Hello, Stranger. Let's talk about Richard Matheson's Bid Time Return. The Short of It Plot: A man travels back in time to meet the dead woman whose picture he fell in love with. Page Count: 288 Award: 1976 World Fantasy Award Worth a read : No Primary Driver: (Plot, World, or Character? ) Bechdel Test : Pass Technobabble: Minimal. Review: This book is just an underwhelming romance novel with a time travel twist. A blend of dull, sappy, and creepy. Enjoyed the actual traveling part of time travel - though easy, it was well executed. Protagonist pushes pathetic and clingy to new levels. No characters act even remotely believable; no chemistry to show actual love. Without that, it's just obsession and stalking. The Medium of It Spoiler Free! The name of this book was changed to Somewhere in Time after a movie based on it was released. I have not seen the movie, many people seem to have enjoyed it. I did not enjoy this book. Richard Collier fi...
Hello, Stranger. Let's talk about Robert R. McCammon's Boy's Life. The Short of It Plot: Twelve year old Cory's quiet life in 1960s Alabama is shaken up when, by chance, he witnesses a murder. Page Count: 625 Award: 1992 World Fantasy Award Worth a read : Absolutely Primary Driver: (Plot, World, or Character ) Bechdel Test : Pass Technobabble: N/A Review: This objectively boring and meandering book is somehow completely and utterly engrossing. Truly exceptional writing captures both the whimsy of childhood and the slow maturation of its characters. Backdrop of 1960s in the South used well: both the idyllic aspects of life in days when the milkman still made his rounds, and the darker aspects of embedded racism. It's a snapshot of life with overlaid story elements - but it just works. Switches from casually humorous to introspective to devastating and back, without warning. A few scenes really punch you right in the gut. The Medium of It Spoi...
Hello, Stranger. In July of 2017 a man named Derrick McGlashen died of Stage 4 lung cancer. He was not famous, so you didn't miss the announcement. Even most of us who did know him never knew his name until he passed away. We just thought of him as the Book Guy. McGlashen was a panhandler in Park Slope, Brooklyn, and stationed himself in front of a grocery store on 7th Avenue. He always had his cup to gather change, but instead of asking for money, he would strike up conversations with people passing by. He was a warm, gregarious fellow, with a broad smile. His disarming charm made him a neighborhood staple, to the degree that if he was not at his usual spot, it was a topic of conversation. He'd be gone for a few days, and when he came back, people would say, "You weren't here!" and he would laugh and say, "Just had to stretch my legs!" He was probably in his spot 300 days a year, for as many years as I can recall. He always addressed the ...
Comments
Post a Comment