In an effort to not make this review longer than the book itself, I will just say that The Brief and Frightening Reign of Phil is a story that could have been written by the love child of George Orwell and Douglas Adams. George Saunders’ flawless writing will remind readers of Adam’s Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, but his themes echo the sly political satire of Orwell. Mrs Smith Reads The Brief and Frightening Reign of Phil by George Saunders
This Book Was Delicious: Hannibal
Prompted by the impending second season finale of “Hannibal” I decided to go back and re-read Hannibal by Thomas Harris. Much of this season had been culled from this particular book, so I thought it would be interesting to see how and where the story diverged from the original, since showrunner Bryan Singer does not have the rights (yet?) to the Clarice Starling role and she is a major character in the novel. I actually liked Hannibal better the second time around. Singer was brilliant to develop the TV series […]
So Much to Recommend It, But It Didn’t Live Up: Guests on Earth
Lee Smith’s Guests on Earth had so much to recommend it. I love books about my home state, North Carolina; it promised Zelda Fitzgerald as a main character, and was centered at the Highland Hospital, a mental institution which burned to the ground in 1948, claiming the lives of nine women; one of them the world-famous Zelda herself. That sounded interesting to me, so I dove in with high hopes. Unfortunately, it wasn’t as great as I’d hoped, but it wasn’t as awful as it could […]
Another Winner from Neil Gaiman
I will admit that I simply like Neil Gaiman. I’ve read a few of his books, and if I see one I haven’t read yet in my local used book store, I will almost always buy it, knowing that I will enjoy the reading. Most people I know either *!!!LOVE!!!* Gaiman or they don’t like him at all, so I guess I am one of the rare few that sits firmly in the middle. That being said, I quite enjoyed The Ocean at the End of […]