By any other name

Advantages: Imaginative, intricate, ultimately illuminating
Disadvantages: Always demanding, occasionally difficult

...not his identity - because the chapter heading has told us so. If we had our wits about us, we could already be picking up clues to help us unravel the mystery, but our wits are somewhat befuddled at this early stage in the narrative. The quotation above is taken from the fourth of the fifty-nine chapters of 'My Name is Red'. The chapters are shared out among no fewer than twenty narrators. For example, Chapter 1 is ostensibly written posthumously by the spirit of Elegant, the murderer's first victim; Chapter 2 by Black, who will later emerge both as the male protagonist in the love affair that is one of the central strands of the story and as one of the detectives who eventually unmask the murderer; Chapter 3 by a dog. And so on. Not all the narrators are major characters, or human, or even animal. If this were a game...

torr 07.09.2005 (19.10.2006) · Read review
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Review of My Name is Red - Orhan Pamuk

Canon by name, average by nature!

Advantages: Good face detection, very robust and a good looker.
Disadvantages: Motion Detection Technology not all it is cracked up to be and other small niggles!

...Canon are a huge name in the world of photography and they have produced some very fine cameras, including some excellent top end DSLR`s. I have never been their biggest fan when it comes to point and shoot cameras and I almost always find something lacking in theirs when compared with the Cyber shots and Samsungs of this world so when I was handed the Canon Powershot A480 and asked to put it through its paces and give an opinion on it, I have to admit I did not expect to be blown away by it. Firstly I should say that aesthetically it will satisfy the needs of many as it can be bought in four colours, silver, black, blue or deep red, so that is the ?my camera looks better than yours? taken care of but is it any good? It has a ten megapixel capability, a 3.3X optical zoom and a 2.5 inch LCD screen, so it is pretty much on a par...

thebigc1690 10.04.2009 (23.04.2009) · Read review
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Review of Canon PowerShot A480

Comfort by name Comfort by nature

Advantages: Nippy small car thats bigger than it looks
Disadvantages: It's not mine

...I was in the driving seat feeling on the wrong side of me for the gear stick and the hand brake. (Really weird) The luggage was in the boot except for one medium sized case, which sat between the two lads in the back. I thought that it was excellent because that meant that in the boot were two medium sized suitcases and a large one. The chaps in the rear of the car still had plenty of space, which was fine because the journey was going to take about an hour. This meant that they were comfortable enough not to moan and I could concentrate on driving on the right hand side of the road. Comfort in the name of the car was quite apt. I found that the driving seat was really comfortable. I usually drive my car at home with a small cushion in my back due to a back injury, however I did not bring it with me. The driving seat...

mjthebabe 06.08.2003 · Read review
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Review of Vauxhall Corsa SXi 1.2i

Carve Her Name With Pride. A classic DVD

Advantages: A true story of a young woman during WW11
Disadvantages: May be uncomfortable viewing for some

...-organise the shattered French resistance movement. Her mission is fraught with danger and although she manages to parachute in successfully and obtain supplies for the Normandy Front, Violette is eventually captured by the German forces and handed over to the Gestapo. She is subjected to a grueling and barbaric interrogation. The torture is intense and prolonged, but Violette does not betray her comrades, which infuriates the Gestapo. Violette is deported to Germany on grounds of espionage and imprisoned in Ravensbruck concentration camp. Only thoughts of her little daughter, at home in England with her grandparents, keep Violette going. A box of tissues will probably be required for the end of this movie, I will not say more for fear of spoiling the DVD for others. Availability and Price 'Carve Her Name With Pride' DVD is available from...

brittle1906 27.10.2009 · Read review
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Review of Carve Her Name With Pride (DVD)

Cheap by Name NOT by nature!

Advantages: Discounted products, efficient service etc
Disadvantages: None for me!

...I happened upon cheapsmells.com via a google search for a specific perfume I was in search of. - The website - This is a very easy website to navigate. There are sections at the top: Home. Login, Register, Basket, Account, Checkout, FAQs and Contact. Given the headings, I was initially under the impression that I would need to login and register prior to searching, however this is not the case. There?s a search engine on the site which enables you to put in either a keyword or the specific name of the item you are looking for. If you want to be more specific in your search then there are also the following options to choose from: gender, prices, categories and brands, particularly good if you don?t have the time or inclination to sift through endless items and /or have a specific amount you want to spend. - The items...

neenn 15.11.2009 · Read review
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Review of CheapSmells.com - Discounts & Voucher Codes

Named and Positively Acclaimed!

Advantages: Fresh and inspiring, a perfect chill out album!
Disadvantages: 1 Weak Track, un-noticeable!

..."The Boy With No Name" is the fifth album from blue-eyed boy Fran Healey and his cohorts. Scottish and proud, Travis have become an institution with their brand of mellow-indie pop, piano accompanied soulful ballads and deep and meaningful, often soul-rending lyrics. Nowadays a mainstage festival head-line without Travis would be like you or I without a limb. They've become a much-loved and inspirational pillar in the structure of popular British Music. Travis: A Quick Lowdown: Travis formed in 1991 during Healey's Uni years, and spent much of their musical youth touring Glasgow and eventually signed a £100,000 deal with Andy MacDonald, owner of Go! Discs Records. I've since found out on Travis' current online biography that Andy MacDonald actually fronted his own money to sign the band to himself and not his record company (which...

lisacallow 12.06.2007 · Read review
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Review of Boy With No Name, The - Travis

A Gibson by any other name...

Advantages: Well built, sexy, great value for money, feels great
Disadvantages: Naff quality pickups

...After not picking up a guitar for over a year (for personal reasons, see my details for a hint as to why...), I decided to pick up a guitar again and wanted a new one. Preferably a good but not pricey one and not a Fender, my usual weapon of choice. So after much humming and ahhhing, I decided on a the Les Paul Custom by Epiphone. I would have loved the real Gibson version, but hey! I work for the NHS and that is waaaay out of my league cost wise. However, Gibson bought out Epiphone in 1957 and since that time have used Epiphone for not only contnuing to produce models unique to Epiphone itself but also to make cheaper official 'copies' of 'proper' Gibson guitars. So in effect, you're getting a Gibson in all but name. I managed to get a Chinese-built Epiphone Les Paul Custom in black as an offer from an ebay seller for the great price...

blankfrank 02.01.2009 · Read review
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Review of Epiphone Les Paul Custom Electric Guitar

In the Name of the Father

Advantages: Tense, good use of music to create the effect and fear
Disadvantages: not 100% accurate, which undermines it's importance

..."In the Name of the Father" is based on the autobiography of Gerry Conlon, one of the wrongly convicted Guildford Four pub bombings that happened in the 1970's. The Guildford Four were released from prison in 1989 and since then Gerry Conlon has released his book "Proved Innocent." NOTE: I have not read the book, and knew nothing of the story of the Guildford Four until I watched this film, and therefore this review is based on my opinion of the film and how it made me feel. Jim Sheridan produced this film, along with many other films with their roots in Ireland, including My Left Foot, Bloody Sunday and In America. This particular film was first released in 1993, four years after the Guildford Four were freed. Background ----------------- What happened to the Guildford Four is now well documented and is an example of one...

Claiiiree 19.12.2005 (27.12.2005) · Read review
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Review of In The Name Of The Father (DVD)

The Name of the Wind - Do You Know It?

Advantages: Well-written; humorous; enjoyable; escapist.
Disadvantages: Cliched; not entirely mind-blowing.

...?I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I burned down the town of Trebon. I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my sanity and my life. I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in. I tread paths by the moonlight that others fear to speak of during day. I have talked to Gods, loved women, and written songs that make the minstrels weep. My name is Kvothe. You may have heard of me.? The above passage is reproduced on the sleeve of this delightful fantasy novel, and with good reason: it gives an overview of a story that is instantly familiar to readers of fantasy literature. A powerful, daring, magical hero is a staple of the genre, and barrow kings, Gods, dangerous paths and strangely named towns form the backbone of hundreds of fantasy novels. This offering ticks...

MikeOCarroll 14.06.2009 · Read review
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Review of The Name of the Wind - Patrick Rothfuss

Duff by Name...

Advantages: It's only an hour and a half long
Disadvantages: It's trite beyond belief

...In this update of the fairytale, Sam is an orphan forced to work in her stepmother?s diner day and night. At school she is a geek, shunned by the popular kids and at home she is bullied by her two stepsisters. Her only ray of hope is the text message relationship she shares with a secret admirer. When he insists on meeting her at the high school dance, Sam doesn?t know what to do. Will he fall for the real her or be repelled by her nerdy image? This film may as well be called ?How to Make a High School Movie by the Numbers?. It?s got all the ingredients; poor but smart girl falling for rich, popular high school hunk, bitchy cheerleaders (?Love her dress, hate her.?), bitchy cheerleader wannabes, the school goth, the nerdy best friend, the school dance, adults who just don?t understand and the inevitable happy ending. And of course...

afy9mab 04.09.2004 · Read review
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Review of A Cinderella Story (DVD)