I gobbled up this book club read in one go, in about three hours on a lazy Sunday morning. I’m generally a fast reader, but it’s a real testament to Sally Rooney’s clear prose and the irresistible pull of her story about a complicated on-and-off relationship between two young people.
Reviews
Hereditary – Film Review
I didn’t think it was a perfect movie, but I’ll give Hereditary this – it got to me like very few horror films ever have. I ended up watching maybe a third of it through my fingers, which I haven’t done since I was a child.
Ordeal by Innocence by Agatha Christie – Book Review
Oh my god, an Agatha Christie novel I’ve never read before! I can’t claim to have equally strong recollections of all the Christie books I read as a teenager, but Ordeal by Innocence was a genuine blank spot, since somehow it avoided my collecting zeal. Of course, I couldn’t resist trying to figure out the mystery; while I did guess the identity of the murderer before the final reveal, it was probably too late into the book to feel smug about.
The Shape of Water – Film Review
I’ve yet to see a Guillermo del Toro film that made me a true believer, but this visually ravishing adult fairytale came closest, and is easily the one I’ve enjoyed the most. At the very least, you gotta admire him for tackling a premise that many would find way too icky with such sincerity.
New Music 07/2019 – Christine and the Queens, Jenny Lewis, Neko Case
Excellent follow-up from the gender-bending French singer; my two favourite musical redheads release solo albums after a five-year break.
Three Act Tragedy by Agatha Christie – Book Review
While not the most watertight or plausible Christie mystery, Three Act Tragedy is a fun Poirot outing, though it’s also one of the novels where Poirot himself is absent for most of the story. What makes the book memorable is the murderer’s motive, not only unique for Christie but also unlike anything I’ve encountered in crime fiction. When it’s revealed, it’s both outrageous and true to the psychology of the character.
Das Boot: Director’s Cut – Film Review
Friend and I went to the Astor Theatre to watch this 1981 German film, considered to be one of the greatest war films ever made and probably the greatest submarine film of all time. I’ve no argument against these claims whatsoever.
