Book Thirty Five
Happy New Year!
Well a lot has happened over the last month or so. I should really post about it all some time as this blog is in danger of turning into nothing more than a book review website. Seven of us went to Thailand for H's 30th and NYE. It was suitably messy. Last week I went to see De La Soul as part of the Syndey Festival. They were brilliant. So much fun, in a fantastic, tiny venue. H and I went scuba diving yesterday. It was over 30 degrees and kitting up in the all the gear on the beach was ridiculous. It was great to get back under the water though as it's been more then 5 years since our last dive, and living where we do, we should't have left it that long. And coming up I've got Symphony In The Park, UNKLE, The Police and Carl Cox, plus a bucks weekend in Byron Bay, the Good Vibrations festival, Chris and Anna's wedding, V Festival and an Easter trip to Tasmania. I wonder how many books I'll be able to read over the next couple of months?
Anyway, back to business.....
Will bought me this book for my birthday back in October so it's been on the shelf for a while now. I've read a few Crime thrillers since moving here, most notably by John Grisham and Harlen Coben. But this was the first Forsyth book I've read.
And do you know what I have realised. Books like this aren't very clever. In fact, I think they are lazy. Although I may have struggled with the likes of Book Thirty and Book Thirty Four, I can now see them for pieces of genius that they are. Crime books are a walk in the park. Ok, Forsyth and others like him must have an incredibly in-depth, and rather worryingly obsessive, knowledge of the UK and US Intelligence services, but that's about it. There is no character development. Its facts and figures with convenient and ridiculous plot twists to bring the whole thing together. This book was no different and the ending in particular seemed rushed and rather disappointing.
Well a lot has happened over the last month or so. I should really post about it all some time as this blog is in danger of turning into nothing more than a book review website. Seven of us went to Thailand for H's 30th and NYE. It was suitably messy. Last week I went to see De La Soul as part of the Syndey Festival. They were brilliant. So much fun, in a fantastic, tiny venue. H and I went scuba diving yesterday. It was over 30 degrees and kitting up in the all the gear on the beach was ridiculous. It was great to get back under the water though as it's been more then 5 years since our last dive, and living where we do, we should't have left it that long. And coming up I've got Symphony In The Park, UNKLE, The Police and Carl Cox, plus a bucks weekend in Byron Bay, the Good Vibrations festival, Chris and Anna's wedding, V Festival and an Easter trip to Tasmania. I wonder how many books I'll be able to read over the next couple of months?
Anyway, back to business.....
Will bought me this book for my birthday back in October so it's been on the shelf for a while now. I've read a few Crime thrillers since moving here, most notably by John Grisham and Harlen Coben. But this was the first Forsyth book I've read.
And do you know what I have realised. Books like this aren't very clever. In fact, I think they are lazy. Although I may have struggled with the likes of Book Thirty and Book Thirty Four, I can now see them for pieces of genius that they are. Crime books are a walk in the park. Ok, Forsyth and others like him must have an incredibly in-depth, and rather worryingly obsessive, knowledge of the UK and US Intelligence services, but that's about it. There is no character development. Its facts and figures with convenient and ridiculous plot twists to bring the whole thing together. This book was no different and the ending in particular seemed rushed and rather disappointing.
That being said I am sure I will continue to read books like this. They often tell a good story and I always find myself looking forward to picking the book up again. I will always get a much better sense of accomplishment when I finish the likes Book Thirty Four though.
Oh, and I now have at least 5 books stacked up and ready to attack. I went on a book buying bender over Xmas and New Years. I loved it.
posted by Jonny @ 11:14 AM
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