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| Billy on Books or Words on Words |
| The Stand(King)- Another book I couldn't finish, and evidence of how important editing is. This modern "pop-classic" is awful as it constantly insults the reader's intellect, making me wonder what self loving reader would endure its 900-plus pages. King's "Nightmares and Dreamscapes," a collection of his short stories, is a book I would recommend. "The Stand," however, is a big(literally, considering its length) dissappointment. |
| On the Road(Keroac)-An American classic, right? The book that woke America's counter-culture, right? Maybe so, but I got two-thirds of the way throught this book before I quit. The opening pages of "On the Road" promise quite the adventure, but the book is really just full of a lot of meaningless stuff experienced by pre-hippies. I was completely bored. Maybe I just didn't "get" what the bohemian slackers who inhabit the book are "all about." For that, perhaps, I should be grateful. |
| Angela's Ashes(McCourt)-Upon finishing "Angela's Ahses" you have the feeling that you're damn glad you read it, and that the constant mention of how poor, Catholic, and Irish everything was during McCourt's youth was worth it. McCourt is successful at telling his story from a child's perspective and his characters are given life effortlessly. The book is witty and dense, and falters only in the overstatement of Ireland's poverty and Catholicism. |
| This Side of Paradise(Fitzgerald)-'Paradise was Fitzgerald's first novel, published when he was 23, and, like all Fitzgeralds, is eloquently written. The autobiographical novel follows young Amory Blaine from prep school in Minnesota to Princeton and beyond. Most readers won't relate to Amory, since he is a clever, rich, good looking, ivy league type whom everyone seems to like. In fact the lead character of Fitzgerald's book is really not that interesting at all. It is Fitzgerald's own prose that is the real feature of the novel. |
| Farenheit 451(Bradbury)-Ray Bradbury can match any writer in eloquence and mastery of his language. His ideas are interesting and clever. He exercises both these traits in "Farenheit 451," yet fails to write a completely captivating story. While the major themes of the book, censorship and political correctness, are valid(both in the 1950's when the book was written, and today) the story, too often, is abstract and difficult to understand. The plot, also, could have been crafted better. I respect Bradbury's talent(and recommend "The Martian Chronicles" and his short stories), but didn't feel, upon finishing Farenheit,' that I had read a bona fide classic. |
| The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them. -Mark Twain |
| Hollywood 101: The Film Industy(Levy)- This is the best of the several "How to Make it in Hollywood" books that I read before taking the plunge into the 'biz.' One of the most useful aspects of the books is Levy's repeated reminder that anyone can 'make it' in Hollywood with the proper motivation. The book is written clearly, with many anecdotes and much advice from established industry professionals. The book's chapter by chapter layout is logical and comprehensible, as well. Highly recommended for Hollywood wannabees. |
| The Celestine Prophesy(Redfield)- That "The Celestine Prophecy" was a mega-bestseller says little about '90's readers. The book is a novel written to express Redfield's new age philosophy(would Darwin write "The Origin of Species" as a 'choose-your-own-adventure?), ideas which should have been documented in a non-fiction text instead. The characters are dull, the dialogue is laughable, and the plot is ridiculous. Very dissappointing, considering the hype. |
| Johnny Got His Gun(Trumbo)- Blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo's terrific and terrifying novel of a young soldier left with nothing but consciousness after being injured in battle. Only a great writer could produce an effective novel that takes place entirely within a single character's psyche. The novel is haunting, crisply written, and at times, gruesome. Descriptions are so detailed and appropriately used that the reader has no trouble imagining the situation, a twisted and frightening one, to be sure. The novel is not completely grim, as just enough humor and philosophy are sewn into the story to keep it from being a nightmare alltogether. The book's stance is, ultimately, anti-war, and is convincing. "Johnny Got His Gun" is less widely read than worse books, and should be encouraged to those readers who can bear its content. |
| The Movie Guide(Monaco-Editor)- The Movie Guide, put together by the editors of Baseline magazine, is the best film guide I've discovered, as yet. It concerns itself only with the most important films(sadly excluding all silent films, though) and offers star ratings( from one to five) and substantial testimonials for each movie. The writing is well reasoned in it's explanation of the good and bad aspects of each film entered and the ratings given are, for the most part, appropriate(a few exceptions, like the relatively low rating of Kubrick's "Barry Lyndon," do exist). You won't find "Deep Rising" in The Movie Guide, but for classic film buffs, it's a better alternative to most all inclusive film guides. |
| The O'Reilly Factor(O'Reilly)- I'm glad Bill O'Reilly's "The O'Reilly Factor" exists, for it's proof that anyone can publish a book. O'Reilly is the latest in-your-face media personality to put his ramblings in print, and, oh, what a waste of paper it is. There is little that is original or profound in the book, and O'Reilly's swollen ego is everywhere as a futile distraction from the shortcomings of the text. O'Reilly wants to show us everything that is wrong with America, yet, ironically, is blind to the abundance of celebrities with big money book deals and nothing much to say. At the end of "The O'Reilly Factor" O'Reilly lists what is "Good" and "Bad" in America. Michael Jordan is "Good." SUV's are "Bad." O'Reilly's book is just an inflated version of so many amatuer websites. Wait a minute...you mean I can get paid for this. |
| Power to Burn(Singular)- Stephen Singular's "Power to Burn" is a prudently sharp account of the career of Hollywood super-agent and businessman Michael Ovitz. The book's focus is on Ovitz' legendary rise from the William Morris Agency mailroom to co-founder of Creative Artists Agency to his brief positon as president of the Walt Disney Company. "Power to Burn" was assembled mostly by interviewing those that know Ovitz(and that had the courage to give testimony) and offers remarkable insight into Ovitz' business persona and negotiating methods. Love him or hate him, Ovitz is proven a worthy subject in "Power to Burn," as his incomparable ambition, determination, and ability to exploint opportunities is documented in detail. Singular's book is written clearly and should offer little trouble to most readers, regardless of business or 'Hollywood' knowledge. |