Ali Smith

Advantages: innovative and creative writing style, apt observations of real life
Disadvantages: weak ending and plot

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Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Compelling, clever, wonderful, just brilliant
Disadvantages: None

...The Accidental - Ali Smith I don't know why but whenever I saw the cover of this book I wanted to pick it up and buy it, but then I would resist. During a 3 for 2 splurge in Waterstone's I finally picked it up and purchased it. In all honesty I had never heard of Ali Smith before (I then read in the Observer she is in the top100 most influential gay people in the UK - that didn't sell me the book it just happened to be an interesting fact) but I now know that she is an accomplished and praised Scottish author, mainly of short stories, but this is her third novel, she was with Virago now Penguin. 'The Accidental' has been short listed for both the Man Booker Prize 2005 and Orange Prize for fiction 2006, and won the Whitbread Novel of the Year 2005. …And from what I read deservedly so. This book is currently my favourite book... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: A truly great book
Disadvantages: I can't think of any!

...King Of The World is a fascinating book that explores the turbulent political atmosphere of sixties America through the prism of boxing, or more specifically the World Heavyweight Championship. The book focuses on three men; Floyd Patterson, Sonny Liston and Cassius Clay/Muhammad Ali. Remnick provides an excellent and insightful background to each of these figures and charts the course of their lives (and encounters with one another) through the decade. The book begins with a beautifully written introduction to Patterson. Patterson was a shy boy from a nightmarish section of Brooklyn. Remnick tells us that the young Floyd wanted to hide because he felt so helpless when he saw how hard his parents worked for no reward. He rode subway trains to nowhere and shoplifted milk and fruit to try and help his family before eventually being sent... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful