Month: August 2008
-
Wonder Boys by Michael Chabon – A Book Review
I’ve become convinced that Michael Chabon is our greatest contemporary American author at the moment. It was his outstanding novel, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay that planted such a seed in my mind, but it is his novel, Wonder Boys, that cements such a notion. Wonder Boys is about a nearly over the…
-
Old School by Tobias Wolff – A Book Review
The most important thing to realize about this novel is that this is a story for people who either write themselves or have at least thought about writing at some moment in their life, which is fortunate because I don’t know many avid fiction readers who haven’t entertained such a notion at one point. Point…
-
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis – A Book Review
Originally a series of talks given over the radio to the people of England during WWII, this collection of said dialogue explains in laymen’s terms what Christianity is and why C.S. Lewis, originally a non-believer, eventually came to Christ. It does not give his personal story, mind you, but rather is a mixture of philosophical…
-
The New York Trilogy by Paul Auster – A Book Review
This work is actually a collection of three different stories called “City of Glass,” “Ghosts,” and “The Locked Room.” However, upon finishing the work, it becomes rather obvious why they are all collected into one volume. Let me say this from the outset: If you are a person who very much needs clear closure, this…
-
The Prestige by Christopher Priest – A Book Review
I picked this book up because I heard that Christopher Nolan, director Batman Begins, was going to direct a film adaptation. On top of that, Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, and David Bowie have all agreed to star in said film. I figured if talent of such high caliber saw something redeeming in this novel, I would…
-
The Final Solution by Michael Chabon – A Book Review
You don’t know how difficult this is for me, but I really and truly did not care for this book. You must keep in mind that I’m a big Michael Chabon fan, I’ve even gone so far as to say he IS America’s greatest contemporary author. But, The Final Solution simply did not ignite a…
-
homerville by Ken Bradbury – A Book Review
Ever since I was a wee little boy, I’ve been listening to the good people associated with Triopia School District go on and on about a man they seem to consider a demigod. This man writes speeches performed by high school students all over the nation; he writes and directs the high school musicals yearly,…
-
In the Garden of the North American Martyrs by Tobias Wolff – A Book Review
This short story collection from Tobias Wolff is truly just that. Each story gives you enough of the bare essentials to keep you informed and invested, but they never cross the line into anything remotely superfluous. Each story feels very much like you’ve entered right into the middle of things and you are there for…
-
The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway – A Book Review
I read this novel roughly six years ago, and found recently I couldn’t remember anything about it whatsoever. So, being the borderline compulsive reader I am, I instantly picked it up and read it again. I think perhaps the reason the story didn’t stick out to me much from those years ago is because there…
-
Teacher Man by Frank McCourt – A Book Review
I avoided this book like the plague for as long as I could until my brother-in-law bought it for me last Christmas. Many people told me I would love it because it was basically my life (without the illicit behavior, of course), which is why I tried to keep away. However, my loyalty to my…
scottwilliamfoley.com 