Last Book You Read

[Groggy]

The Desert and the Stars: A Biography of Lawrence of Arabia - Flora Armitage - Underwhelming biography of T.E. Lawrence. It contains interesting analysis of his post-war life but mostly serves as a rebuttal to Aldington's Biographical Inquiry. Unfortunately, the book's drenched in nauseating purple prose, to wit: "Like a banshee the wind blew notes of doom through the volcanic rock towers which echoed the shivering quiet below, trembled there, and then departed untilt he next gust." Ms. Armitage was also a novelist, and it would seem a bad one.

[titoli]

The strenght of Camilleri's mysteries and not-mysteries  lies in the language interspersed with sicilian words unknown outside of the island but that one gets used to after a few minutes. Then there are the portraits of minor characters, the efficacity of dialogues and a narrative rhythmwhich never abates. But the plot of his first Montalbano's stories is too elaborate, not leaving a taste of reality. Still you read these books at a sitting. 6\10

[titoli]

Here the premise is so absurd which proves unquestionably what I said above. Still is 6\10

[titoli]

Slightly better than the previous 2. Unfortunately the final explication  of what has happened is too incredible.7\10

[Groggy]

Meet the Men Who Sailed the Seas - John Dyment - Retro kids book about the history of sailing. Alibris accidentally sent me this instead of the book I actually ordered. It gave me a few chuckles but I'll be sending it back.

[titoli]

I wonder what kind of work the translators did with Camilleri's language, one of his main features. Did they keep the sicilian words as they are or tried to  render them in some kind of local lingo...?
This is no better no worse than the previous books in the series: the solution comes a bit too out of nowhere, though. 6\10

[titoli]

A real turnpager, but the solution is too simplistic and left me unsatisfied. 7\10

[titoli]

I am accustomed to read the notes at the end of a book, if there's any. In this case that gave me the key to the solution as the author mention the Faulkner's (famous) short story on which the solution to this case was based. 6\10

[Groggy]

The Best Pittsburgh Sports Arguments - John Mehno - Mehno runs down 100 of Pittsburgh's most enduring sports controversies and debates, covering every conceivable sport down to the UFL and pro tennis. More a trivia book than anything substantial, but a fun introduction to Pittsburgh arcana. 

[titoli]

Another average Montalbano, with the commissario not getting at once what the reader understands easily. That makes things goofy. The finale is more action-oriented than deductive. 6\10

[titoli]

The plot is to be seen through easily and there's a heavy touch of melodrama at the end. If one reads the series because he finds attractive the characters of the  lesser protagonists, will find little of it. So it's 5\10.

[Groggy]

Your Accomplishments are Suspiciously Hard to Verify - Scott Adams - The more time I spend in the corporate world the more I find Dilbert depressingly accurate. Here's hoping grad school works out.

[Groggy]

Hero: The Life and Legend of Lawrence of Arabia - Michael Korda - 2nd reading. The latest major TEL biography is laudatory to say the least. Korda views Lawrence as a military genius, political savant, skilled inventor - yet he dislikes his writing. He also plays down Lawrence's neurotic side, viewing him as intelligent, productive and generally satisfied even after WWI. Very well-written and enjoyable, but not entirely convincing.

Lawrence of Arabia: The Literary Impulse - Stanley & Rodelle Weintraub - Slim volume analyzing Lawrence's literary output. The Weintraubs see him as possessed by an impulse to write, but that his desire outpaced his ability. As someone who loves Seven Pillars of Wisdom and enjoyed The Mint I'll register a dissent.

[titoli]

A weak entry in the series. only for camilleri aficionados.

[titoli]

Possibly best entry in the series, though the murderer could have been discovered 200 pages earlier had the police done her job. 7\10