protection agent Ryan Reynolds having to get laid-back hired killer Samuel L Jackson to the court on time so he can testify against evil despot Gary Oldman (one of his 'just here for the cheque' performances).
Some good jokes and well-mounted action but you have to wonder about a movie which thinks there's nothing tonally weird about including scenes of women and children being cold-bloodedly murdered or terror attacks on western cities in what's essentially a knockabout comedy. Some genuinely funny moments and nice chemistry between the two leads, but hard to get past the fundamental moral vacancy of it all.
Some good jokes and well-mounted action but you have to wonder about a movie which thinks there's nothing tonally weird about including scenes of women and children being cold-bloodedly murdered or terror attacks on western cities in what's essentially a knockabout comedy. Some genuinely funny moments and nice chemistry between the two leads, but hard to get past the fundamental moral vacancy of it all.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Murder on the Orient Express (2017) in Movies
Feb 12, 2018
Hard to see past the moustache
Nice-looking and competent new version of the Agatha Christie classic, made in the traditional all-star manner. A bit hard to be gripped by the actual murder-mystery plot, but maybe that's because the twist in this story is so famous it barely qualifies as such any more.
Often looks more like a commercial for a luxury railway touring holiday than an actual thriller, but I suppose the production values are part of the appeal of this sort of film. Ken Branagh is arguably just a little bit hammy as a version of Poirot who appears to have some form of ASD, but he has a certain moral authority. Probably won't rock your world but passes the time nicely enough.
Often looks more like a commercial for a luxury railway touring holiday than an actual thriller, but I suppose the production values are part of the appeal of this sort of film. Ken Branagh is arguably just a little bit hammy as a version of Poirot who appears to have some form of ASD, but he has a certain moral authority. Probably won't rock your world but passes the time nicely enough.