I haven’t read all that much in the last couple of months, partly owing to health reasons and partly because we’ve been away, so I am clubbing February and March together.
Gwendy’s Magic Feather, Richard Chizmar
In this, the second
instalment in the Button Box trilogy, not a lot happens, though Gwendy’s
certainly dragged through the mill emotionally. As a middle novel, this
works well enough, although the tension in this one has a different
feel to the first. On to the third.
Gwendy’s Final Task, Stephen King and Richard Chizmar
The most
surprising detail about this book was the setting, and despite initial
reservations as to the choice, I happily put belief aside and enjoyed
the ride into space. Given the difficult task of saving the universe,
Gwendy has to come up against a new adversary, this time her declining
mental health. Highly imaginative, with timely references to what’s
happening in the world now, and to King’s other works, this book was the
best of the trilogy. I loved following Gwendy’s adventures with the
Button Box throughout her life to a conclusion that requires a tissue or
two, but I found the outcome wholly satisfying and the trilogy well
worth the read. This also proves what I’ve always said, King is a
storyteller capable of working in more than one genre, so if you’re
expecting to be scared the only horror here has more basis in reality
than in a horror novelist’s mind.
Velocity, Dean Koontz
A reread for me as enjoyable this time as
the first. An easy thriller to get into and with a steadily increasing
pace with a satisfying plot and conclusion. Having said that, the ending
felt a little abrupt, even though I enjoyed it, mainly to the long
buildup. That’s not a reason to avoid it. The pages easily turn and
nothing about the story feels weak. Nothing is missing or overlooked.
Neither is the story padded at all. An excellent idea perfectly written
with a well-picked title. Once the initial hook grabs the reader, the
book picks up speed in well-thought-out degrees. Enjoyable.
The Moon’s a Balloon (audio), David Niven (read by author)
This is an excellent insight detailing how Niven became an actor, and a nostalgic history lesson. The book carries the same charm as the author, but also shows a man who was as human as the rest of us, softening the clean-cut image of Niven and men of that time. I was surprised, bordering on shocked, at how fast he seemed to fall in love, and the swiftness with which he remarried after his first wife died, a situation I found peculiar, leaving me to question whether it was a sign of the times, or a gut reaction somewhat motivated by grief. There are some motivations it’s hard to pin down, and having loved Niven’s film work for so long, I had to accept I simply can’t possibly know. This is an enjoyable, witty and charming account of a young man finding his place in the world, though not as in-depth as some might wish.
