Location: Australia
Member Since:
Feb. 09, 2013
Eddie Blatt
Where to find Eddie Blatt online
Smashwords book reviews by Eddie Blatt
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Bangkok Bob and The Missing Mormon
on March 02, 2013
This story of a former New Orleans cop moonlighting in Bangkok as a private investigator for friends and acquaintances, has some enjoyable intrigue as well as genuinely funny moments. The dialogue is sharp, although repetitive at times. Where the book really falls short of the mark, however, are its lack of plot complexity, minimal suspense and not-quite believable characters. The character of Bangkok Bob, for example, would have been better served if he was single, not married, (thus introducing some much-needed sexual tension), and his ability to "speak perfect Thai" (ie, without even an accent) is simply not believable. I enjoyed the book anyway because I've spent time in Thailand, and can vividly picture the scenes. Incidentally, Stephen Leather's earlier book on Bangkok bargirls and the foolish western foreigners who fall in love with them - titled "Private Dancer" - is a must-read for anyone venturing into that world! On the back of that book, I was hoping this one would be better than it was.
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Jed McKenna's Theory of Everything: The Enlightened Perspective
on April 22, 2013
With his original trilogy of books, beginning with “Enlightenment The Damnedest Thing”, Jed McKenna’s impact on me has been profound. The clarity, the humour, the skilful writing, has all made his communication all the more profound. But with “The Theory of Everything”, it’s all turned pear-shape. Yes, the humour is still there, and yes, there is an occasional glimpse of profundity (especially Jed's critique of science), but the writing is now inconsistent and repetitive. As well as verbose and convoluted. Apart from a few highlights worth reading and reflecting upon, the rest is tedious and overblown. A shame, methinks Jed should have let the writing go after completing the trilogy – there really was nothing more to say.