Augustus Carp, Esq

I absolutely loved reading ‘Diary of a Nobody’ to the point where it become one of my most reread books and in some ways a comfort book (although ‘1984’ will always be my ultimate comfort book :D). I wanted something similar to read and as a result happened to stumble across this book in the hopes that it would provide exactly what I was looking for. I can happily say that it did just that.

This was definitely a lighthearted novel with a lot of humour infused in it. Augustus Carp had been brilliantly depicted as a self righteous, pompous man who thought himself as a shining example of moral virtue. His blackmailing, hypocrisy and ‘holier than thou’ attitude lead to hilarious consequences. The secondary characters had also been skilfully portrayed.

Admittedly, it took me a while to get in to the story when I first began reading. This was probably due to the slow start coupled with me getting used to the writing style. However, the story soon picked up after a couple of chapters, by which time I had adjusted to the writing style – something which I found added to the overall charm of the book.

Not really much else to say to be honest! This was a delightful read and had me chuckling quite frequently. The characters were outrageous and the humour was spot on. A must read for anyone in search for something light.

Happy Reading,

Saz

 

Bellman & Black

Do you ever pick up a book because it sounds interesting, then read said book and after having read it, close it slowly and just sit there thinking what exactly have you read? Well this was that kind of book for me. By the time I had finished, I was utterly confused.

The blurb described this to be a heart racing ghost story, starring William Bellman in the lead role – a boy that grows up to be someone “who could easily go to the good or the bad”. Although William’s life seems to be blessed, people around him start dying. At each funeral, he catches a glimpse of a stranger smiling at him from afar. Overcome with grief, William stumbles to the graveyard where he meets the smiling stranger. A proposition is put forward – one that has the power to change William’s life – all he must do is simply say yes.

The first and foremost aspect of the book that struck me was the plot – or rather the lack of one. The whole book seemed to be centered heavily around Will’s business – first at the mill and then the shop. The main focus was describing the different steps one needs to take in order to build a successful business from scratch. There was some essence of a plot in the mystery of the identity of Mr. Black. However, the mystery was rather touch and go. Literally no real semblance of a consistent plot could be seen.

“Without the past to cast its long shadow, might you see the future more clearly?”

There also appeared to be a tremendous amount of waffle – especially about how Will is a problem solver and never lets go of something until a solution is found. This was great in some respects as it sort of helped to flesh out his character. Yet, there was just too much of this, and a lot of other things had been repeated for absolutely no discernable reason. Honestly, at times, it felt like whole paragraphs were just made up of meaningless waffle.

Despite this, I absolutely loved the way Will’s descent in to madness had been captured. The writing was beautiful. It was extremely subtle, which made it so hard to pin point the exact moment he started down the slippery slope of insanity. Not only was this incredible but it perfectly mirrored reality.

Overall, I was extremely disappointed with this book. I had been promised a fast paced ghost story, but instead ended up with something entirely different – perhaps the best way to describe it would be ‘plotless waffle’? Needless to say, I shan’t be recommending this one.