You thought The Hangover situation was bad? Try this account for size.
A classic tale of drug/alcohol consumption and Gonzo journalism, Fear and Loathing is a story which every drug user and anybody interested in the effects of drugs should read.
The semi-fictitious account tells of Raoul Duke's journey to Las Vegas to find the "American Dream". What that is we don't know, but it's something which leads Duke to buying $200 worth of uppers, downers and other dangerous drugs and take a crazy weekend trip away with his 300 pound Samoan attorney.
Throughout, Duke and his attorney frequently munch on acid tabs, take a load of mescaline, drink/take heavy amounts of ether and even a drug which is made, partly, with human blood. All while attending a drugs and narcotics convention. Not forgetting trashing cars, racing up the Vegas strip and running from hotels without paying. How they survived, God only knows.
The writing in this book is sometimes slightly scrambled and tangent-y but it all adds to the nature of the story. Plus, it makes it look like it was written by a druggy. However, it was still a decent read which was another hard-to-put-down book and worth the amount of time I spent looking for it in charity book shops.
I've read and heard of a lot of drugs but some of the stuff described and listed in this book sounds impossible to exist. But, as this is an account by Thompson we're obliged to believe that they're real. Would I try them if the offer was there? I don't know fo' sho', but why not?
Fear and Loathing is a book which pays justice to the phrase "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" - the whole account is not something you'd want to casually tell your parents or friends about when you got home, jet lagged and still hungover.
A fast read and my sort of holiday which receives a rating of 4/5
Saturday, 20 August 2011
Wednesday, 17 August 2011
The McAtrix Derided by Robertski Brothers
"A parody ... Or is that just what THEY want you to think?"
The McAtrix Derided is, as one would expect, a parody of the film series/franchise The Matrix. It follows a similar concept of being plugged into a machine, fighting the bad guys and a future world.
It's a simple book with scenes you'd find in a crime novel except dumbed down with the characters fighting by flapping their arms, kicking enemies down with the Can-Can and a Frurnchman [sic].
The McAtrix follows all the concepts within the Matrix but makes them funny and actually worth reading (much unlike the Matrix sequels).
Throughout the book you'll more than likely notice a lot cultural and social references with quotes like "You want to kill Bill", "Lots of Peaugeot 308s" and "I'm going to have to press you ... I really need your decision now" (I can't remember where (I've heard this quote but it, or very similar, has been on some recent trash TV). We can't forget the War of the Worlds (English version, not the Hollywood crap) destruction and references to H.G. Wells (author of WOTW).
For a parody it's well written and easy to follow, lacking any pointless plots. It also sticks pretty close to the actual Matrix film(s) with characters' names being modified only slightly except it's set in London (this meant I knew of some of the areas it spoke of - I was even on the way to one of them whilst reading it).
I don't really have any complaints on this book; it was a read which was a good escape, not too heavy and amusing. 4/5
The McAtrix Derided is, as one would expect, a parody of the film series/franchise The Matrix. It follows a similar concept of being plugged into a machine, fighting the bad guys and a future world.
It's a simple book with scenes you'd find in a crime novel except dumbed down with the characters fighting by flapping their arms, kicking enemies down with the Can-Can and a Frurnchman [sic].
The McAtrix follows all the concepts within the Matrix but makes them funny and actually worth reading (much unlike the Matrix sequels).
Throughout the book you'll more than likely notice a lot cultural and social references with quotes like "You want to kill Bill", "Lots of Peaugeot 308s" and "I'm going to have to press you ... I really need your decision now" (I can't remember where (I've heard this quote but it, or very similar, has been on some recent trash TV). We can't forget the War of the Worlds (English version, not the Hollywood crap) destruction and references to H.G. Wells (author of WOTW).
For a parody it's well written and easy to follow, lacking any pointless plots. It also sticks pretty close to the actual Matrix film(s) with characters' names being modified only slightly except it's set in London (this meant I knew of some of the areas it spoke of - I was even on the way to one of them whilst reading it).
I don't really have any complaints on this book; it was a read which was a good escape, not too heavy and amusing. 4/5
Saturday, 6 August 2011
Blood Secrets by Craig Jones
I came across this book in a charity bookshop (where else do I buy my books these days?) and simply HAD to buy it due to the publisher's request printed on the back: "Under no circumstances should you reveal the plot of this book to anyone" and a short blurb of "It starts with a murder. Then the evil REALLY begins."
Although I'm unable to reveal the plot, I can give a brief description of the book
Irene is a young and successful university student who has everything going for her when, unexpectedly, she meets kooky Frank - a slightly odd, not-too-handsome history major. What follows is a whirlwind romance-cum-marriage, a child and the suburban lifestyle until Frank starts acting strange.
Beyond that, the reader is left guessing what will happen next (and usually getting it wrong) and, when you think you've got it sussed, something new happens and you're back to guessing square one.
It's a mixture of suspense, shock, horror, gothic and psychological mind-fucks which is impossible to put down until you've read the words "The End".
This is a fantastic read which is strangely and unfortunately out of print now with an author who appears to not even exist: Having spent quite some time online trying to find even the slightest piece of info about Craig Jones, I've come to the conclusion that it must be a pseudonym or that he simply wrote a couple of books and didn't want anybody to know who he was or is (the Internet wasn't exactly mainstream in 1978 so it wasn't too hard to keep a low profile).
I can, however, safely repeat what others have said and tell you that I won't be forgetting this book any time soon, I'll be re-reading it sometime and that it's level with Victims by Shaun Hutson (reviewed previously).
This little masterpiece gets a 5/5 rating from me.
Although I'm unable to reveal the plot, I can give a brief description of the book
Irene is a young and successful university student who has everything going for her when, unexpectedly, she meets kooky Frank - a slightly odd, not-too-handsome history major. What follows is a whirlwind romance-cum-marriage, a child and the suburban lifestyle until Frank starts acting strange.
Beyond that, the reader is left guessing what will happen next (and usually getting it wrong) and, when you think you've got it sussed, something new happens and you're back to guessing square one.
It's a mixture of suspense, shock, horror, gothic and psychological mind-fucks which is impossible to put down until you've read the words "The End".
This is a fantastic read which is strangely and unfortunately out of print now with an author who appears to not even exist: Having spent quite some time online trying to find even the slightest piece of info about Craig Jones, I've come to the conclusion that it must be a pseudonym or that he simply wrote a couple of books and didn't want anybody to know who he was or is (the Internet wasn't exactly mainstream in 1978 so it wasn't too hard to keep a low profile).
I can, however, safely repeat what others have said and tell you that I won't be forgetting this book any time soon, I'll be re-reading it sometime and that it's level with Victims by Shaun Hutson (reviewed previously).
This little masterpiece gets a 5/5 rating from me.
Victims by Shaun Hutson
Another gruesome novel from the psychotic writer Shaun Hutson has been read and now reviewed for your pleasure.
Victims tells of an effects man who, after having an eye transplant, is able to see who is next on the killing list of a maniacal killer, copying the methods of previous, legendary killers. As more people are killed, the fx man is forced to work with the police and is dragged into obsession.
Fast-paced, gory and filled with mystery and suspense, Victims is the perfect horror novel and, so far, the best I've read (And I've read a lot). You can't go past 5 pages without curling your toes at the in-depth descriptions of gore which is the way I like my words to be.
The book was a fast read, finished in three sessions but the content makes up for the shortness. Hutson's chapter construction is interesting also with the book having chapters of only 4 pages max along with titled ones which tell the story of a child making a discovery.
Throughout the book you'll be thinking you've solved a question but you may just be wrong.
Victims is possibly my book of the year and deserves a 5 out of 5 mark. Nice work, Shaun.
Victims tells of an effects man who, after having an eye transplant, is able to see who is next on the killing list of a maniacal killer, copying the methods of previous, legendary killers. As more people are killed, the fx man is forced to work with the police and is dragged into obsession.
Fast-paced, gory and filled with mystery and suspense, Victims is the perfect horror novel and, so far, the best I've read (And I've read a lot). You can't go past 5 pages without curling your toes at the in-depth descriptions of gore which is the way I like my words to be.
The book was a fast read, finished in three sessions but the content makes up for the shortness. Hutson's chapter construction is interesting also with the book having chapters of only 4 pages max along with titled ones which tell the story of a child making a discovery.
Throughout the book you'll be thinking you've solved a question but you may just be wrong.
Victims is possibly my book of the year and deserves a 5 out of 5 mark. Nice work, Shaun.
Sunday, 17 July 2011
Carrie by Stephen King
Yep, it's another Stephen King novel. This time it's his very first (published) one which was released in 1974 and made into a film two years later.
The book focuses on an outcast school girl called Carrie who possesses telekinetic powers. She also possesses a hugely religious mother and is a scapegoat for the school bullies. However, after accepting an invitation to the school prom from one of the most popular boys in the year, things start to look up. Until the bloody finale, of course.
I'd seen the film loads of times before reading the book so I kind of knew what to expect but I also knew the book would be different. However, I didn't expect it to be this different.
The book is written in the style of a collection of newspaper cuttings, interviews, biographical book sections and telephone recordings which is a style I've not experienced/read before.
Most of the film content leading up to the prom is almost the same as the book, once the prom has started, however, the book is much different with a lot more death, destruction and horror. As Carrie strolls through the streets in the book, there is more action than just the flipping of a car. The deaths of certain characters are also very different to the film version.
This was a book which would have been a lot more shocking if I didn't know what was coming but still had a creepy factor to it
Carrie was another one of those books which I found hard to put down and was finished in three or four days (it could have been less but I'm a busy man these days) and was worth the £2 I paid for it in a charity shop (although I recently found that I actually happen to already own the book).
If there's anyone out there wanting to read some Stephen King I'd say start with Carrie as it's fairly short at 270-odd pages and nowhere near as intimidating as It.
Total rating 4/5
The book focuses on an outcast school girl called Carrie who possesses telekinetic powers. She also possesses a hugely religious mother and is a scapegoat for the school bullies. However, after accepting an invitation to the school prom from one of the most popular boys in the year, things start to look up. Until the bloody finale, of course.
I'd seen the film loads of times before reading the book so I kind of knew what to expect but I also knew the book would be different. However, I didn't expect it to be this different.
The book is written in the style of a collection of newspaper cuttings, interviews, biographical book sections and telephone recordings which is a style I've not experienced/read before.
Most of the film content leading up to the prom is almost the same as the book, once the prom has started, however, the book is much different with a lot more death, destruction and horror. As Carrie strolls through the streets in the book, there is more action than just the flipping of a car. The deaths of certain characters are also very different to the film version.
This was a book which would have been a lot more shocking if I didn't know what was coming but still had a creepy factor to it
Carrie was another one of those books which I found hard to put down and was finished in three or four days (it could have been less but I'm a busy man these days) and was worth the £2 I paid for it in a charity shop (although I recently found that I actually happen to already own the book).
If there's anyone out there wanting to read some Stephen King I'd say start with Carrie as it's fairly short at 270-odd pages and nowhere near as intimidating as It.
Total rating 4/5
Thursday, 7 July 2011
The Executor by Jesse Kellerman
Another excellent book picked up in Poundland (I'm noticing a pattern here - all of the best books I've read recently have come from Poundland. Interesting.) written by the best selling author of The Brutal Art.
The book tells of a man who has recently been kicked out by his girlfriend and, when looking for a job so he can move off of his friend's couch, he answers a newspaper ad looking for a "Conversationalist".
He gets the job and as they become good friends he is offered a place in the huge house free of charge. Everything seems to be going perfectly well until the son of the woman appears on the scene.
The book is fast-paced, well-written and almost impossible to put down which is something I haven't felt to a book for a long time. It has some strange bits throughout and others where you want the character to stop worrying but other than that it's a book which kept me awake until the early hours because I didn't want to wait to find out what happened in the next chapter.
It's filled with twists and turns with a surprise middle and ending which you won't have anticipated at all. It has its jaw-dropping moments and, in my opinion, not a slow page throughout.
Due to the writer having gained a degree at Harvard and lived in the areas which the story is based, it is much more realistic than had it been written by someone who has never been to America. Along with this he also points out how distracting the Internet can be and doesn't exaggerate at all, writing it how it is. so to speak.
If you're into crime or thriller then this is a book you'll want to pick up when you next see it in Poundland. Failing that, it'll probably be in one of those expensive bookshop places.
One more annoying thing in this book was the lack of question marks. When a question was asked, it was finished with a full stop. Although I could understand that it was a question, this little thing got under my skin a bit.
Overall rating: 4/5 (Would be 5 if he hadn't been so worrisome at times.
PS: I've figured why I'm finding all these decent books which were written not so long ago (this was published in 2010): Imperfections. A slight stain in some pages, a creased cover etc.
The book tells of a man who has recently been kicked out by his girlfriend and, when looking for a job so he can move off of his friend's couch, he answers a newspaper ad looking for a "Conversationalist".
He gets the job and as they become good friends he is offered a place in the huge house free of charge. Everything seems to be going perfectly well until the son of the woman appears on the scene.
The book is fast-paced, well-written and almost impossible to put down which is something I haven't felt to a book for a long time. It has some strange bits throughout and others where you want the character to stop worrying but other than that it's a book which kept me awake until the early hours because I didn't want to wait to find out what happened in the next chapter.
It's filled with twists and turns with a surprise middle and ending which you won't have anticipated at all. It has its jaw-dropping moments and, in my opinion, not a slow page throughout.
Due to the writer having gained a degree at Harvard and lived in the areas which the story is based, it is much more realistic than had it been written by someone who has never been to America. Along with this he also points out how distracting the Internet can be and doesn't exaggerate at all, writing it how it is. so to speak.
If you're into crime or thriller then this is a book you'll want to pick up when you next see it in Poundland. Failing that, it'll probably be in one of those expensive bookshop places.
One more annoying thing in this book was the lack of question marks. When a question was asked, it was finished with a full stop. Although I could understand that it was a question, this little thing got under my skin a bit.
Overall rating: 4/5 (Would be 5 if he hadn't been so worrisome at times.
PS: I've figured why I'm finding all these decent books which were written not so long ago (this was published in 2010): Imperfections. A slight stain in some pages, a creased cover etc.
Monday, 4 July 2011
The Green Mile by Stephen King
So, I said I need to start reading books again and reading I have done. This time it was Stephen King's 1996 drama/fantasy/thriller the Green Mile, and what a book it was.
WARNING: Spoilers follow
The story tells of a giant who is convicted for killing two children who, the guards soon find out, has some sort of God-like healing power. Throughout the book the man displays this healing power which causes some characters to have second thoughts about who committed the crime which John Coffey the giant is on death row for.
The book is written from the memory of Paul Edgecombe (played by Tom Hanks in the film of the same name) from the old peoples' home in which he now lives/d. It tells the story of Paul in the death row block in 1932 but is written by him in the year of publication: 1996.
Reading through the story you/the reader feel/s sort of emotional towards the characters as King manages to write with description and in a way that makes them seem real, like the story really happened. Sort of in a biographical way, if you will.
This is definitely one of Stephen King's better books out of the seemingly hundreds he's written and the few I've read and definitely one people who are into fantasy and thriller mixed should pick up. It's a thick book at almost 500 pages but not that hard a read. A good one for a first-time reader of Stephen King.
I don't know if I'll be reading this again any time soon (I have a HUGE pile to read yet, including more Stephen King) but I might pick it up in a year or so as I tend to do with Simon Kernick books. We'll see but in the meantime I'll give this book a rare 5 out of 5 and a BIG recommendation to anyone who reads.
Coming next: I have no idea, need to select something out of 1000+ books.
WARNING: Spoilers follow
The story tells of a giant who is convicted for killing two children who, the guards soon find out, has some sort of God-like healing power. Throughout the book the man displays this healing power which causes some characters to have second thoughts about who committed the crime which John Coffey the giant is on death row for.
The book is written from the memory of Paul Edgecombe (played by Tom Hanks in the film of the same name) from the old peoples' home in which he now lives/d. It tells the story of Paul in the death row block in 1932 but is written by him in the year of publication: 1996.
Reading through the story you/the reader feel/s sort of emotional towards the characters as King manages to write with description and in a way that makes them seem real, like the story really happened. Sort of in a biographical way, if you will.
This is definitely one of Stephen King's better books out of the seemingly hundreds he's written and the few I've read and definitely one people who are into fantasy and thriller mixed should pick up. It's a thick book at almost 500 pages but not that hard a read. A good one for a first-time reader of Stephen King.
I don't know if I'll be reading this again any time soon (I have a HUGE pile to read yet, including more Stephen King) but I might pick it up in a year or so as I tend to do with Simon Kernick books. We'll see but in the meantime I'll give this book a rare 5 out of 5 and a BIG recommendation to anyone who reads.
Coming next: I have no idea, need to select something out of 1000+ books.
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