A second reading of this tome of a play confirms my original review*. Akhtar can take the most complicated and layered of subjects and not only teach the reader something, but enthrall, entertain, horrify and feel. Simply put Akhtar and his work are brilliant!
*Original review can be found on this blog in 2018, April
https://bookhog2.blogspot.com/2018/04/a-play-about-finance-not-something-i.html
A second reading of this powerful piece, solidifies Akhtar's place as my favorite contemporary playwright. His ability to create characters that are complex and real from the get-go is extraordinary. In the Invisible Hand he makes the audience feel for all the characters which considering the setting and action of this piece is nothing short of super-human!
Heavy on the the satire and sci-fi/fantasy, less so on the queer, which is good because its treated as commonplace in the book, which is as it should be. This manuscript draft has a great story line, lots of action and really great characters. It could use some more editing to shorten it, focus the satire so it's not trying to skewer everything and everyone, and remove some of the overly wordy similes. Glad I was given the opportunity to read it, and I did enjoy it.
This meticulously researched book, takes a deep dive into the lives of Polly, Annie, Elisabeth, Kate and Mary Jane, the 5 women killed by Jack the Ripper. This book is infuriating in it's plainly stated societal and social explanations as to the treatment of women in Victorian London-infuriating because not much has changed in one hundred and forty years! Societal "norms" and laws forced these 5 women (and thousands more) into an endless cycle of poverty, degradation and shame. I fell into the same trap of thinking that these 5 women were all prostitutes and Jack the Ripper was hunting prostitutes, only to learn that only one of the 5 was actually a sex worker. The other 4 were wives and mothers, who, due to circumstance found themselves destitute. This is a must read for anyone interested in the Ripper case. It is a gut wrenching look at 5 women who were brutally murdered by society and then by a madman. Rubenhold has given humanity back to Polly Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elisabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes and Mary Jane Kelly.
Another great series from Berry! A long standing conspiracy gets a new treatment in this thrilling, action packed story starring Luke Daniels, from the Cotton Malone series. From Europe to the Bayou, to the mountains of the Midwest, Luke is dragged into a mystery to wends its way to an astonishing conclusion. I;m thrilled that Mr, Berry has chosen to give Luke his own series!
A meticulously researched and engagingly readable book on two vastly different topics. Though seemingly disparate Dawson manages to show the links between the worst air pollution disaster and a notorious serial killer. Yup-that's what the book is about, and I highly recommend it to anyone. Fascinating, harrowing, infuriating and enlightening all at once. A supremely easy read thanks to Dawson's deftness with language and setting the proper tone.
Oh...creepy, just...creepy! A languidly told tale of faith and faith interrupted and that languidness adds to the creepiness factor of the whole story. Reading this, I was constantly on edge, waiting for some imaginary shoe to drop. This is rich and tense storytelling at its best!
Reliving my childhood, and with DC and Marvel movies, my adulthood too, with this character guide was great fun. What really made this special was seeing the art work for the different characters in their current incarnation and if they are long standing hero or villain, the original artwork.
I've long been fascinated by the William Desmond Taylor murder case, and this is a fantastic addition to to lore surrounding that unsolved case. Mann mages to make a very compelling case as to who actually committed the 102 year old murder, and at the same time, ties it neatly into the rise of Hollywood, the studio system, scandal mongering, and early cancel culture! An extremely deeply researched book, that reads like a novel. A perfect read for any true crime buffs and/or Hollywood history buffs.
