Mini - Comments

Once again, here I am with smaller comments on books I usually struggle to talk about. Mostly, it's books I wasn't too bothered to dislike to the point I would feel like ranting/rambling/talking about it.

I mean, books one loves, books one dislikes, books with content that is debatable thus has potential for a lengthier opinion... those are the easy ones to talk about, but those that leave the reader indifferent tend to be a little more complicated.

The following books were all lent to me. I've said in several previous posts that there's a person I know, more an acquaintance than a friend, who likes to lend me books from her personal library. This person is older than me, she has had many more years to buy, read and accumulate books and sometimes she picks things she believes I might enjoy. The first book she did lend me was by Dan Brown, so that sort of set the mood... however, many of the choices, no matter how fun much there is in the unknown, don't end up being books I'd choose for myself, were I to be browse her library shelves. Still.... who knows when a good hidden gem is to be found!

The following books felt like middle of the road for me... they weren't amazing for me now but I can accept their importance at the time they were written and how readers of the genre might appreciate them a lot more.

I'm adding only the Portuguese covers.

 

War of the Roses by  Warren Adler

This is a very extreme example of the way a couple might go separate ways as the time and the
relationship evolves. The main couple, the Roses, met and married when everything made sense to them but now, after so many years, Barbara Rose realizes she isn't in love with Oliver anymore. Thus follows a battle for divorce where the two of them try to get the upper hand with more and more extreme measures...

This was written in the 80s, has been adapted to a movie (I have never watched it) and I can see, exaggerations and dark humor aside, why it's an interesting view on divorce and the "falling out of love". Many have liked it because it was both funny and dark, others disliked it because it was boring... I'm indifferent. I think the idea is interesting but the characters weren't developed as well as they could and their actions, in the end, feel like a big tantrum getting out of hand. The end is suitable, yes.

Grade: 5/10

The Salamander by Morris West

In this book, we follow Dante Mattuci, an Italian police officer during the 70s, as he investigates the death of an important man. While he tries to solve the mystery of a murder which was announced as suicide, the policeman will find more and more prove of intrigue and of plans to make changes that will affect the whole country. Will officer Mattuci be able to present his evidence quickly enough before more people die or, even worse, himself?

This did feel as if I were reading one of those old novels about police investigation where everything is shady, problematic, inferred... sometimes I was left a little confused why the author would jump from one situation to another without much segment... I suppose it's just the style of the time. The truth, though, is that while this was interesting enough to follow, it wasn't so addictive that I couldn't put it down. Again, the character's development was only suggested by little details and the solution of the mystery wasn't as surprising as it could have been. It was just worth the experience for me.

Grade: 5/10

I also started to read another book lent by the same person, one by a Portuguese author which is well recognized by his peers on the literary world, although not as easy to be liked by all readers in general. I'm afraid I joined those, because the writing style was not appealing at all. I dnf'd but perhaps one day, probably several years in the future I might try again with a different perspective.