100 word review: The Buddha of Suburbia

This novel by Hanif Kureishi was really good but, on some level, didn't quite live up to its hype. The plot satires race relations, the art world and the seventies in general beautifully. You'll definitely enjoy it if you like reading about race, sexuality, the seventies and the world of artists and actors. It was a funny book, but not as funny as I had expected, not laughing out loud at any points. I would still, however, highly recommend it and agree with what Salman Rushdie said: "utterly irreverent and wildly improper, but also genuinely touching and truthful". Really good.

100 Word Review: His Illegal Self

His Illegal Self is by twice winner of the Booker Price Peter Carey and from reading this book I can certainly see why has has won those awards. The structure of the novel, with no speech marks, constant change of narrative voice and flashbacks to the past, would be extremely difficult to the average writer and would normally make the book far too confusing to read. However, Carey does it wonderfully and instead of getting confused, the these things only enhanced the story and made it much more original and interesting to read. Everything about it is fantastic, I loved it.

100 word review: Burning Bright

I disliked this book after reading the first paragraph. I hated the writing style. It is over descriptive and leaves absolutely nothing to the imagination and the whole book is filled with ambiguous sentences that are meant to make it "dramatic" but just get annoying. The plot itself is quite predictable, implausible in parts but not bad, it would work if written well. The poor writing means the climax takes ages to arrive and is very unsatisfactory. I would only recommend this book if you don't want anything left to the imagination whatsoever. It reminds me of Dan Brown's writing.

100 word review: The Oversight

I changed my mind about this book a few times. In the beginning, it was pretty good but the narrative voice needed some work and I was looking in a dictionary every few seconds. In the middle it got better: the big words eased up and the narrative voice improved, but the mix of present with flashbacks meant I got confused about who was who. Near the end, I REALLY liked it, understood everything that was going but couldn't see what the 'point' of it all was. I got to end, all the knots were tied together and loved it.

100 word review: Nothing To Be Frightened Of

Not being a fan of non-fiction, I was pleasantly surprised by this book by Julian Barnes. Barnes explores the fear of death and dying and in doing so creates a novel that is "among many things, a family memoir, an exchange with his philosopher brother, a meditation on mortality and the fear of death." This book really makes you think about death and what I like most is that Barnes never forces you into a certain opinion about it, but offers all the different perspectives and ideas and leaves you to interpret them how you want. A really great book.

100 word review: Oleanna

It's a very short and to the point play. David Mamet is known for his natural dialogue and, while it is good, it makes it a play that should be watched rather than read. The constant uncompleted sentences and non-fluency features got on my nerves. The play is good for its observation rather than plot. It looks at the power struggle between man and woman and also questions the role of University in people's lives. I would recommend this play and if you have a chance to see it, do that above reading it. Or do both. Definitely WATCH it.

100 word review: Wuthering Heights

I had heard several negative things about this novel: mainly that there is no protagonist for the reader to relate to. However, I found it to be the great English Classic that it is known as. Emily is the second of the Bronte sisters that I have read (Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre is one of my favourites) and I have to say she delivers quite a complex structure very well. At points I did get confused by the names, because everyone has very similar ones, but it is very easy to understand. A great book and a nice not-too-long read.

New Books!

On Christmas Eve I went to a charity shop with my little brother and realised just how many cheapo books they have! I got about 5 books that I would have originally bought on Amazon for over £5 for 69p!!! So you can officially look forward to MORE 100 word reviews on the following books:

Dracula by Bram Stoker

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

Filth by Irvine Welsh

Geisha by Liza Dalby

Women in Love by D.H. Lawrence

I capture the castle by Dodie Smith

Dune by Frank Herbert

100 word review: The Five People You Meet In Heaven

This is the perfect book to read on a lazy weekend afternoon. It's not very long and the plot is simple and uplifting. It was written by Mitch Albom, the author of the international bestseller Tuesdays with Morrie so if you have read it and liked it, then I recommend this too. If you haven't read any Mitch Albom, then you should read this! It's an interesting perspective on the afterlife and isn't so deep and profound that you have to really analyse it but still makes you think. It's a really nice book and leaves you warm and fuzzy.

100 word review: The Bell Jar

When you read this you can instantly tell that it is written by a poet. Rather than simple description, the novel is rife with figurative language and imagery. It doesn't become overwhelming, however, and the novel still has an easy to read simple style to it. In some ways it even reads as a poem because you can sense the deeper meanings to all the events without Plath having to spell it out to you,. Written 3 weeks before Sylvia Plath committed suicide, this novel gives an interesting insight into her mindset at the time. Almost like a suicide note.

100 word review: Saturday Night Peter

This is the second autobiography by comedian Peter Kay. I read his first, The Sound of Laughter, because he is my favourite comedian and I read Saturday Night Peter because the first autobiography was so good I wanted more! It's packed with jokes, emotion and simple honesty and you really get to know Peter Kay the person, not just the comedian. A must read if you are a fan of Peter Kay or of his style of comedy but I would suggest reading The Sound of Laughter first. It just makes sense to read the first before the sequel. Brilliant.

100 word review: Un Lun Dun

When I bought this book I didn't realise that it was a children's book but that don't let it put you off! I absolutely love this book and it is definitely in my top ten. It is the most imaginative plot I have come across in years and reminds me of a darker and more serious Roald Dahl. It is also has fantastic illustrations by the author, China Mieville. This is his first children's book and it has made me really want to read his adult ones. Un Lun Dun is thoroughly entertaining and a breath of literary fresh air.

100 word review: The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

I didn't finish this book. I gave up after about three volumes (there are nine). Tristram isn't born for over 150 pages because of the narration. He digresses to the point where you have completely forgotten the plot of the novel. When his father and uncle are having a conversation, before telling you the conversation, the narrator tells you about his father’s philosophy of children's names and his uncles groin injury caused in war. It’s meant to be funny and isn't, mainly because of the 300 year difference between when the book was written and when I am reading it.

Robyn

New Books!

I recently bought 15 new books and I've listed them below so you can know what 100 word reviews you've got coming up!

The Stepmothers Diary by Fay Waldon

The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom

The Oversight by Will Eaves

Saturday Night Peter by Peter Kay

His Illegal Self by Peter Carey

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

The Buddha of Suburbia by Hanif Kureishi

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Vanity Fair by William Thackeray

Burning Bright by Helen Dunmore

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

The Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood

Money by Martin Amis

Nothing To Be Frightened Of by Julian Barnes

Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie

Robyn

100 word review: All My Sons

I read this play as part of my A2 English Literature & Language course. I am a firm believer that plays are meant to be watched not read and that people only read plays to over-analyse them (which is incidentally exactly why we are reading it for my course). However, All My Sons is, unlike others, still a good play even when it is just being read. If you are a fan of Arthur Miller then you should read and if you have never read him then read this because he is one of those writers that everyone should experience.

100 word review: The Waves

The first time I tried to read this book, I gave up. I just couldn't get to grips with Virginia Woolf's stream-of-consciousness style. However, I tried again and this time I finished it. It's a very short novel and a very interesting observation of life. On the manuscript of the novel, Woolf wrote 'the author would be glad if the following pages were not read as a novel' and you really do have to do just that. I didn't like the style but if you should read anyway if you like Woolf's novels and because some people love this style.

100 word review: The Golden Notebook

Doris Lessing is an author that everyone should read, purely for her credentials: winner of the nobel prize for literature, a Companion of Honour and a Companion of Literature, David Cohen Memorial prize for British Literature, Spain's Prince of Asturias Prize, the International Catalunya award and the S.T. Dupont Golden PEN Award for a Lifetime's Distinguished Service to Lierature, to name but a few. The Golden Notebook gives a fascinating political insight into socialist and communist thought in the 1950s as well as the moving story of a woman trying to find herself. Brilliant book that should definitely be read.

100 word review: Little Women

This has been one of my favourite books since I was a child and it is a classic that everyone should read. Many would say that only women could enjoy it, but I disagree. You watch the sisters of the March household grow up and change and feel such a connection with them that you can't help but react like a proud parent. The plot is fantastic and do not think this a romance. It is about four sisters growing and finding who they are and making their place in the world. I absolutely love it and you will too!

100 word review: The Portrait Of A Lady

Another classic that should definitely be read. It follows Isobel Archer, whose main aim in life is to protect her independence. It is a great look at women in society and although set in the 1800s, there are still many themes and feelings that modern women can sympathise with. The only bad thing I will say is that I think there was a little too much detail and the plot could actually have been done in lot less pages! I still say that you should read it because Henry James is one of the greatest authors of the 19th century.

100 word review: A Doll's House

I read this play as part of my A2 English Literature and Language course. I believe that plays are meant to be watched and not read, but there is no doubting that A Doll's House is a fantastic play. When it was published it caused created controversy over the ending, (which I shan't spoil for you), and the whole play thoroughly tests the cultural norms of 19th century marriage. I liked it but now want to watch it. Then again, some of Ibsen's more subtle messages can be seen when you have the words in front of you to analyse.