Tag Archives: tragedy

REVIEW: Unfinished Tales – J. R. R. Tolkien

This was the first of the several books to be published by Christopher Tolkien about his father’s stories and conceptions of Middle-Earth after he edited The Silmarillion into a relatively coherent narrative. Unfinished Tales contains drafts of stories which Tolkien … Continue reading

Posted in Fantasy, Not A Review, Re-read | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

REVIEW: The Last April Dancers – Jean Thesman

Catherine St John, usually called Cat by her friends, is nearly sixteen years old and lives with her parents in a small town called Waterford near Seattle. Her mother is a real estate agent and her father is unemployed after … Continue reading

Posted in Fiction, Re-read, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service – Ian Fleming

(Penguin 2008, originally published 1963) Like many of Fleming’s novels featuring James Bond, the book is good deal more reflective and less gung-ho than the filmed versions – though the film of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is a good … Continue reading

Posted in 2009 New Reads, Fiction, Filmed adaptations, Re-read, Reviews, Thriller | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Silmarillion – J. R. R. Tolkien

(HarperCollins audiobook 2001, read by Martin Shaw) Let me say right now that I don’t much like audiobooks. The read word tends to distract me from other things, and I prefer to listen to music while doing chores or repetitive … Continue reading

Posted in Fantasy, Fiction, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

‘Tigana’ – Guy Gavriel Kay

(minor spoiler at the end) In the peninsula of The Palm, there are a number of warring city-states – much like Italy in the mediaeval period – with a common language and religion. Sensing weakness, two enemies strike to conquer … Continue reading

Posted in Fantasy, Fiction, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments