You Never Said A Word (Book Reviews) in Back entries: 2013 - 2015

Just a bit of a catch up on book reviews…

The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury (294 pages) was one of four books I picked up recently from my favourite bookshop. They have a “blind date with a book” stand, and this was on there wrapped in brown paper. The wording on the paper read “Prediction, torture, insanity, imagination, science fiction”, which got my attention. The book is about a heavily tattooed man, who meets with the unnamed narrator. The tattooed man finds his illustrations a curse, and has tried to get rid of them - they come alive at night and tell their stories. Each chapter matches up with a different illustration. Really imaginative, and definitely worth the read.

Jem by Fredrik Pohl (300 pages) is about the discovery of an inhabitable planet. The three power blocs on Earth are struggling - resources are running out. Representatives fly to the new planet, attempting to make contact with the intelligent species who live there, and old problems arise. A decent read, and it’s going on my “re-read” pile. It’s a tad depressing in a way. As I put the book down for the last time, I couldn’t help thinking about how mankind would react around new races and new civilisations. The book certainly mirrored mankind’s greed, violence and selfishness.

A Kiss Before Dying by Ira Levin (275 pages) was a tad disappointing. It’s the story of Dorothy, a wealthy university student who finds herself attracted to a handsome young man in one of her classes. When she winds up pregnant, her boyfriend offers her a way out with potentially disastrous consequences. This was another of the packages on the “blind date with a book” stand. The brown wrapper stated “classic, young love, an awkward pregnancy, an all too convenient solution”. I was thinking about reading some of Levin’s other work, but I’m not sure after reading this one. The beginning was really strong, and then the middle fell flat in my opinion.

The Sea and Summer by George Turner (364 pages, including postscript) is set in Melbourne, Australia. It’s 2041, and the Earth is essentially screwed. The government is corrupt, ninety per cent of the world’s population is broke and has to rely on what little the government is willing to give them. This is the story of Francis and his family, and their fall from wealth. It was a good read, albeit perhaps a little too long. I felt that the ending was a little forgettable, which was a shame as there is such an important message in the book. Definitely worth the read though, just for the message.

Looking back at The Sea and Summer, there is a particular song I’ve been hearing on the radio that reminds me of the story arc. I figured I may as well include that here as I finish my entry.

It certainly fits the mood of the book and certain aspects of the storyline. Enjoy.

Last updated January 01, 2015