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Beside the Ocean of Time
Beside the Ocean of Time
George Mackay Brown | 1995 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Imagry, place, the story is great (0 more)
Nothing (0 more)
This is a brilliant, emotional and pretty book
This is a beautiful novel. I found it slow to begin with but it is worth while persisting. The story centres around the inhabitants of the isle of Norday is the North of Scotland in the early 20th century. The protagonist Thorfinn Ragnarson is a bit of a daydreamer and his thoughts and dreams are narrated within the novel. This allows Brown to explore a rich and sentimental Scottish history whilst capturing the beauty and untouched lives of these rural Scottish farmers. Furthermore, the novel explores the effects of the Second World War and its devastation on these simple folks. Lovely.
  
The Surface Breaks
The Surface Breaks
Louise O'Neill | 2018 | Young Adult (YA)
10
7.6 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
Anyone that knows me, knows that I love a good retelling. And this is definitely a good retelling. The story is not dissimilar to the original; and I'm talking original Hans Christian Andersen, not Disney. Where this was happening in time was not clear but I read it as quite modern, rather than the age of horse and carriage. I really liked the back story of the little mermaid's mother and the intertwining back story of the "Prince's" father. I say "Prince" but in reality he is a rich young man due to a boating company. Like many retellings of The Little Mermaid the sea witch has a back story which takes away the perception of malice, but of a merperson wrongly outcasted and trying to help while keeping within the rules and bounds of magic. I found the different groups of merpeople really interesting, especially the creatures that now spend their days punishing men due to how they have been treated by men in their former life - a kind of revenge.
For people who like the original story and would like a slightly updated version, this is definitely the read for you!
  
The Wizard of Lies (2017)
The Wizard of Lies (2017)
2017 | Drama
DeNiro's performance is subtle but intense (3 more)
Brilliantly captures the subsequent decimation of Madoff's family
Well written - keeps you wondering how he got away with it for so long
A relatively dry subject is made to feel accessible and encapsulating
Unnecessary focus on scenes that added very little to the movie (it's already over 2 hours long) (1 more)
Maybe more insight required into Madoff's mental inadequacies?
Fascinating true story of a charming sociopath and how he exploited the mega-rich for billions
Official trailer:

  
The Essex Serpent
The Essex Serpent
Sarah Perry | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry
8
7.1 (8 Ratings)
Book Rating
Period gothic drama on superstition v science
A very good modern period gothic drama about how a town can convince itself about a mythical beast while confronting contemporary science.

In the centre of the entire story is a beautiful but complex relationship between a woman of science and a priest who on most occasions disagree with one another but learn to come to terms with each other's viewpoints. And in between their relationship is a withering wife and her autistic son. A multilayered novel rich with substance.