Reviews and Comments

Alexander

Alexander@bookwyrm.social

Joined 2 years, 1 month ago

@A_W_M@troet.cafe

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Phyllis Cocker: Unheil im Zeichen des Krebses (Paperback, german language, Martin Kelter Verlag, Hamburg)

review of "Unheil im Zeichen des Krebses"

that's what pulp is for (i guess): quite a good story wrapped in generic presentation. the mood is wildly swinging and the characters unstable or i would have enjoyed it a bit more. the last part even borrows the 'schnodderdeutsch' of 'die zwei' (the persuaders).

Hallie Rubenhold: The Five (Hardcover, 2019, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

Polly, Annie, Elizabeth, Catherine and Mary-Jane are famous for the same thing, though they never …

being a longtime fan of the Holmes stories, I'm being amazed how much this text adds grim reality background

review 'Goddess'

tough choice how to rate and review this book: the life of Julie d’Aubigny is so fascinating that i would state, you really should read the book, no matter what. and the way in which Gardiner evokes the 17th century france is also convincing, less explaining, more atmosphere and anecdotes. so what's to dislike: i can't stand the attitute of the heroine, it's simple. one part of the book is Julie telling her own life on her deathbed to a priest. i'm aware, she is exceptional and to motivate and kind of explain her to the reader you want to give her a torn but free-minded character. but all i hear is an artist oscillating between self pity and hubris.

Hanns Heinz Ewers: Das Grauen (Hardcover, German language, 1922, G. Müller)

review 'Das Grauen'

this one needs a big warning because of it's antisemitic and racist stories (and you have to add the casual mentioning of pedophiliac acts)! mind you there a eleven stories and most of them are no more than what you might expect from a writer in the first years of the twentieth century (although the edition is from 1922, the stories were written before the great war). but two of them are far worse then the zeitgeist might had demanded.

die tomatensauce (the tomato sauce): sadly enough it's nothing about creepy spice but blood lust, surprisingly gory die herzen der könige (the hearts of the kings): lengthy story about how the french kings literally added to arts das weiße mädchen (the white girl): i would say a decadent (in the Huysman-sense) tableau about lust, but with less art (than huysman) das feenland (the land of faeries): the same, but …

first impression: as in almost every kind of literature so is in christian epics to apply show-don't tell. stop feeding me the hymns and praises and tell the story already, use the scenes to bring your point. 'til now a rather hard read

reviewed The Silver Mistress by Peter O'Donnell (Modesty Blaise series)

Peter O'Donnell: The Silver Mistress (Paperback, 2002, Souvenir Press)

review the silver mistress

No rating

O'Donnell sure knows his formula, but it's a good one: uber-villains, uber-heros and the answer to the question, how to stop a fast approaching car with armed passengers bare handed.

(better than any bond novel in my opinion, maybe more like the best bond movies)