Tag: bookworm

The Devil’s Flute Murders by Seishi Yokomizo

Its been a while since I read one of Seishi Yokomizo’s Detective Kosuke Kindaichi novels and I fancied catching up on the series with a new one due to be released this coming week.

This read was a great one and very readable and flows nicely. It was an interesting case involving a family and a locked room murder and the devilish apparition of an already dead family member. The plot was very cunning and I didn’t guess the culprit. There is a bit of incest in the plot which was a surprise and may be a trigger for some.

Though these are old books they aren’t dated and are very readable and enjoyable. I have the next one ready to read. The Little Sparrow Murders.

A History of Britain in Ten Enemies by Terry Deary

A light and enjoyable read from the creator of the children’s books Horrible Histories. Though I enjoyed it I did expect more from it. As far as entertainment goes it hits the mark with the facts and humour.

Compared to something like Unruly by David Mitchell it falls a bit below par, and given the reputation of Horrible Histories I expected more. It was enjoyable but could have been better.

A little all over the place with the events like for example the French or Normans you go from 1066 to 1300s. Glossing over a large chunk of history.

Essentially the enemies starts with the Romans and ends with the Germans, though given our Royal family and history then the ‘enemies’ actually won in the end…

White Nights by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

A beautiful read, a short story that will linger long in the memory and one that will be revisited. Clear to see how Dostoyevsky is a master of his craft and gets right to the heart of the human condition.

At times this was heart warming and heart breaking, two lonely souls who find love and a connection however fleeting it may be. Though I finished reading this yesterday it has lingered in my mind all day, it was heartbreakingly beautiful and I found myself empathising and feeling the lead characters loneliness in life, something I have lived through and live through too. We all have our own loneliness in life and have wasted years we later look back on with regret and sadness. This passage really hit me.

Ultimately the character in this story is an early version nice guy who gets friendzoned.

The second short story I read but didn’t care for, its the titular story that gets all the glory

Rome Before Rome by Philip Matyszak

A very enjoyable read covering the early years of Rome and Roman civilisation. A look into the “history”, myth and legends.

Engaging and amusing and very readable. It is interesting to see how Rome came to be and how they saw their legends and history. You can’t take it at face value, but for every story surely there is an element of truth. Sure it is embellished in the telling of the tales and refined to be the myth handed down to us.

An interesting facet in the legends is how rape is the key point or trigger in three vital aspects of Roman legend. The rape of Romulus & Remus mother which gives us the founding myth of Rome. Secondly the Rape of the Sabines which caused the growth of Rome and kickstarted the expansion and development. Finally the Rape of Lucretia which caused the emergence of the Republic and brought down Tarquin Superbus, thankfully rape was seen as abhorrent then too given how the violence and uproar then ensued.

All in all I quite enjoyed this book, it is very accessible and from an author who’s work I quite enjoy. It is a book I will return to, and one that can lead on to other books for more depth. Highly recommended.