Category Archives: Review

Book Review: Norman Mailer ~ The Naked and the Dead (1949)

Posted on June 8, 2020 by odeboyz

How do you review a masterpiece? This is a work of staggering genius and, if possible, was better for a 50 year gap between readings. Obviously I bookmarked sections in preparation for this review, which is very easy in Kindle … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Hilary Mantel ~ The Mirror and the Light (2020)

Posted on June 1, 2020 by odeboyz

The scale of the success of the Thomas Cromwell trilogy is that it’s a 2112 page story about a Tudor civil servant. Cromwell’s speciality was as a courtier and sycophant endlessly grovelling to Henry VIII. He was also a ruthless … Continue reading →

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Book Review: John Lanchester ~ The Wall (2019)

Posted on April 30, 2020 by odeboyz

Lanchester builds on the absurdity of Trump’s impenetrable wall to prevent immigration. He conceives of a wall around the British Isles. Naturally a wall isn’t enough. It must be defended, as all walls must be, which consumes enormous manpower. That … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Graham Greene ~ Our Man In Havana (1958)

Posted on April 20, 2020 by odeboyz

The shocking thing about reading books from the 1950s is the casual racism. This is the first sentence of Greene’s novel, “’That nigger going down the street,’ said Dr Hasselbacher standing in the Wonder Bar, ‘he reminds me of you, … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Nigel Williams ~ The Wimbledon Poisoner (1990)

Posted on April 6, 2020 by odeboyz

Williams, The Wimbledon Poisoner, is a black comedy, which is, of course, tasteless in the extreme. The focus is Henry’s desire to kill his wife Elinor. After some thought he decides that the only method he can do is poisoning. … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Thomas Penn ~ The Brothers York: An English Tragedy (2019)

Posted on March 30, 2020 by odeboyz

Thomas Penn’s day has come! Who’d have thought an academic work on the York brothers would be of the moment? Well he has Hilary Mantel to thank. She’s turbo-charged medieval history into a central position with her Thomas Cromwell trilogy. … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Helen Cresswell ~ Bagthorpes Unlimited (1978)

Posted on March 26, 2020 by odeboyz

Coronavirus fatigue makes you want a laugh, a ‘laugh out loud’ laugh. Helen Cresswell’s series The Bagthorpe Saga was my first point of call. Bagthorpes Unlimited is her third book and is a total joy from start to finish. The … Continue reading →

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Film Review: The Irishman ~ (Robert de Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci) (2019)

Posted on March 9, 2020 by odeboyz

Robert de Niro and Martin Scorsese have had a long, profitable and illustrious career together. Their latest film, The Irishman, is astonishing. Although I dislike gimmick laden films this one is different. Here the gimmicks are central to the purpose … Continue reading →

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Book Review: David Graeber ~ Bullsh*t Jobs: A Theory (2018)

Posted on March 2, 2020 by odeboyz

Freakonomics (2005) unleashed populism amongst university professors. They realised they could sex up their academic work by judicious selection of the bizarre and get a best seller, fame and fortune. Graeber’s an LSE professor of anthropology has joined in. A … Continue reading →

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Film Review: Souvenir (Tom Burke and Honor Swinton Byrne) (2019)

Posted on February 20, 2020 by odeboyz

If you’re bored with franchise CGI films, find ‘Look at me Mum, I’m brave’ documentaries tedious, dislike political satire, hate ethnic films, or reading a novel whilst watching a film – reading at the cinema?- then Souvenir is for you. … Continue reading →

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