LONDON'S CALLING

Advantages: Pleasent stay, good food, central location
Disadvantages: Views from room

...eateries/drinking places and chose 372, which offers carvery selection. I was surprise how hot and fresh the food was. Not only that it was tasty too! We opted for lamb with roast potatoes, new potatoes and three vegetables. However, my only complaint about the meal was the vegetables; they were a tad on the raw side for my liking. That said I ALWAYS OVER cook my veggies. Dessert was for me home made apple pie and cream, while the other half opted for home made cheesecake ? both were consumed without any complaints and very much enjoyed. Our meal for two with drinks cost £29) Hotel: the hotel it situated in the Strand which is in central London and easy to walk to theatres such as the Aldwych, Lyceum, and many more. Come out the front of the hotel and turn right, and you?ll be heading towards Trafalgar square with Nelson, bear left and you...

dabmim 28.03.2003 · Read review
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Review of The Strand Palace Hotel, London

Anna Karenina

Advantages: Beautifully written, complex characters, thought provoking
Disadvantages: Time consuming

...Anna Karenina is one of Leo Tolstoy?s best known and best loved works. The novel enjoys continued influence in today?s society and although it was written almost two centuries ago, the continued relevance of its central themes makes the book as provocative now as the day it was written. The main theme of the novel seems to be that of happiness. Yet it does not simply deal with the shallow emotion but with human fulfilment of life. This idea is best shown through the sharply contrasting characters of Anna and Levin. The character of Anna has beauty, charm and wealth, yet finds her life to be completely unsatisfying. Her choice to begin an affair with the officer Vronsky is a decision to struggle against this feeling of emptiness. The consequences are heartbreaking with the happiness she so desperately seeks continually eluding her...

Ellen12345678 23.04.2009 · Read review
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Review of Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy

Stranded in London!

Advantages: Excellent central location; good bars and restaurants
Disadvantages: Rooms a bit old fashioned; a little pricey

..." - the inner courtyard of the hotel with the humming air conditioners at the bottom. I can live (or sleep) with that, but there was also an awful rattling, like pipes, coming from somewhere in the ceiling. We went back downstairs to complain, and were told there were no other rooms. After standing our ground they eventually checked us in to an alternative room on the 4th floor. A little bigger, but still not brilliant - probably "average", from past business stays down in London hotels. The reception staff weren't particularly friendly, as other reviews have mentioned. Despite being "club" rooms, all that appeared to be different was the decor. Instead of old-fashioned wall-to-wall flowerey decor and furnishings, it was plain duck-egg walls, and a "modern" bed (faux-leather headboard and plain brown and green blankets). Not worth the extra money...

tall_andy 12.11.2006 · Read review
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Review of The Strand Palace Hotel, London

Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy

Advantages: A masterpiece
Disadvantages: A very long masterpiece

...Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina is an incredibly popular story. Well known and loved by many it has survived the passage of time and is as beguiling and popular now as it has ever been. I say story rather than novel as this has been the subject of many film and TV adaptations, from Greta Garbo in 1935 to Sophie Marceau in 1997 the IMDb website lists no less than 24 different adaptations, from all over the world. How popular the novel itself is is questionable, weighing in at over 800 pages it is quite daunting but if you've only seen the films you really have missed out. The novel is a masterpiece of literature and covers characters and themes far beyond the reach of film. I'll be honest and say that I've never seen any of these adaptations but from the synopsis' and commentaries I've read it seems that they focus almost entirely...

brereton66 18.02.2008 · Read review
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Review of Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy

Mistrial - Lou Reed

Advantages: a couple of decent songs
Disadvantages: too much avearge material and average production

...Arguably the least regarded Lou Reed album, Mistrial just seems to receive indifference from most people. It doesn't upset anyone, like Metal Machine Music did, nor does it excite audiences in the way that Transformer did. Mistrial consists of ten average songs, played competently, sung ok, and produced ok. And that's about it. There's nothing that really stands out, the resolutely 1986 production utilises very basic drum machines for the first and last time in Lou's history, and everything sounds rather boomy and upfront, but hollow and lacking in substance. The ttle track at least features a cracking melody, but Mama's Got A Lover, whilst not a bad song, sounds like a bad Lloyd Cole copy. A rather bizarre achievment sounds like a bad copy of someone who sounds like a bad copy of Lou Reed. "Video Violence" has a sparky sound but...

adams66 17.09.2008 · Read review
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Review of Mistrial - Lou Reed

Lou's Best Moment

Advantages: Totally original
Disadvantages: none

...Tracklisting 1. Berlin 2. Lady Day 3. Men Of Good Fortune 4. Caroline Says I 5. How Do You Think It Feels 6. Oh, Jim 7. Caroline Says II 8. Kids, The 9. Bed, The 10. Sad Song I wouldn't recommend this album to anyone who has just bought Transformer because they like Perfect day or Walk on the Wild Side or anyone with just a passing interest in the man. This is not an easy listen - its Lou Reeds concept album about the breakdown of a marriage between Jim & Caroline and the mental collapse that follows. It was produced by Bob Ezrin - a legendary producer who has worked with everyone from Lou to Pink Floyd to Janes Addiction - and the album sounds like it was recorded in Reeds head. Opening song Berlin sets the tone with its creepy opening bars and its sparse lyrics about how they met by the Berlin Wall...

tilly77 16.05.2005 · Read review
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Review of Berlin - Lou Reed

LUXURY IN LONDON!

Advantages: Brilliant rooms, service, food, internet etc
Disadvantages: expensive!!!

...In the middle of February, I was lucky enough to be whisked away for a long weekend in London with my grandma. I?m a huge fan of west end shows and musicals, and so our trip was booked- we would go and see various different shows. I couldn?t wait to go. One thing I hadn?t thought of before going however was which hotel we were staying in. I reckoned that we wouldn?t be spending too much time in the hotel itself, as we were going to be very busy, so as long as it had two beds, a bathroom and some sort of wardrobe I?d have been happy. I knew the name of the hotel was The Grosvenor, however I didn?t have a clue what its reviews were like, or in fact how many stars it had. Getting to the hotel We had absolutely no problem finding the hotel. We took the train from our hometown, to King?s Cross in London. We only had to wait...

SweetTooth93 08.03.2009 (12.05.2009) · Read review
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Review of The Grosvenor, London

Anna Sui dolly girl (just as sweet as the bottle!)

Advantages: Long lasting beautiful scent, not too strong, doesn't leave residue
Disadvantages: not for all tastes, a little expensive

...The Anna Sui perfume line is always my number one choice when i'm searching for a new scent to add to my collection. Every new perfume they bring out is never a let down. This one was my first purchase and it was the unusal, doll faced styled bottle that lead me to buy it. A spritz of this femnine, frutty, candy like scent on my neck, left me noticed for hours, i was constantly being asked who i was wearing. This perfume may not be everyones personal taste as everyone has different likings, but if you are looking for a fun kind of scent this is the one. Plus the cool bottle will really spruce up your perfume shelve. Perfect to wear for a special occasion, it's light enough to not cause a headache, but strong enough to leave an impression. maybe this is not what you want...? so take a look at the box sets and consider as a special...

superstar141994 13.08.2009 · Read review
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Review of Anna Sui Dolly Girl

Anna Sui for me and me and me!!!!

Advantages: Lovely smelling smell
Disadvantages: Scarey looking bottle

...I'd been brought one of Anna Sui's perfumes before, Sweet dreams its called I'd got it one Christmas from my other half (i would say better half but I think that's my role?.lol) and I totally loved it then and still love it now! It smelt like it had been made just for me! I still continue to by Sweet Dreams but love to try new perfumes so I asked if this one by Anna Sui, Dolly Girl, could be put in this years Christmas stocking! I'd seen advertisements for it in some magazines and some other friends of mine had smelt it and thought the fragrance would suit me. It was my brother who finally brought it for me and it's a 50ml (1.7 fl. Oz) size bottle which he told me cost around £28 (the smaller size bottle, tight git!). I have seen it for cheaper on special offer in Superdrug since but I'm sure you could find it cheaper still...

elephants69food_0 12.08.2005 · Read review
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Review of Anna Sui Dolly Girl

Take No Prisoners (Live) - Lou Reed

Advantages: superb sound, superb performances
Disadvantages: a couple of songs drag a bit

...Lou Reed himself originally wanted to call this album Lou Reed Talk And Talk And Talks. It's certainly an odd album, pitched midway between a straight live album and stand up comedy. There's over 100 minutes of music but only ten tracks which gives you an idea straight away that these are not simple live renditions of Lou's songs. By 1978 Lou had pretty much come out of his mid 1970s drug period. He was still not entirely clean, but was in better shape than he had been for at least five years. He had a superb band behind him, led by keyboard player Michael Fonfara, and most of them had been touring with Lou for a few years. The musicians were capable of playing the most tender ballad before suddenly and shockingly roaring off like a locomotive at full speed. Lou had a habit of extending or shortening songs on a whim, but the band...

adams66 25.09.2008 · Read review
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Review of Take No Prisoners (Live) [Remastered] - Lou Reed