Lios

Great Characters + Zara Ramm = Winner

Reviewed: 06-11-24

I fell immediately in love with Fiona (hidden depths), Partial Sue (greatest nickname ever), Daisy (surprising skillz) and Simon LeBon with his "furry little body". The Cozy sub-genera is stuffed to the gills these days, and no wonder because we could all use some comfort, but sadly a lot of it is a bit slap-dash and the characters are often under(or over)developed. Not so with the crew who work at Dogs Need Nice Homes. Peter Boland has done a fabulous job in presenting us with characters so fully fleshed out that they will stay with you long after you've finished the book. There are lots of laugh out loud moments but it's all sprinkled with a bit of pathos that is really necessary for any good tale. Great story lines and the brilliant Zara Ramm as narrator make these books an absolute delight. I can't wait for more adventures.

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4 people found this helpful

Funny Talented Folk Sitting Around a Table

Reviewed: 01-25-24

I love this format. All sorts of really funny, witty people sit around a table and tell real, and ultimately hilarious stories about their lives and careers. I’ve found that most British comedians don’t tend to punch down. Their material is mostly about their own ridiculous lives, and we all have ridiculous lives don’t we? So let’s have a laugh about it.

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Listen to the Other One

Reviewed: 03-27-22

People who have only seen the films likely don’t realize that these books are full of songs and poetry. A lot of songs and poetry. I mention this because I think Mr. Serkis fame could attract a whole new crowd of listeners and hopefully readers, of these works who are thus far only familiar with the films. So, that's a good thing, But. As anyone knows who knows a thing about Tolkien, the songs and poems in the books are an integral and important part of life in Middle Earth. In the 1990 recording, Rob Inglis does a fantastic job, going from high spirited Hobbit drinking songs to delicate Elvish laments. The Ent’s songs have a soulful, almost Gershwin like quality. I don’t know the particulars, but I believe the music was written down for Inglis before he recorded his version. Andy Serkis, sadly, does not possess the gift of song, and it seems as if he’s just making up the melodies as he goes along. It’s actually a bit embarrassing in moments. He can do Gollum’s little fish song, as in the film, and he can get away with a silly Hobbit song, but when he attempted the Wood Elves lament when the Hobbits meet them on their way to Crick Hollow, I knew that this was really not going to go well. By the time I got to him shouting out (of key) Tom Bombadil’s song, I had to stop. So, it's sad that for a lot of people this is going to be their first introduction to Professor Tolkien's poetry and songs. I noticed too that Serkis insists on pronouncing Merry’s name as, Merry-uh-doc. Supremely annoying and you’d think he would know better.

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Death

Reviewed: 04-29-13

I was charmed by Inkheart and was pleased to find Inkspell an even better read, more involved, more mature perhaps.... In Inkdeath I am having a hard time even recognizing my favorite characters. At first I thought it might just be Corduner's narration.. Everyone sounds ill tempered and whiny or downright mean and nasty. Then I began to realize that, while the narration certainly wasn't helping, the characters sound that way because they are written that way. Not a single character is likeable, not even Meggie or her mother Resa who take turns treating one another with hostile contempt. In the previous books I appreciated Cornelia Funke for not flinching when it came to addressing a certain amount of real violence and suffering in what is generally considered to be children's fiction. I am not a believer in completely glossing over some hard facts about what can happen in the real world or in the imaginary. Inkdeath however is one of the bleakest and cruelest stories I have ever attempted, and is certainly not a children's book. Death and torture is everywhere, and includes the casual deaths of tiny children in very brutal ways. If you don't want your fond memories of the first two books to be forever distorted, stay away from Inkdeath.

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10 people found this helpful