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Essential and uplifting

A must for any Beatles fan. So if you've got this far and are considering it as a read you must be interested. Get this. Watch the documentaries on Disney+. Then you'll have a complete picture of the biggest band on the planet (ever) putting together new material.

The journey is tough at first, progress is slow. But they work around their difficulties to produce a body of work full of freshness and joy. Yet another triumph on their gold lined road.

The pictures are excellent, big and colourful. The humour is constant. It is a comment on the times as much as music.

I just can't get enough.

Thrilling

My first bit of horror for a while. The mystery in this story was well constructed, building up a tension that left you wanting to read more. In my usual way, this meant actually putting the book down at times to prevent it all being over too soon.

There are three times streams running and I like books that do this provided you can keep focused. There were no issues with this. I was drawn in to the growing terror.

Good characterisations and plenty of detail on daily life to keep things real. The use of the words and writing style is a pleasure to follow.

I found one or two bits felt contrived, but that is a small complaint for such a thrilling read.

A great story

I liked the writing style - direct, factual, correct. It lends an air of authority to a novel about a serious event in an English village. This is a great story, a wonderful premise as with much of his work. You can feel yourself drifting into some spooky sixties tv serialisation, wondering all the time where it is all going to lead.

I had not read any Wyndham for many years. I'm glad I went back for more. A master of science fiction not complicated by the box ticking correctness that affects so much art these days. This is a slice of old England, under threat from invasion and approached with typical British properness. Bravo!



The perfect book

The perfect book. As a photographer I appreciate the visual quality of the work. What is also enlightening is the text. Written inclusively, never too highbrow or preachy. The purpose of this work must be to engage you with the incredible stories of the natural world and it does this effortlessly.

You don't need to have seen the tv programmes to enjoy the experience of learning and marvelling. If more people focused on things like this the world would become a better place. Now that's me throwing out an opinion but it is my world as much as anyone's and I want to see it looked after.

My inspiration

I read the lyrics while I played each song. I am a massive fan so I already knew all the words. Regardless of this it was fantastic to read them through as I listened. I was fascinated to work out why certain tracks were grouped together.

In hardback it is a lovely book just to have and to hold. My little review is pathetic compared to David Mitchell's analysis which forms the introduction. However, every individual has their own particular experience which is special to them. For me, this is a summary of everything that is good about words and the expression of emotion and atmosphere. She is my inspiration!

On The Nose


Essential for anyone interested in the great British language.

How many phrases we use that we don't really know the meaning of. This book and its companion will be a permanent source of reference. I'm Happy As A Sandboy to have read this and can use those words with thanks to Dickens.

Immense

An immense piece of work. There is so much story here. Enough for ten movies! The world Tolkien creates and controls here is fabulous and he covers many aspects of the creation myth.

It is a dense read and without the detailed index I would have struggled to follow some parts. Everyone and everything seems to have three different names!

If you are into fantasy fiction and of the millions who liked Lord of the Rings, this is essential to give a full understanding of the events and characters later on.

It is nice to see our language so well mastered and delivered. I found myself utterly transported to a history of ancient ideals where the people (and elves and dwarves) are as flawed as we are today.

Essential reading - A review of T H White's 'Once and Future King'

Five books in one! Difficult to give a final rating as I preferred some to others. Four stars are earned if for nothing more than the monumental effort this work must have required. And it is on subject that is well documented and studied. Myths about King Arthur seem to exist everywhere in Britain.

If you like a fantasy adventure this is obviously for you. And a long story it is. Each novel covers a different character. There are some passages that are admirable. The use of language and the visions this conjures is to be applauded. It feels like an essential part of anyone's reading list who is interested in the history.

I did not like the references to modern day phrases / knowledge. It threw the mystery and atmosphere off for me by mixing the ages.

I would be proud to complete a project like this. I am in the process and understand what a labour of love this must have been.







Deeply personal

A deep and personal story with enough twists to keep you hooked. It was a lesson in how to write real relationships in the modern context and therefore helpful to a writer.

Anyone who has lost someone close (who hasn't) could find interest, insight and even solace from this book. Grief is such a deeply personal experience we all share and yet find so hard to share.

There are three main characters (one dead) and you find yourself rooting for each of them equally, even when they are at odds. This is convincing fiction I would recommend.



A real sense of loss

These are stories about finding a way to cope with the human experience. We all suffer loss in differing quantities and how we deal with that depends on our personalities. None of it is easy.

The characters in this book are haunted, so the title is appropriate. She offers no miracle transcendental solution. These people learn to live and accept their lives. In so doing, I got a bittersweet sensation and closed the cover with a knowing smile. Yes, I see. You have to carry on with what you have and get the problems into perspective. And there is nothing you can do to turn the clock back or freeze time in a happy moment.

Ultimately, it is reassuring to know you are not alone with these emotions and you need to remember that others you meet will have had the same stuff going on, however they cloud or hide this away.