Modern Fiction Books > O Modern Fiction Books

Advantages: Fielding's heroine's developed into self-confidence
Disadvantages: maybe bit too much!

Helen Fielding - Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination After having happily read the two Bridget Jones books, I didn't hesitate to go for another Fielding's she-hero novel. This time it's Olivia, a journalist of the Sunday Times who's always on a mission for an important piece of news, as being a perfectionist and ambitious as she is doesn't allow her to be happy with mundane average like most people. It would be easy to see Olivia ...
...like good old Miss Marple. Olivia is just as nosy as an ageing spinster and she is proud of being a self-established and poised ice-queen who is just as well off without a man. Unfortunately her vigour doesn't always work out the way she had hoped for and she gets herself into a number of pretty weird, sometimes also quite dangerous situations. Her imagination is truly overly active and sometimes it's hard to say what's reality and what's only in ... Read review

Advantages: An interesting, though provoking read from a quite unknown author
Disadvantages: Not a happy, warm-feeling-in-your-tummy inducing read

I used to be known frequently to turn up, and occasionally to work, in a place split up into lots of departments. Mine was one of the smallest which had its disadvantages (fewer people to cover shifts, harder to get time off exactly when you want it) along with quite a few advantages (fewer people to share all the chocolate with being an important one). The most major advantage, however, was having a manger who knew you inside out, especially when ...
...with gifts at Christmas, and last year, following numerous conversations at work about books, books, and more books (Helen being the only other member of staff who knows how to read from what I can tell) she really came through. My present, in case you’re really thick and / or haven’t guessed yet, was a copy of this book, which she’d read and though I might enjoy. She was right. The book is what I would call fact based fiction, ... Read review

Advantages: A fantastic read
Disadvantages: As with other books by Marquez, I couldn't put it down

The style of writing of Marquez matches that of other modern classic writers, including de Berniere and Allende. One bitten by the Marquex bug a reader will find themselves drawn to any book by the author as I have. Of Love and Other Demons was the second book by Marquez that I read and is by far the easiest that I have read so far. The story told by Of Love and Other Demons is written in such a way that I felt the heartache of the young heroine ...
...Once again the style of writing can not be faulted. The descriptions of places and the main characters make you feel as if you are part of the story. The madness, the love, the family relationships, the obsession, the cruelty are all brought together beautifully. The young girl who is the focus of the story is brought up by two slightly (or very) mad parents and the native nurse. The story give the background to her parentage and her upbring but ... Read review

Advantages: A classic novel, which gives fascinating insight!
Disadvantages: Very few! A great read, that must be liked by all!

...my attention to this. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1962) - Ken Kesey Kesey's most popular and most famous novel is a great read. I don't want to give too much of the plot away in the review, but you should definitely accept that the novel is well worth a read, as it is a leader in the race for "great American novel", which has amazing plot, characters, and extremely vivid description! Set in a mental ward, Kesey creates imaginative characters, ...
...patients manage to escape, but one of the patients comes to a sad end, because remember, the oppressive force will win with what ever means possible! Why does the novel have such an interesting title? The title "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" refers to a game that "The Chief" played as a child with his grandma, that he recalled after treatment. The game involved a children's folk rhyme, and had the following lyrics: ...One Flew East, One Flew ... Read review

Advantages: it was light reading
Disadvantages: a little tediuos and pretentious

...novel progresses. The story focuses on one night, the night of a young couple's wedding and we learn of their worries and apprehension before the consumation of their marriage. I ended up wishing that they would just get on with it and finally grew bored of the characters. In my opinion this book was attempting to be intellectual and in doing so it lost it's purpose. ... Read review