|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
my rating |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0671783432
| 9780671783433
| 0671783432
| 4.09
| 323
| 1973
| 1973
|
really liked it
|
I'm having trouble deciding on a couple of shelves for this book. Firstly, I'm not sure if this counts as a novelization and if I should consider it s
I'm having trouble deciding on a couple of shelves for this book. Firstly, I'm not sure if this counts as a novelization and if I should consider it such. I'm going to go with "no," but I could be wrong. The made-for-TV movie Kolchak: The Night Stalker was released first and the novel followed, but the novel was written before the movie was made. Rice was having trouble getting it published, but some agent read it, thought it'd make a great movie, and so they went that route. The novel wasn't published until after the sequel movie, Kolchak: The Night Strangler, was released because the powers that be wanted both books to be in the one and two spots for the publisher's list in 1974. The novel for Kolchak: The Night Strangler is definitely a novelization because Rice wrote it based on the screenplay for the movie, pretty much the reverse of this one. But this? I don't know. What are the rules for a movie that comes out based on an unpublished novel but the novel comes out later? Next is the "liked movie better" shelf. The story is the same in both the book and the movie with minimal changes, so I can't use my "they're a little too dissimilar" cop-out. The book is grittier, has a bit of profanity which is well placed and doesn't shy away from some seedier aspects of life in Las Vegas. Since the movie was a made-for-TV deal in the early '70's, it had to tone down a lot of that. However, Darren McGavin stars as Kolchak, and he makes that thing work, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. His interactions with his editor, the police, and just about anybody is a treat to watch. The character of Kolchak is great in the book, but if I had read it first, I don't think I would've seen the extra dimension McGavin brought to the role. As it is, I saw him playing out his part in my head in spite of the fact that the narrator didn't sound anything like him. This is a very tough call, but after looking at this paragraph, I think I'll say I liked the movie better... for now. The decision would be easier if the movie was just a bit grittier like the book. However, one shelf decision that's easy-peasy is the "dead dog warning" one. Said shelf exists because a friend who is a huge dog lover hates seeing dead or injured dogs in her books, so I do this for her benefit. I'm not sure why I continue since she hasn't been on this site for four years as of this month (12/23), but since the shelf is there I reckon I'll keep it updated. However, my friend should never, ever read this book. There are more dead dogs in this thing than any other book I've ever read if you're talking sheer numbers, and a couple of them die rather horribly. You have been warned. This story concerns a vampire in modern day... well, modern when it was written... Las Vegas. Kolchak is a newspaper reporter who is able to believe the unbelievable. This comes in handy when the unbelievable turns out to be true. In fact, Kolchak is the only person in this with a lick of common sense, and almost everyone else is infuriating. I don't believe that vampires exist myself, but if I saw a supposed 70-year-old man clean the clocks of the entire police force, take about 30 bullets without batting an eye, and escape cars and helicopters at a flat-out sprint without getting winded, it would behoove me to consider that maybe, just maybe, we're not dealing with a regular man here. So, why not try the anti-vampire techniques? You know, just give them a shot and see what happens since nothing else has worked so far. If they don't work either, what's been lost? The powers that be don't see it that way, and Kolchak has to deal with that knowing that he's been right the whole time. It really pisses me off, but being so tied up in it is the sign of a good story. And the ending enrages me to the point that I thought my head would explode, but I won't go into all that. I wonder what kind of vampire Skorzeny is. Father Callahan from Salem's Lot and the Dark Tower Series identifies three different types. Type ones are the big, bad dudes like Dracula who live for centuries, can do mind control, shape shift, are super strong, super intelligent, wily, etc. Type twos are strong, can make other vampires with a bite, but aren't all that bright, can't do the other supernatural shit, and don't tend to live very long. Type threes are mostly human, can move in sunlight, eat food, etc. They drink blood and can put their victims in a trance while they're sucking on them so the victim doesn't remember being bitten, but that's about it. They can also die from more ordinary means and aren't injured by crosses and holy water. Skorzeny must be something between a one and a two because he's strong, and has type one and two weaknesses, though I don't remember him making any new vampires in the book. However, he's much smarter than twos, but doesn't seem to have the mind control and shape shifting abilities of ones. Does that make him a 2.5? Or maybe a 1.5? How about a one minus or a two plus? I don't know. Does anyone really care? I don't know that either. Regardless, this was a great book. Finding an affordable physical copy is impossible, so I had to go with the audiobook. The narrator did a great job. He didn't sound anything like Darren McGavin, but that's fine. Check it out. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Nov 30, 2023
|
Dec 05, 2023
|
Nov 29, 2023
|
Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
| B0075ZFCYW
| 3.96
| 199
| Jan 01, 1974
| Jan 31, 2012
|
really liked it
|
Well, this is just bizarre. The first book isn't a novelization, but I liked the movie better. This one is definitely a novelization, yet I liked the
Well, this is just bizarre. The first book isn't a novelization, but I liked the movie better. This one is definitely a novelization, yet I liked the book better... [image] Novelizations aren't allowed to be better than the movie. Isn't that like illegal or something? Parts of this were seedier and darker than the film version, and the villain was definitely a bad dude, no question about it, and the story is much better because of it. In the movie, he's doing his dastardly deeds with the betterment of human society as his main goal. In the book, he just wants to keep on living and he doesn't really care about the damage he does or how it affects other people. He uses the "this will make mankind better" as an excuse, but that's all it is. I really appreciated that twist, and I'm not sure why the producers didn't roll it out that way. There was also a lot of extra history provided that enriched the tale. Kolchak is still a fantastic character, and watching him butt heads with every-damn-body is a lot of fun. It's a shame everyone he has to work with is hard-headed as hell. I really don't have a lot to add that I didn't say in my review of the first book. I guess that makes this one of the shortest reviews I've done in recent memory, and we all say hallelujah. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Dec 11, 2023
|
Dec 18, 2023
|
Nov 29, 2023
|
Kindle Edition
| ||||||||||||||||
| 1904633684
| 9781904633686
| 1904633684
| 4.13
| 27,954
| Jun 16, 1927
| 2004
|
liked it
|
**Part of my Murder by Death project (but just barely) explained here where I try to determine whether or not a book is fair by giving the reader enou
**Part of my Murder by Death project (but just barely) explained here where I try to determine whether or not a book is fair by giving the reader enough clues to solve the mystery himself before the big reveal. Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson show up in a deleted scene at the end of the movie.** This is definitely the weakest of the collections, and you could tell that at this point Doyle was just phoning it in for a paycheck. That doesn't mean they were bad, but we're ending on a low note here. Sad day. Still, even though the quality of the mysteries or stories had diminished, the quality of the writing is still top notch, so there's that. As with the other collections, I'll leave just a blurb about each story which might not even be a review; just stuff that was on my mind as I went through the tale. However, there is one bonus where I tell a personal story, but don't get too excited; I promise it's not worth the wait. I just wanted to talk about me. (I know. Novelty night, right?) There are a few spoilers in this review, but I'm not putting them under spoiler tags because I feel like being lazy about that in this instance. The Adventure of the Illustrious Client: ★★★✰✰ No real mystery here. Holmes tries to find a way to break up an engagement that will end up as a really bad marriage. And we get the origin of Two-Face! Well, if Two-Face had started out as a bad guy before his mishap. Dent didn't deserve his disfigurement. The dude in here definitely had it coming. The Adventure of the Blanched Soldier: ★★★✰✰ This story is one of two narrated by Holmes instead of Watson. He complains about Watson's style, but I'm afraid Watson does it better. He also mentions he keeps Watson around because Watson is stupid. (That's actually laying it on a little thick, but that's what it amounted to.) As for the case, Holmes solves it rather quickly. It reminded me of part of a John Valby song sung to the tune of the Beatles' "Yesterday." Sing it with me. Leprosy.Thank you, I'll be here all night. The Adventure of the Mazarin Stone: ★★★✰✰ (2.5 rounded up to three) Another story told in third person, and those just aren't as fun as the ones Watson narrates. Holmes ups his insufferableness in this one, and he's about as irritating as Poirot. And though he solved the case, I don't think he should be congratulating himself too much because he was up against the 1920s equivalent of these guys: [image] Seriously, the crooks in this story are pretty stupid. They may have been good at getting the diamond, but to fall for Holmes' ruse, and just... Never mind. The Adventure of the Three Gables: ★★★★✰ Three gables? Big deal. Nathaniel Hawthorne had seven. Holmes seems to have a chip on his shoulder in this because he's snarky as hell with everyone, but that's what makes this entertaining. There isn't much to the case itself compared to the others, so the characters, especially Holmes, have to carry the story. However, his barbs at the black man are particularly cutting, especially by today's standards. Actually, he'd be doxed, canceled, and whatever else people do nowadays for even the slightest bit of racism, and believe you me, there was nothing slight about it in this. I will confess that I laughed at them because, mean as they were, the retorts were rather witty. I was also laughing at the idea of trying to get this stuff past a publisher today... Not a snowball's chance in hell. The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire: ★★★✰✰ Holmes figures this out before he even leaves his house, but goes anyway just to collect the evidence to prove it. No real vampires here, just a bad, bad boy who needs a spanking, and maybe to be incarcerated for a few years. Also, this whole thing would've been no mystery at all if the wife had just said what was going on, but the silly woman wouldn't say anything so as to spare her husband's feelings? Never mind that his baby could die as a result of it; that wouldn't hurt his feelings at all. Twit. The Adventure of the Three Garridebs: ★★★✰✰ I'm starting to feel like I'm watching Hogan's Heroes where they pull one of their half dozen plots out of a hat, then make an episode around it. This is another "get this dude out of the way so I can burgle his house while he's gone" dealio. However, Watson also gets shot, and we see concern from Holmes which almost makes him human. Fear not, though; twas merely a flesh wound. The Problem of Thor Bridge: ★★★★✰ This was refreshing, but I don't know if it was refreshing because it was actually good, or if it was because Doyle was getting back to form. A real mystery. An investigation. Clues to follow-up. A case with something that hasn't been done before in the stories. I'm claiming this was actually good. Not that the others in this particular collection were bad, but some were definitely stale. The Adventure of the Creeping Man: ★★★✰✰ This would've been a four star story, but the ending dropped it. I think that's the first time that's happened for a Holmes tale. Sometimes they start off a little weak, but the ending kicks it up a notch. Normally my rating is steady throughout the story. But this went the other way, mostly because it steps out from being Holmesian and strays towards sci-fi... Mad scientist turns man into lame Thudercats villain from Plun-Darr? [image] OO-OO-AAA-AAA-AAA! PLEASE! The Adventure of the Lion's Mane: ★★★★★ This story isn't worth five stars. In fact, it's kind of lame, and I should give it two or three stars were I inclined to be objective, but I'm not. My rating is personal because it reminds me of a personal experience I'll explain momentarily. It wasn't a good experience; in fact it still ranks as one of the top five worst experiences of my life, but I like the story, and there we are. A man at the beach is found with certain injuries at the beginning of this tale, and they leave everyone confused except me because I had those same injuries once, and so did a couple of friends of mine. There are red herrings galore, but they didn't fool me due to said experience. For dog lovers: this is the story that gets this collection onto my "dead dog warning" shelf. And I must wonder what it is about people in these stories and their dying words. If you're bit by a snake, just say so. Don't cry out "It was the speckled band!" Don't nobody know what the hell you're talking about when you spit that shit out. If you're hit by a jellyfish, don't hobble up the road and gasp out "The Lion's Mane!" before keeling over dead. Help a brother out, and tell them you got stung by a jellyfish so everybody doesn't go galloping off to try to find a murderer. Are poorly chosen last words a British thing? And, yes, this one-ups the "butler did it" trope because the jellyfish did it. Anyway, bonus story time. [image] It is required of every 12-year-old boy that he should make a public spectacle of himself by having a sobbing jag in front of a crowd at least once in his life. If he chooses not to do so on the little league field by not playing little league at all, then he is condemned to do so at another time of God's choosing. Such was my hapless destiny. Picture it: Myrtle beach, August, 1991. I'm just chilling in the ocean with my friends, waiting to catch a wave with my boogie board. We knew there had been jellyfish about because one of my friends had gotten stung earlier that morning, though it was just a small spot on his arm that didn't bother him too much anymore. A wave not quite worthy of a ride slaps into me, and I suddenly light up in pain from my chest down to my ankles. I give a howl, then treat my bewildered friends to a sight they had never seen before, and likely haven't seen since, when I pop straight up out of the ocean, do the Scooby-Doo shuffle on top of the water for a full five seconds without gaining any traction, then suddenly zip to the shore with my boogie board trailing behind me like a kite. If any spectator had blinked, he could be excused for believing I had simply transported myself from one place to the other without bothering with the intervening space. Jesus may have walked on the water, but I ran on it, jack! A friend's mother was sunbathing on the beach when this occurred, and using deductive powers worthy of Sherlock Holmes, she inferred something was amiss. She ran over to see what was the matter, saw the weals already starting to form on the front of my body (not to mention a broken off tentacle that was stuck to my calf), and deduced a jellyfish had gotten me. She used the boogie board strap to get the tentacle off my leg (I had a scar there for years), and told me to rub sand on the wounds which would help the sting. This remedy, of course, is bullshit, but it does keep the patient occupied and can help dislodge any stingers that might still be stuck in the skin, and that's a step in the right direction. Everyone within earshot of my howling and yowling turned to look or even meandered over to see what all the ruckus was about. Some were disappointed that I hadn't been bitten in half by a shark which they were expecting based on all the fuss I was making, but they were ignorant of the pain associated with such a sting. Others who had experienced it themselves seemed more understanding and began offering suggestions. One was to get back in the water because salt water can help also... Get back in the water with those murderous monsters? As if! My friends momentarily joined us, for while any one of them could beat me in a foot race at any other time, I would've flat-footed past Carl Lewis on that day, and it took a while for them to catch up. One of them ran for the lifeguard to see if he had any meat tenderizer. He didn't. I was walked back to our motel across Ocean Boulevard, blubbering all the while, and I kept right on blubbering for several minutes which attracted the attention of my family, and all the dozens of other families we saw there every year. Daddy eventually snapped at me to hush that fuss because it couldn't possibly be that bad, but he saw how much attention I was getting from the girls, and figured I must've known what I was doing. Such was my father's priorities. I can assure you attention from anybody was the furthest thing from my mind, and I secretly wished I were dead because I was in agony. Later I wished I were dead because I had shown myself to be such a wimp, but nobody gave me a hard time over it. I mean, a full body massage from a jellyfish ain't nothing to sneeze at. I'd like to see how much equanimity you'd display in that situation! I spent the rest of that day at the motel in the pool or Jacuzzi (hot water actually seemed to help), and was back in the ocean the next morning. Most of us would get minor stings here and there in the ensuing years, and while mine was the worst case in our group for a while (this eventually became a point of pride), a couple years later I discovered that I had actually got off kind of easy. The marks on my body faded over the course of several days except that one spot on my leg, but another friend who got stung a couple of years later looked like someone had laid a cat 'o nine tails across her thigh, and those marks didn't disappear until years later. She was a blubbering mess too, and even though the lifeguard was able to find tenderizer for her (it's amazing what one can find when the person in trouble is an attractive woman), she still needed to take a trip to the doc in the box. At least it wasn't the hospital which is where a couple of people on the beach ended up that day. The point of all this? Even though that experience is three decades in my rearview mirror, I'm unlikely to forget what a jellyfish sting looks like even when it's described in a story, and I know the really nasty ones can kill people. I'm surprised Holmes didn't also know that. The Adventure of the Veiled Lodger: ★★★✰✰ What was this? It wasn't really a Holmes story. Holmes pretty much hears a confession, and doesn't do any detecting at all. It's a good story; it's just not Holmesian. Reminder: if your plan for murder involves a lion, be prepared for things to go drastically wrong. Hell, if your plans involve a lion at all, be prepared for things to go drastically wrong. Just ask Siegfried and Roy! (I know that was a tiger, but it comes to the same thing.) The Adventure of Shoscombe Old Place: ★★★✰✰ Ooh, a crypt case. I suppose it was fun, but still nothing to write home about when pit against the rest of the canon. You can tell he's just getting tired of these, and I'm afraid the reader is too. Still, there was an amusing line due to how the meaning of words has altered over time. Watson describes Norberton as being "so far down Queer Street that he may never find his way back again." (This supposedly meant that he owed some creditors a lot of money back in the day.) Then Norberton's employee tells us "Well, sir, when a man does one queer thing, or two queer things, there may be a meaning to it, but when everything he does is queer, then you begin to wonder." One does wonder indeed, especially when you consider he lives with his sister and has never married. Oh, the fun you can have with words and definitions. The Adventure of the Retired Colourman: ★★★✰✰ Some of the most intelligent criminals are also the dumbest. Seriously, this guy would've gotten away with murdering his wife and her lover if he'd just done the deed and left it at that. But no, he was so impressed with himself that he hired Sherlock Holmes to look into the matter. Dude, if you're doing such for the sake of appearances, engage the services of Inspector Clouseau or something, not the greatest detective of your era. Sheesh! Are these fair? Once again, some might be, but most aren't, and the question is non-applicable for a couple of them. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Dec 02, 2021
|
Dec 10, 2021
|
Sep 21, 2021
|
Hardcover
| ||||||||||||||
| 0755334434
| 9780755334438
| 0755334434
| 4.27
| 89,052
| unknown
| Dec 18, 2006
|
really liked it
|
**Part of my Murder by Death project (but just barely) explained here where I try to determine whether or not a book is fair by giving the reader enou
**Part of my Murder by Death project (but just barely) explained here where I try to determine whether or not a book is fair by giving the reader enough clues to solve the mystery himself before the big reveal. Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson show up in a deleted scene at the end of the movie.** Not really a review of every story, but just a blurb about whatever crossed my mind while I was reading it. Doyle was getting tired of writing about Holmes when he was doing these stories, and it kind of shows in a couple of them. Still, Holmes was his bread and butter, and the public demanded more stories, so here we are. The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge: ★★★✰✰ A rare case where the cops get it before Sherlock, or at least at the same time, though they went about it a different way. They also put out something meant to deceive everyone, and Holmes failed to see through it. I guess it would be easy to do since he's so arrogant and expects the popo to screw it up which is what he thought they were doing. Granted, he's been given ample reason to continuously draw that conclusion. The Adventure of the Red Circle: ★★★✰✰ (2.5 rounded up) Another "someone is after someone else for vengeance and one of them end up dead" story. Holmes follows one thread only to find Scotland Yard has followed another and ended up in the same place. Holmes doesn't do as much detecting to get where he's going in this one. It's pretty much "someone is suspicious of someone else, let's go watch the place and see what happens." Then they see what happens. The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans: ★★★★★ There are minor influences from this in the Game of Shadows movie. Mycroft puts in an appearance and great matters of state are at stake. Someone tries to steal the plans for a top-secret submarine. This almost feels like it ventures into James Bond territory, but not quite. The Adventure of the Dying Detective: ★★★★✰ Holmes at his most dickish, using Watson that way all because Watson sucks at dissimulation. However, as always, Watson doesn't seem to mind being a tool. (view spoiler)[The 19th century equivalent of Dr. Bruce Ivins sends Holmes a nastygram, and Holmes tricks him into a confession after the fact. (hide spoiler)] In this story, Holmes knows the solution all along, and we just watch him try to make the bad guy fess up to it, so there isn't a mystery for him; just the reader, and of course, poor Watson. The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax: ★★★★✰ Watson takes the lead on this for the first part, going abroad to find clues while Holmes has to take care of something in London. Holmes meets him eventually to tell him how badly he's been botching everything. "'A singularly consistent investigation you have made, my dear Watson,' said he. 'I cannot at the moment recall any possible blunder which you have omitted. The total effect of your proceeding has been to give the alarm everywhere and yet to discover nothing.'" Holmes fares much better than Watson, of course, but even he ends up with a little egg on his face in this one before it's over since (view spoiler)[the bad guy gets away. But it's a Batman kind of thing. Holmes and Watson are stuck with the choice of either saving a victim's life or nabbing the baddie. Obviously, they take the high road. (hide spoiler)] The Adventure of the Devil's Foot: ★★★★✰ Such was the fate of Tom Riddle's family in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, if I recall correctly. Holmes has to deal with the scarecrow, more or less, or maybe Cornelius Stirk, both from Batman fame. And once again Holmes is supposed to be on vacation out in the country, recovering from exhaustion brought on by overwork, but he can't seem to make himself rest when a case is thrown his way. His Last Bow: The War Service of Sherlock Holmes: ★★★★✰ (3.5 rounded up) This one was odd in a few ways. It's another one of the few where there isn't really a mystery, but just showing Holmes doing some things. This time he's an agent for Britain gathering intelligence from a German spy on the eve of World War I, and this shows him at his moment of triumph when he reveals his deception and turns the baddie over to the authorities. (I guess that's a spoiler, but really, Andrea Bocelli could see this coming from 80 miles away, so I'm not posting a spoiler tag.) It's not narrated by Watson, but is in third person narration. It was published in 1917, and is quite patriotic. I'm guessing it was intended to be a morale booster for the Brits. This is also the last Holmes story chronologically, though Doyle would put out one more collection of short stories. Are these fair? Another mixed bag, but mostly no. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Nov 10, 2021
|
Dec 02, 2021
|
Sep 21, 2021
|
Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
| 0192123173
| 9780192123176
| 0192123173
| 4.28
| 66,119
| 1905
| Oct 28, 1993
|
really liked it
|
**Part of my Murder by Death project (but just barely) explained here where I try to determine whether or not a book is fair by giving the reader enou
**Part of my Murder by Death project (but just barely) explained here where I try to determine whether or not a book is fair by giving the reader enough clues to solve the mystery himself before the big reveal. Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson show up in a deleted scene at the end of the movie.** This verse, same as the first. A short blurb per story is the intention, but no promises. "The Adventure of the Empty House": ★★★✰✰ This is mostly a story about how Holmes survived his encounter at Reichenbach Falls in "The Final Problem" and tied up the loose ends so he could come back for more stories. A murder/mystery involving the loose end was tacked on to officially make this a Holmes tale, and now Doyle is free to resume where he left off. I think this might be the weakest story mysterywise in the canon so far, save for the aformentioned "Final Problem." Read this just to resolve the cliffhanger. Also, half a sentence in this let's us know Dr. Watson is now a widower, but this is Victorian/Edwardian England, so the details about... uhhh, what's her name's death isn't important. "The Adventure of the Norwood Builder": ★★★★✰ Holmes had to work for this one. He often has everything figured out from the git-go, and he felt he was right in this instance. All the evidence was working against him, but he was able to pull it off in the 11th hour. It's good to see him have a little bit of trouble, and the interactions with Lestrade were pretty fun. "The Adventure of the Dancing Men": ★★★★✰ [image] Nah, it wasn't quite that cool. The "dancing men" refers to a cipher. I don't consider that a spoiler since it's patently obvious, and it's also discovered early on. Here's a great quote: “What one man can invent another can discover.” Stephen King expresses the same sentiment in Mr. Mercedes when one character says "Any system created by the mind of man can be hacked by the mind of man," and that's always stuck with me. It reminds me that nothing, absolutely nothing, is foolproof. "The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist": ★★★✰✰ Nothing too exciting here. The best part was Holmes sending Watson away to collect evidence which he thinks he did very well only to have Holmes rake him across the coals for botching it when he gets home. Then Holmes goes himself but doesn't fare much better. One character tells Holmes to "put that in (his) pipe and smoke it," and I thought we'd found the origin of a popular phrase, but it turns out that had been in use for several decades by the time Doyle put it here. "The Adventure of the Priory School": ★★★★★ This has the best first paragraph of all the stories. It's also a fun mystery, though not all that solvable by the reader. The story as a whole is great as well, and it's Doyle's tenth favorite. "The Adventure of Black Peter": ★★★★✰ Ah, the good old days when death by hand-thrown harpoon was actually plausible. And poor Hopkins. So proud of his theory only to have Holmes poke a myriad of holes in it in an instant and leave him standing there with his teeth hanging out. "The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton": ★★★★★ Holmes and Watson try their hand at crime... at least in the eyes of the law. But will that eye ever observe them? Milverton is a blackmailer at the top of his profession, and here's how Holmes feels about him: "Do you feel a creeping, shrinking sensation, Watson, when you stand before the serpents in the Zoo, and see the slithery, gliding, venomous creatures, with their deadly eyes and wicked, flattened faces? Well, that’s how Milverton impresses me. I’ve had to do with fifty murderers in my career, but the worst of them never gave me the repulsion which I have for this fellow." This is one of the rare cases where Holmes has an emotional reaction to, well, anybody, and heaven help the person at whom he's upset. "The Adventure of the Six Napoleons": ★★★★✰ (3.5 rounded up to four) I'm afraid I saw this coming from the onset even though half the characters were barking up the wrong tree. It shares a twist found in "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle," though I probably would've guessed the solution anyway. Fun quote: After letting a reporter know about a "wrong clue," and seeing something in the paper about it later (which suits Holmes endgame), Holmes observes "The Press, Watson, is a most valuable institution, if you only know how to use it." Anything that leaves the Press with egg on their face is A-OK with me, buncha lying... well, I don't need to go into that here. "The Adventure of the Three Students": ★★★★✰ Not all of Holmes' cases involve murder, theft, blackmail, etc. Some are about a simple matter of cheating on an exam, such as this one. Three stars for the story itself. A bonus star for reminding me that I haven't seen School Ties in a long time and need to watch it again, because... well, aside from being a good movie, the cast is easy on the eyes. "The Adventure of the Golden Pince-Nez": ★★★✰✰ Thought I had guessed this one (and a guess is exactly what it was), but I was wrong. I want a bookcase that swings open to reveal a hidden room or passageway. Everyone ought to have one. At one point when Holmes is inspecting the floor rather closely, I kept seeing Ace Venture in my head. [image] My sincerest apologies to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle for making such an association. "The Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter": ★★★✰✰ Not a lot of payoff on this one; I think Doyle was just phoning it in. We find that Holmes knows almost nothing of the professional/amateur sporting world. ESPN? What's that? This actually increases rather than detracts my respect for him. In the very first Holmes story he explains that he doesn't clutter his mind with anything that would impede his ability to solve a mystery. Here's the proof of it. But there's still a missing player to find, and find him he does. "The Adventure of the Abbey Grange": ★★★★✰ This one starts with Holmes griping about Watson's sensational treatment of his cases, and Watson finally snaps "Why do you not write them yourself?" Always a great way to begin. We also get the line "The game is afoot," which actually doesn't originate with Doyle, but with Shakespeare's King Henry IV Part I. (I've never read that; I just looked it up.) Sounds like everything starts with Shakespeare. As for the story, it was great, but not quite top tier. Murder, cover-up, crime of passion, justified vengeance, etc. "The Adventure of the Second Stain": ★★★★✰ Occasionally these stories will involve a coincidence instead of a crime, but this is a case where a crime and a coincidence merge, and it was enjoyable. The second stain was the linchpin that hooked them together. Before then, Holmes was at a loss because he didn't want to consider the coincidence as being coincidental. Are these fair? A couple of them are, but mostly no. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Oct 27, 2021
|
Nov 08, 2021
|
Sep 21, 2021
|
Hardcover
| ||||||||||||||
| 0192123092
| 9780192123091
| 4.30
| 99,311
| Dec 1893
| Oct 28, 1993
|
really liked it
|
**Part of my Murder by Death project (but just barely) explained here where I try to determine whether or not a book is fair by giving the reader enou
**Part of my Murder by Death project (but just barely) explained here where I try to determine whether or not a book is fair by giving the reader enough clues to solve the mystery himself before the big reveal. Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson show up in a deleted scene at the end of the movie.** Sames rules as stated in my Adventures of Sherlock Holmes review, which is that I intend to drop just a short blurb about each story instead of a proper review, but since I make this stuff up as I go along, there's really no telling what will happen. This is another four star collection though it's not quite as four starry as the previous collection.. A couple of the stories were great, but it seemed like he just phoned a few of them in, so you have a wide spread as far as quality goes. He was getting tired of writing about Holmes and (view spoiler)[even killed him off in the last story in this collection, but the public wasn't having it, so Doyle brought him back later, and (hide spoiler)] we all say thankya. "Silver Blaze": A racing horse goes missing and his trainer is found dead. This one might actually be solvable, though by someone more astute than I. I don't think that was the case in any of the stories that came before. At any rate, Holmes didn't pull out any surprise clues at the last moment; everything he pointed out in his wrap-up was there for us to see earlier, though I didn't come to the same conclusions as he. Maybe a mystery story aficionado could do better. "The Adventure of the Cardboard Box":* You'd think this would be about a cat or a two-year-old, because who else would know more about adventures involving a cardboard box, but noooooo. It's all about someone who was evidently inspired by Vincent Van Gogh when meting out punishment. *This story is included in this collection in British versions, but was put in His Last Bow in American versions. It was removed from all versions when it was first published due to being too controversial, but nobody really knows what the controversy was. (view spoiler)[Severed ears? Adultery? None of it makes a lot of sense since murder and bigamy are parts of other stories, but the crime is presented a little more brutally in this, so that could have something to do with it. Regardless, the reason is likely forever lost to time. (hide spoiler)] Regardless, it was restored about twenty years later. "The Yellow Face": People in 2021 who don't know their history (which sadly seems to be the vast majority) would be confused about this mystery, however it was incredibly forward thinking for 1893. I mean, by a lot. However, it was also incorrect. (view spoiler)[Marriage between black and white people was illegal in Georgia between just after Reconstruction and sometime after Civil Rights. Also, it would be extremely unlikely, though not impossible, for a black man in Atlanta to be wealthy in the later half of the nineteenth century. (hide spoiler)] "The Stockbroker's Clerk": I think Doyle was just trying to get a paycheck with this one. It's kind of a "Red-Headed League" wannabe, but it misses the mark. It's different enough that they're not the same story at all, but this is about as mediocre as it gets. It's never even been adapted to the screen (unless you count a 1922 silent film), so that should tell you something considering how many other stories have been given that treatment, many of them multiple times. "The 'Gloria Scott'": Holmes' very first case! Well, kind of. In it he deduces much, correctly, but doesn't really solve anything since a confession was written out. But it's through studying matters in this case and coming up with the correct answers that he decides to become a consulting detective. "The Musgrave Ritual": Mr. Dick isn't the only one who has to deal with Charles I showing up in his writing. Looks like Mr. Doyle had to deal with him as well, though at least he finished his story. "The Reigate Squires": Type A workaholism at its worst. Holmes is practically dead from wearing himself out on his last case. Watson takes him to the country to rest where Holmes, of course, takes on a case. This one was rather fun as we watch Holmes play everyone like a violin to get them to goof up. This makes him look stupid until everyone realizes they've been had. "The Crooked Man": Holmes never actually says "Elementary, my dear Watson," in any of Doyle's stories, but this is the one where he comes closest. After deducing something or another about Watson, Watson exclaims "Excellent!" Holmes replies "Elementary." This is also the story where I learned the word "meretricious" which has become a fave. Holmes is criticizing Watson's written accounts of their adventures when he says "...the effect of some of these little sketches of yours, which is entirely meretricious, depending as it does upon your retaining in your own hands some factors in the problem which are never imparted to the reader." So, I guess the fact that a lot of these stories are unsolvable can be laid at Watson's feet. As for this particular story, it wasn't one of my favorites. Holmes solves a few things, but gets the rest of it explained to him by someone who was involved. It was almost more of a story than a mystery, but not quite. "The Resident Patient": A fun murder mystery, again unsolvable by the reader as near as I can tell, but Holmes is in his element, and as big a jerk as ever with those who can't keep up with his deductions. This is one of the rare instances where he solves the case, but there's no comeuppance for the bad guys, at least not by the police, though they may have drowned on an ill-fated ship later. Even their accomplice gets away for lack of evidence. I guess you can't win them all even if you solve them all. "The Greek Interpreter": Maybe I shouldn't have said "rare" in the blurb above, for the baddies get away again! Holmes, buddy, you're slipping. Still an enjoyable story. Plus, we meet Holmes' brother Mycroft in this one. He's smarter than Sherlock, but also lazier, and is therefore less interesting, but I enjoy reading about him nonetheless. He's portrayed by Stephen Fry in the Guy Ritchie film, and if there was ever anyone born to play that role, it was he. Just compare him to the original illustration by Sidney Paget which was done in 1892, 65 years before Stephen was even born. [image] Is it just me, or is that one hell of a likeness? "The Naval Treaty": Red herrings out the wazoo on this one. [image] Yep. Right from the start I was likening one incident to a singular feature of the ellipse in the US Capitol where you can stand in one place and hear people whispering across the room if they're standing in a particular spot due to the acoustics. However, that didn't mean jack. Everyone assumes the crime was committed due to a lot of international planning and intrigue when it was actually just a schmuck opportunist looking to turn a buck being in the right place at the right time. Holmes even comments on it. "The principal difficulty in your case... lay in the fact of there being too much evidence. What was vital was overlaid and hidden by what was irrelevant. Of all the facts which were presented to us we had to pick just those which we deemed to be essential, and then piece them together in their order, so as to reconstruct this very remarkable chain of events." Still, this was a load of fun. "The Final Problem": This is more of a thriller than a mystery, albeit a tame one, and it's the one where Doyle (view spoiler)[gives Holmes the axe. (hide spoiler)] We also meet Professor Moriarty. From just this story you'd wonder what the big deal is about him since he plays such a prominent part in so many movies, TV shows, etc., but luckily he's featured in The Valley of Fear, and we get a better understanding of why he is so formidable... I think. I reckon I'll find out when I get to that one in my reread. Are these fair? Yes and no. A couple of these are solvable, but most of them are still Doyle showing us Holmes' brilliance... and arrogant assholery which is really why I read these things. He even got a little butt-hurt for a few seconds in "The Naval Treaty." Holmes asks Watson to accompany him to somewhere or another. “My practice—” I began.Love it. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
2
|
Oct 14, 2021
May 25, 2011
|
Oct 21, 2021
Jun 07, 2011
|
Sep 21, 2021
|
Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 4.30
| 262,807
| 1892
| Oct 22, 1998
|
really liked it
|
**Part of my Murder by Death project (but just barely) explained here where I try to determine whether or not a book is fair by giving the reader enou
**Part of my Murder by Death project (but just barely) explained here where I try to determine whether or not a book is fair by giving the reader enough clues to solve the mystery himself before the big reveal. Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson show up in a deleted scene at the end of the movie.** I made a resolution to not review every story in the Holmes canon because that would be madness, and I have a day job, and several other things I need to take care of, but I will throw a couple of random thoughts in here for each as I go through them. The plan is to keep them to just a couple of sentences at most. We'll see how this plays out. "A Scandal in Bohemia": The one that gets it all started... and Holmes' adversary gets the better of him even if he does figure everything out. "The Red-Headed League": First Holmes story I ever read. Sixth grade reading class. And am I the only one who thought about Short Circuit 2 and the Three Stooges short "Cash and Carry" after reading this? Probably. "A Case of Identity": An elementary case for Holmes, but sometimes life just isn't fair. (view spoiler)[Man disguises himself, woos his near-sighted stepdaughter as another man, extracts a promise from her that she'll wait for him no matter what, then jilts her so she'll keep living at home and he'll have use of her stipend. (hide spoiler)] And the asshat can't even be charged with anything since he technically committed no crime. "The Boscombe Valley Mystery": A touch of Down Under Romeo and Juliet in reverse with a twist? I don't know. It was a good story, though. I like how Holmes (view spoiler)[let the murderer off since he felt it was a justifiable homicide (hide spoiler)]. "The Five Orange Pips": This concerns the KKK. It was written just 20 or so years after the first one formed and expired and before the second KKK showed up. It's weird that the KKK wasn't as well known then as it is today, even in Britain, and it's strange seeing it treated as a done deal. This also has one of my favorite scenes so far. Dude tells Holmes about some people harassing him, and Holmes tells him how to placate them. He sets out to do it immediately, yet (view spoiler)[is murdered on the way home when said harassers ambush him. (hide spoiler)] After seeing the news in the paper the next morning, Holmes states "Watson, this hurts my pride!" "The Man with the Twisted Lip": It's okay. Ricky Ricardo couldn't recognize his wife in a fake mustache either. "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle": To hell with the goose that lays the golden egg, I want this one! "The Adventure of the Speckled Band": If I'm ever (view spoiler)[bitten by a spotted snake (hide spoiler)], I'm sure I would call it a speckled band too, and leave everyone confused as to what it was that killed me. Twit. This wouldn't have been a mystery at all if she had just said (view spoiler)["a snake got me!" (hide spoiler)] "The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb": I sure hope he didn't rely on hitchhiking to get around town. Maybe Pee Wee could help him out. [image] "The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor": I wonder if Doyle was himself jilted, for this is the second story in here concerning such. "The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet": I hope the coronet in this story looked better than this ugly thing. And I don't mean Prince Charles, (though I hope it looked better than him too). [image] I mean, it's topped with a gold plated ping-pong ball for Christ's sake. Trust me, beryls are better. "The Adventure of the Copper Beeches": [image] That cartoon really doesn't have much to do with the story, but it still didn't stop me from thinking about it. Are these fair? Not a chance. I did figure some of them out before the reveal, but that's only because I've seen similar plots in other stories, TV shows, movies, etc. These are over a hundred years old, after all. If I came to them fresh, innocent, and inexperienced, there's no way I could've found out what was going on before Holmes spelled it out for us. He's busy finding clues, and we know he's found some things, but the reader doesn't see what Holmes sees; just that he's seen something. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
2
|
Sep 17, 2021
Apr 14, 2011
|
Sep 29, 2021
Apr 30, 2011
|
Sep 21, 2021
|
Paperback
| |||||||||||||||||
| 9626344245
| 9789626344248
| 9626344245
| 3.96
| 49,519
| Feb 27, 1915
| Apr 30, 2007
|
really liked it
|
**Part of my Murder by Death project (but just barely) explained here where I try to determine whether or not a book is fair by giving the reader enou
**Part of my Murder by Death project (but just barely) explained here where I try to determine whether or not a book is fair by giving the reader enough clues to solve the mystery himself before the big reveal. Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson show up in a deleted scene at the end of the movie.** 4.5 stars rounded down to four. I was mistaken in my Hound of the Baskervilles review. Baskervilles is the better story and definitely has the better mystery. I think I liked Valley of Fear more the first time I read it because part of it takes place in America, and I liked the backstory in part two which seems to be the sticking point for a lot of other people. Even though I liked it, I think I might now be on team Baskerville, though it's really close. The first half of this is a locked room mystery which took a couple of twists and turns I didn't see coming. I saw the twist in the second half coming from a mile away, though. [image] It's clear that the narrator of the backstory is the culprit in the mystery since he flat out hands the thing over to Holmes and Watson. Moriarty is mentioned in this, and while I appreciate seeing him pop up, the whole thing could've been done without him. In short, this novella is structurally clunky, but I still liked it. It's a personal preference, but I understand why a lot of people disagree with me. Is this fair? I'm not sure. I think so. The mystery portion is set up Agatha Christie style, though AC does it better. It's a shame I was occasionally distracted while listening to this, so I can't say positively that it's fair, but I think you can figure it out with the clues that are dropped. Read it for yourself, and you be the judge. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
1
|
Nov 08, 2021
|
Nov 10, 2021
|
Aug 30, 2021
|
Audio CD
| ||||||||||||||
| 4.13
| 355,619
| Mar 25, 1902
| Jul 01, 2001
|
it was amazing
|
**Part of my Murder by Death project (but just barely) explained here where I try to determine whether or not a book is fair by giving the reader enou
**Part of my Murder by Death project (but just barely) explained here where I try to determine whether or not a book is fair by giving the reader enough clues to solve the mystery himself before the big reveal. Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson show up in a deleted scene at the end of the movie.** This is a great story even if it does have a couple of holes in it. It was published serially, and Doyle had to clean up a minor matter in the last segment, but he did it well. As much as I like it, I'm still not sure why it is considered the measuring mark for all Holmes tales. I personally preferred The Valley of Fear over this one when I first read all of them 10 years ago; I'll find out if it still holds up soon. There were also a couple of short stories I thought were better, but this is still great, worth a read, and worth the reread. Doyle likes to slip a bit of history in some of his tales, and he gives us a bit here about neolithic man and the ruins they left behind. It's just a few sentences mentioned in passing while Watson is touring the moor, but it helps bring the scenery to life in the readers mind. It's those small touches that make me appreciate Doyle's writing all the more. Holmes is absent for a good portion of this, but Watson is up to the task of carrying the story, and I appreciate Holmes' appearance even more when he finally does show up; he's easily the most entertaining character in all of these stories since he can be such a cockwagon. He's not too insufferable in this one, but still amusing. I'm not sure what it is, but I've always had a soft spot for England's moorlands and stories set there. I've never seen them, and have never been to England, but if I ever get over there I'm going to make a point to check them out. Matters explored in The Literary Detective by John Sutherland: Wanted: deaf-and-dumb dog feeder Is this fair? Nope, I don't think so. There were clues, but a crucial piece is withheld until the last moment, and when Holmes discovers it, everything else falls in place. Then it becomes more of a howcatchem than a whodunnit, and will they get it done in time? Early on, I ventured a guess that one character that was briefly mentioned early in the story was going to be the culprit, but I was wrong. However, it was one of that character's relatives, so I'd like a minor kudos. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
3
|
Oct 21, 2021
Jul 2011
Feb 1993
|
Oct 22, 2021
Jul 07, 2011
Feb 07, 1993
|
Aug 30, 2021
|
Mass Market Paperback
| |||||||||||||||||
| B0082XO4JU
| 3.89
| 162,540
| Feb 01, 1890
| May 12, 2012
|
really liked it
|
**Part of my Murder by Death project (but just barely) explained here where I try to determine whether or not a book is fair by giving the reader enou
**Part of my Murder by Death project (but just barely) explained here where I try to determine whether or not a book is fair by giving the reader enough clues to solve the mystery himself before the big reveal. Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson show up in a deleted scene at the end of the movie.** This is Doyle's second Holmes story, and it did about as well as the first one, which is to say only so-so. Both were novels, or perhaps novellas since they're rather short. The short stories which came out right after this story is what put Holmes on the map. I enjoyed this a little more than the first one, but I can't exactly say why. Some of what I say in my review for that can be applied here, so I won't rehash it, and will touch on a couple of other matters. First is a quote which has always stuck with me since I first read it, though it's really from Goethe, so Holmes or Doyle shouldn't get too much credit: "Schade dass die Natur nur einen Mensch aus Dir schuf, Denn zum würdigen Mann war und zum Schelmen der Stoff," which loosely translates to "Nature, alas, made only one being out of you although there was material for a good man & a rogue." This is applied to the main culprit in the case, and I love it when a character is complex. He was quite noble and had an overdeveloped sense of honor. However, he was also a murderer and a thief. They say there is no honor among thieves, but I reckon this dude was an exception to the rule. Second: This is where we find out that Holmes is addicted to cocaine and morphine, though he partakes subcutaneously since it would be a few years before coke snort packets became all the rage. Holmes needs this when he doesn't have a case that mentally stimulates him. This case takes care of that for him, but at the very end when all is solved and he's asked what remains for him, he simply says “'there still remains the cocaine-bottle.' And he stretched his long white hand up for it." In short, he's a coke fiend when he's bored. This disturbs Dr. Watson, and he has "registered a vow that (he) should deliver (his) soul upon the subject," but he doesn't quite go that far in this book. Once I've been pushed to the limit on something, I often declare that I'm going to "deliver my very soul on the matter," and I have Mr. Doyle to thank for that verbiage. Watson eventually gets Holmes to quit his habit, but that's comes later in other stories. Doyle was a gifted writer with many other talents; the man was into everything. He prospected in writing, medicine, sports, spiritualism, politics, justice, freemasonry, and architecture. As for his writing, it always bothered him that people didn't take his other books more seriously and he had to whore himself out to Holmes for his bread and butter. Aside from Holmes, he also wrote several historical novels which he considered to be his best works, but he was able to put a lot of history into some of his stories. A Study in Scarlet included bits of Mormon history (though he got a lot of that wrong and later apologized for it), and The Sign of the Four brings the Indian Mutiny of 1857 into the tale, so he was able to use Holmes to sometimes scratch his history itch. Another running theme in the stories is introduced here when he chastises Watson's writing style for the first time, referring to his treatment of A Study in Scarlet. “Honestly, I cannot congratulate you upon it. Detection is, or ought to be, an exact science, and should be treated in the same cold and unemotional manner. You have attempted to tinge it with romanticism, which produces much the same effect as if you worked a love-story or an elopement into the fifth proposition of Euclid.” This kind of argument will continue throughout the the entire run of stories, if I recall correctly. In one of the other stories he calls Watson's tales "meretricious," (which is another word I learned from Doyle and try to insert into conversations from time to time.) Personally, I think Holmes is getting back at Watson for an incident in A Study in Scarlet which happened before Watson knew Holmes' vocation. Watson was reading an article in a magazine, and when finished, he slapped it down on the table and exclaimed "What ineffable twaddle! I never read such rubbish in my life." Holmes then said he was the author, and it became a well-shut-my-mouth-and-paint-me-red moment for Watson that he was never able to live down. This is a decent story, nothing spectacular in the Holmes canon, but certainly worth a read, especially if you're a Holmes fan. Is this fair? Once again, no. At least I don't think so. I was sometimes listening to this while doing other things, so I might've missed some clues, but it feels like Doyle was once again more interested in showing how smart Holmes was rather than giving the reader a solvable mystery. Personally, I like it that way. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
2
|
Sep 12, 2021
Mar 07, 2011
|
Sep 16, 2021
Mar 14, 2011
|
Aug 30, 2021
|
Kindle Edition
| ||||||||||||||||
| 1420925539
| 9781420925531
| 1420925539
| 4.14
| 457,725
| 1887
| Jan 01, 2005
|
really liked it
|
**Part of my Murder by Death project (but just barely) explained here where I try to determine whether or not a book is fair by giving the reader enou
**Part of my Murder by Death project (but just barely) explained here where I try to determine whether or not a book is fair by giving the reader enough clues to solve the mystery himself before the big reveal. Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson show up in a deleted scene at the end of the movie.** 3.5 stars rounded up to four. This is the story that introduces us to Holmes and Watson, and it's actually that part that I enjoy the most; the mystery was secondary. Doyle created two great characters here, and it's a treat to see how they meet and become friends. I imagine it would be hard to be friends with Holmes since he's an arrogant jerk, yet he isn't insufferable like Poirot. I laugh at Holmes and cheer him on when he's jacking everyone up, but I sometimes want to kick Poirot for doing the same thing. It's a very fine line. As for the mystery, it was fine. This sets the formula I believe Doyle uses in most of his short stories. A crime is described, Holmes solves it, then explains how he got there. You see some of the action play out, but most of it is spelled out later after Holmes has pronounced "here's your man," and turned him over, leaving everyone around him (not to mention the reader) going "wait, what?" This particular book has a long section in the middle where we leave Holmes and Watson and we get a backstory on the murderer, and what drove him to do it. I was fine with that part, but a lot of people have a problem with it. I understand why since it is a rather jarring and unexpected shift. I doubt readers in 1887 would've had as big a problem with it since it was the first Holmes story and they didn't have anything to compare it to. However, this story and the one following it didn't sell but so well. Sherlock Holmes didn't become SHERLOCK-FREAKING-HOLMES in the eyes of the masses until the short stories that followed the first two books. But let's not judge Doyle too harshly here. He was only 27 years old when he wrote this, and he did the whole thing in just three weeks! Taking all that into consideration, I'd say this is fantastic. I dare you to do better. The Mormons get raked across the coals in this, but that was the fashion at the time. I'm sure Doyle would've changed his tune if he had ever heard them sing. (They do "All Creatures of our God and King" even better than Mr. Bean!) Plus, I believe his description of the American desert was Tolkien's inspiration for Mordor. I mean, consider this: Mordor? Mormons? Need I go on? It's all elementary if you just pay attention. Why are you looking at me like that? [image] Well, I never... Though, I don't reckon I can really argue with that. Oh well. Is this fair? Hell no, but I don't think Doyle meant for it to be. It's more of a story to show us how ingenious Holmes is rather than one we're supposed to figure out for ourselves. I understand fans were so frustrated with that aspect of Doyle's stories that the solvable mystery came about as a result of them. This must be true because I read it somewhere on the internet. However, I coulda swore I figured some of them out before the reveal when I read all of these 10 years ago. More research seems to be required. The game is afoot! ...more |
Notes are private!
|
2
|
Aug 31, 2021
Feb 15, 2011
|
Sep 12, 2021
Feb 20, 2011
|
Aug 30, 2021
|
Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
| 4.53
| 689,136
| 1954
| Oct 12, 2005
|
it was amazing
|
Another holding pen for serial reviews. Five solid stars for the series. I'm including The Hobbit since I count that as a prequel. The Hobbit ★★★★★ The Another holding pen for serial reviews. Five solid stars for the series. I'm including The Hobbit since I count that as a prequel. The Hobbit ★★★★★ The Fellowship of the Ring ★★★★✰ The Two Towers ★★★★✰ The Return of the King ★★★★★ ...more |
Notes are private!
|
2
|
Jul 06, 2018
not set
|
Jan 25, 2019
Jan 1991
|
Aug 09, 2019
|
Paperback
| |||||||||||||||||
| 0786930705
| 9780786930708
| 0786930705
| 4.14
| 59,030
| Sep 12, 1985
| Sep 01, 2003
|
liked it
|
This is the third part of a rather strange trilogy, and it wasn't quite as good as the other two. It's strange because the first part feels like a sep
This is the third part of a rather strange trilogy, and it wasn't quite as good as the other two. It's strange because the first part feels like a separate book, and the second two make one larger book. I don't know if I didn't like this one as much because I was tired of the stories, or if I was a little grumpier due outside life influences while listening to it, but I think it's that the story itself and the writing wasn't quite as good. Not that the others were great, but this felt a bit more rushed, and it needed a little more polish. However, it looks like I'm not following the advice I dropped in my Autumn Twilight review which is not to take these things too seriously. Still, there's a level of dweebiness in this that I don't recall in the others. The authors wax philosophical a few times and try to drop some wisdom on the reader, and really, stop. Just stop. Shoemaker, stick to thy last. Keep on with what you know which is telling fun adventure stories with 2-D characters and formulaic plots, and leave the life hacks to real books. But maybe I'm too old and jaded to appreciate them at 40. Perhaps they made more of an impression on my 16-year-old self, and I just don't remember it? Possible, but I don't think so, because I remember other scenes and lines clearly, not to mention bits of wisdom from other books that I read when I was a teenager. Nope, the stuff in here was just silly. And speaking of silly, I'm going to have to pick on Laurana again. She's grown a lot since the first book. She had one major moment of petulance in Winter Night, but everything kind of worked out okay. Now she's a major general (major as in "important," not "two-star"), kicking bad-guy butt all across the continent, and doing mighty fine. Then (view spoiler)[she falls for the absolute dumbest lie/trap. Walks right into it in spite of other characters telling her "don't be a tard." But she insists, and then has the gall to act surprised when the baddie's all like "fooled you!" (hide spoiler)] IDIOT! I swear she's more trouble than she's worth, and I don't know why Tanis wants her. And speaking of Tanis, I thought I liked him, but he really doesn't have a whole lot going for him. He's rather wishy-washy, and it would be nice if he could get his shit together, then keep it together. He has moments where he's doing great, then he turns all whiny. Jesus, man, will you just grow a pair and do what you need to do? We don't see as much of Raistlin in this one, but what we do see is awesome. He comes into his own, and sets up matters for the Legends trilogy. Raistlin is easily the most interesting character in this entire series, and sometimes the only one worth reading about. Anyway, you know by now whether or not this is for you, so get at it. It's not a disappointing ending. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
2
|
Sep 06, 2019
Mar 1994
|
Sep 25, 2019
Mar 1994
|
Jul 18, 2019
|
Hardcover
| ||||||||||||||
| 1932796789
| 9781932796780
| 1932796789
| 4.14
| 52,169
| Jul 1985
| Apr 10, 2007
|
really liked it
|
I think this was my favorite from the original trilogy, but I'll know more after I read Spring Dawning. And even though I also gave Autumn Twilight fo
I think this was my favorite from the original trilogy, but I'll know more after I read Spring Dawning. And even though I also gave Autumn Twilight four stars, this is the better book. Nostalgia was a factor in the Autumn rating, but this one deserves all four. A lot of what I said in the Autumn review applies here, so I won't repeat it, and I'll instead pick on a major gripe. But first I must admit I was wrong about something I mentioned in my last review. I thought almost nobody went through character development, but Sturm and Laurana do a bit in this one. In fact, Laurana grows a lot. But... Let's give the whole story. I hated Laurana in the first book, especially the first half. She's such a bratty little twit. Tanis, the love of her life, is on a quest which puts him in life and death situations. Laurana follows him into these things against everyone's wishes because she's useless, and she does this just to flirt and have fun. Then in the middle of these she gets all petulant because Tanis won't spend enough time with her. And while Tanis should be all like "God dammit, bitch, I'm WORKING here! We can't canoodle cause we got goblins to kill." After a couple of times where she nearly gets killed, she realizes what he's talking about, but she's still shitty about not getting her way. Fast forward to this book, she's been thrust into situations where she becomes the leader. (The group gets split up into two parties, and Tanis, the de facto leader, is with the other group.) She turns out to be pretty good at it, and she doesn't let her girlish twittiness from the previous book run her decisions. Well, not all of them; she's still a work in progress, but I was really starting to like her. However, then at the end... (view spoiler)[The companions are in a situation in which Sturm needs to sacrifice himself in order to buy time for the rest of them to make preparations that will end up saving the day. While Sturm is doing his thing, Laurana is supposed to be beating feet into the tower to use the dragon orb. [image] "You mean one of these things?" Yeah, kind of like that. I could not shake that image every time a dragon orb was mentioned. Anyway, she should be doing her part. The entire point of Sturm doing his sacrifice dealio is so Laurana can save the day. And what is she doing while Sturm is getting the beatdown from the dragon highlord? She's standing there with one thumb up her ass, and the other pushing her pudendum, and just watching him die from afar, going "oh dear, how awful..." Are you fucking kidding me? You had one job! So he's dead now, and she's still not running to the Dragon Orb. She see's Sturm's sword fall from the wall he was on, and she decides she needs to go get it for the sake of... well, I don't know what. It's an "it's what he would want" mindset kind of thing. No, it isn't what he wanted. He wanted you to do what you said you were going to do, and use the Dragon Orb to stop the dragons from even getting to him. It's even possible that had she done this from the git-go, Sturm might have survived. The chances are slim, but still within the realm of possibility. But no... Useless, brainless, bleeding twit had a total relapse into her old behaviors at the most inopportune time. But once she's gotten the sword, she manages to get to the orb. (How she got away from the Highlord who was right there where the sword fell and just itching to kill any enemies in the area is beyond my ability to explain.) She gets over her relapse, suddenly displays all the noble character traits and good sense she'd acquired throughout the story, and blah, blah, blah, the good guys win... mostly. (hide spoiler)] But that's enough bitching. I still really liked this and am looking forward to revisiting the third installment. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
2
|
Aug 15, 2019
Feb 1994
|
Sep 05, 2019
Feb 28, 1994
|
Jul 18, 2019
|
Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
| 0786915749
| 9780786915743
| 0786915749
| 4.01
| 118,640
| Nov 12, 1984
| Feb 01, 2000
|
really liked it
|
I read this sometime in high school and even did a book report on it or one of the others in the series, but I remembered almost nothing about the sto
I read this sometime in high school and even did a book report on it or one of the others in the series, but I remembered almost nothing about the story going into this audiobook reread (narrated by Peter Johnson), and that's because the story itself isn't all that memorable. If you play role playing games, whether tabletop (which I did once, and managed to make a full recovery afterward), live action (which I've never done... officially), or video games (which I was all about for a couple of years), then you've seen a variation of this plot. People of various races and backgrounds get together and are thrust into a quest. They have many fights and adventures along the way, meet new companions, lose others, battle the big baddie at the end, a romance plot gets resolved, and there you are. Me being the dork that I am, I heard music from Final Fantasy II (SNES version) in my head during certain scenes. Every time our heroes came up against some hobgoblins or draconians (which I didn't remember at all even though they're all over this thing), I got the battle theme. The first dragon was accompanied by the the boss music which is the best theme in any RPG ever and makes a great ringtone. Lord Verminaard and Ember treated me to the elemental fiend theme. Unfortunately I didn't get to hear Zeromus' music, but I bet it'll strike up in my head at the end of the third book when the good guys are fighting the super biggest baddest bossman of them all... someone whose name I can't remember... actually I don't even know if there is a super biggest baddest bossman. I think there is since these kinds of books are pretty formulaic, but it's been maybe 25 years since I read these, so cut me some slack, Jack. While the plot is cookie-cutter, the characters... well shit. They're cookie-cutter too. BUT! That doesn't mean that they're not awesome! I remembered several scenes from this, though none of them were plot-furthering developments. Most of these scenes were humorous interactions between the main characters which is why they stuck in my mind. Mostly they were those that involved Tasslehoff, Flint, Fizban, and Raistlin, and to some extent Tanis, Caramon, and Sturm. I remembered nothing at all about Riverwind and Goldmoon even though they were in the story practically from the start. Raistlin is easily the most interesting character in the series, and maybe the only one that goes through any character development, though that doesn't occur in this book. Actually, I think Tanis and Tika go through changes before the end of the trilogy, and Lord, I sure hope Laurana grows up. Ugh, what a brat, and not at all the way I'd expect an elf to be. I'm afraid I have to agree with many of the gripes I've seen on other reviews; these are two-dimensional characters, and all their actions are predictable as rain when the state fair's in town. Except for Tanis and Raistlin. They'll give you a surprise every now and then. I'm giving this four stars, though I admit the nostalgia factor is driving it up there. I was the perfect age to read this kind of thing the first time I ran across it (maybe 15/16ish). This was also my first foray into dorky fantasy. I don't consider The Lord of the Rings or Narnia dorky, though I have several friends who would disagree with that. As for my own parameters, Dragonlance crosses a line and joins The Wheel of Time and Game of Thrones in dorkland, though I'm more than happy to spend time there. If you've read and enjoyed other fantasy novels, then you'll probably like this. If you think you might like fantasy, and want to give it a try, then this is a perfect place to start to determine whether or not the genre is for you. The writing is fine for what it is, but it's not great prose. The story is fine too, but you'll find better ones out there. There are some nonsensical happenings here and there, but if you don't take it too seriously, you'll enjoy the ride. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
2
|
Jul 19, 2019
Jan 1994
|
Aug 09, 2019
Jan 31, 1994
|
Jul 18, 2019
|
Mass Market Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
| 0880386525
| 9780880386524
| 0880386525
| 4.24
| 21,415
| Sep 01, 1985
| Jan 01, 1988
|
really liked it
|
7/19/19: 15-year-old Pierce gives this series five stars. 40-year-old Pierce will weigh in on it after he's reread (or, in this case, listened to) the
7/19/19: 15-year-old Pierce gives this series five stars. 40-year-old Pierce will weigh in on it after he's reread (or, in this case, listened to) the series. Links below lead to the individual reviews. 9/25/19: Does this stand up to the test of time? Yes, I think so. It's geared towards teenage boys, and I think they would enjoy it as much in 2019 as I did in the mid 90's. However, I don't think I would like this as much if I hadn't read them before. Meaning I don't think most 40-year-olds can derive the same pleasure from them as a teenager could unless they had the nostalgia factor thrown in the mix. By the time one is 40, he's seen much of the world and possibly read a lot of literature, and these are too simplistic for curmudgeons. If you want to relive a bit of your youth and you've read these before, then go for it; I loved it. If you're well into adulthood, you can still enjoy these, but you might be a bit blase' about it. It's a tough call. Dragon's of Autumn Twilight ★★★★✰ Dragon's of Winter Night ★★★★✰ Dragons of Spring Dawning ★★★✰✰ ...more |
Notes are private!
|
2
|
Jul 19, 2019
Jan 1994
|
Sep 25, 2019
Mar 31, 1994
|
Jul 18, 2019
|
Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
| 0786931582
| 9780786931583
| 0786931582
| 4.17
| 37,380
| Feb 1986
| Mar 01, 2004
|
it was amazing
|
I believe this was my favorite of the Dragonlance novels, and it's easy to understand why if my memory is correct. There's so much more going on with
I believe this was my favorite of the Dragonlance novels, and it's easy to understand why if my memory is correct. There's so much more going on with this than just your typical teen-boy fantasy stuff. I remember a lot from this because I think it made an impression on my impressionable teenage mind. I remember absolutely nothing from the next installment, War of the Twins, which has me a little nervous, but I shall proceed and persevere regardless. As for Test of the Twins, the conclusion to this trilogy, I remember a couple of kick-ass scenes at the end, and that's it. We'll see what we see when we get there. As for this, it was fantastic. Reading the Chronicles was like watching the storyline of an RPG like something from the Final Fantasy series, but this surpasses regular fantasy fare and ventures into actual literature. There was great character development for most of the main characters, especially Caramon and Crysania, both of whom sorely needed it. Lack of character development was a problem in the Chronicles trilogy, but as I've mentioned elsewhere these are teen fantasy novels, and great literature isn't what most readers are here for, so it's easy to let it slide. There was also pretty good humor. In fact, the chapter where Caramon is forced to get into shape for the arena is one of the best chapters in both series, partly because I found it so hilarious, and yet the end of it was a little tragic, and it lets the reader know matters are still serious. The religious theme was one I appreciated as well. Our characters end up in a time when the church ruled everything, and all was good, and pure, and hunky-dory... and yet not all was well. Everything was so good it was also bad because there was no balance, and the leaders were so arrogant that they thought the Gods served them instead of the other way around, and... well, you know how that kind of thing can get out of hand. The Gods had had enough, and blew the fabled city off the face of the Earth. (Or Krynn, rather, which is the name of their planet.) This isn't a spoiler because the "Cataclysm" is referred to often from the beginning of the first book of The Chronicles. All clerics in the far future as well as most denizens of Krynn look on the time before the Cataclysm as the greatest era in their history, and Crysania's discovery of its flaws is great stuff. And Raistlin! Still my favorite character, and still so complex though it doesn't seem that way on the surface. He's definitely evil and does plenty of evil deeds, but his endgame is godhood and an effort to improve the world, or so he believes. It's just fun watching all this play out. The audiobook version I have was a Library of Congress thing read by John Polk for the benefit of the blind in 1995, and I thought he did fine. Sometimes he'd get his voices mixed up so it sounded like one character was speaking when it should've been another, but it was still easy enough to follow. However, the best line in it came at the beginning when he was giving us the credits and everything, and he told us "the maps in the print edition are not included in this recording..." Well, why the hell not? You read everything else for us out loud, why not the map? Jerk. Anyway, this is a great book for any fantasy fan even if it doesn't have anywhere near as many battles and fights and quests as the earlier books. But don't worry, there's still enough magic and fighting to make this count as fantasy. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
2
|
Oct 11, 2019
Apr 1994
|
Oct 28, 2019
Apr 30, 1994
|
Jul 18, 2019
|
Kindle Edition
| ||||||||||||||
| 0786932171
| 9780786932177
| 0786932171
| 4.15
| 31,331
| 1986
| May 01, 2004
|
really liked it
|
I remembered almost nothing of this second installment of the Legends trilogy going into the reread which is kind of surprising because there were a c
I remembered almost nothing of this second installment of the Legends trilogy going into the reread which is kind of surprising because there were a couple of hardcore scenes. In fact, the only thing I clearly recalled when I got to it was when a dwarf shaved his beard, and that's so inconsequential when pit against everything else that I'm not sure why it stuck. Perhaps a psychologist is needed here. This earns a spot on my "favorite villains/antagonists" shelf due to Raistlin showing us just how cold he can get. By the end, even Tasslehoff, an insufferable eternal optimist, is having a difficult time finding anything nice to say about him. But is he truly a villain? Raistlin is so difficult to categorize. An argument can be made that he's a villain because he's certainly evil, but it just doesn't quite fit. He's definitely not a hero, and anti-hero is wrong also. Perhaps anti-villain? I was discussing this with a coworker, and he ran across a phrase that seems apt. Raistlin is evil fighting evil. He has the noble aspiration of defeating Takhisis, the goddess of evil, and then taking her place, though he doesn't care who dies (or who he has to flat out murder even if it's a friend or family member) along the way. Out of the two of them, Takhisis is worse, hands down, but would you rather live in Hitler's Europe, or Stalin's? This involved Raist's attempts to get to the portal that will get him into the abyss so he can fight Takhisis, and how a war was started, and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. But there was one part I didn't understand. Either I missed something while listening to it (which is quite possible), or there's a plot hole here you could drive the Bagger 288 through. (view spoiler)[Raistlin knows that a gnome operating a time travel device at the most inopportune time is supposed to cause a huge explosion and kill him while he's trying to get into the abyss. He finds this gnome with Tasslehoff, murders him, then takes the device. Several days later at the aforementioned inopportune time, Tasslehoff has this device, and is standing right in front of Raistlin with it preparing to use it with Caramon. Raist doesn't seem to care. Did he forget that the device is supposed to fuck up everything? Why does the device even still exist? Since you know it's supposed to ruin your life's ambition, why not destroy it? And how did Tasselhoff get it back? I clearly remember Raistlin taking it away, but do not recall it going back to Tas. Being a Kender, he could've slipped it out of Raist's pocket at some point, but I'm pretty sure that wasn't stated. (hide spoiler)] Somebody please fill me in if you have further information. This audiobook was another one done for the Library of Congress, and the reader (John Polk, I think) did fine, but the copy I had came from a friend who got it from Lord knows where, and it was substandard. I could deal with the occasional blips and skips just fine since they didn't happen too often and didn't last too long. They were quarter second skips, not whole minutes or anything. But... I got to within about five or so pages to the end, maybe less than 10 minutes worth of material, and then it was over. The ending was missing. But what do you expect when something is related, even in the remotest degree, to Congress? Luckily fantasy nerds are unscrupulous folks, and someone has posted the entire book online in PDF form, and I was able to finish it up... And now that I think about it, stand by... ...OK, I just reread a bit, and I can't find anything that mentions (view spoiler)[Tas getting the device back (hide spoiler)], so SUPER PLOT HOLE! Anyway, this book was good, fun, etc., but not as much as the first one. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
2
|
Oct 28, 2019
May 1994
|
Nov 08, 2019
May 31, 1994
|
Jul 18, 2019
|
Hardcover
| ||||||||||||||
| 0786933887
| 9780786933884
| 0786933887
| 4.20
| 30,554
| 1986
| Nov 01, 2004
|
really liked it
|
The opening chapters of this is the best section of the two main Dragonlance stories, and that's because it's the climax of the Legends trilogy even i
The opening chapters of this is the best section of the two main Dragonlance stories, and that's because it's the climax of the Legends trilogy even if it's not the climax of this particular installment. If the story had taken that part, skipped the whole middle section, then given us the last few chapters, things would've been fine. That would've left a pretty short book, but still it would've been great; five stars all the way. But no, we get the middle which I consider three star stuff. We leave the Caramon/Rasitlin/Crysania/Tasslehoff story, and deal with a bunch of war stuff reminiscent of the Chronicles trilogy which really just serves as a vehicle to get Caramon to the tower so he can do the cool end of the book stuff. The entire middle section is unnecessary, and I'm sure the writers could've found another way to get Caramon where he needed to be without introducing plot lines that are kind of out of place here. Tanis is back, and one of the first things he does is faint when he gets the idea of some bad news. Not actual bad news, just something that's thrown out as a possible plan from one of the bad guys. He faints... This is the big hero from the great war? Shee-it. Also, they show us that the leaders of Krynn (Tanis included) are complete idiots. I literally smacked my forehead a couple of times listening to this. (view spoiler)[It is known that Kitiara is going to attack Palanthas, and in order for her to get to it she needs to pass the High Clerist Tower several miles away which is fortified on each side by mountain ranges. So, the most brilliant strategists, tacticians, heroes, and generals this world has to offer get together and form a plan where they man the tower so they can fight the battle there, and they think they've got her and Palanthas will be saved. Sounds like a great plan, but... While all of this is being spelled out, I kept thinking "did they forget about the flying citadel?" Alas, class, that's exactly what they did. These are the best minds you have? You don't have to be Washington, Lee, Grant, Napoleon, Patton, Hannibal, or Alexander, or anything, but shit, even McClellan or Gomer Pyle would've thought about the flying citadel. And just how does one forget about a flying castle? Even in a world where magic is common, the thing was a novelty never before seen until the previous war which hadn't even had it's third anniversary. I think it'd be kind of hard to forget about a thing like that. What did they think Kitiara did with it, park it behind the house, let the weeds overrun it, and just let it slip her own mind? Anyway, the thing shows up and as it simply flies over the High Clerist Tower, everyone's all like "huh, a-wha? Doy, we forgot about that thing." (hide spoiler)] Aside from that, Tasslehoff was more irritating than usual. Well, I was more irritated by him than I had been though he didn't change very much. I think after six books I had just had enough and was ready for him to be gone no matter how essential he is to good things happening in the end. We don't see much of Raistlin in this, but his scene at the end is one of my favorites in the whole series. WARNING, THIS IS A SUPER SPOILER. CLICK AT YOUR OWN RISK. (view spoiler)[He sacrifices himself and saves the entire world even though it would've been him that destroyed it had he not quit when he did. Don't get me wrong; it's not exactly a noble sacrifice. He discovers a choice between two hells are the only options that remain for him at the jumping off point. He can stop and let the goddess of evil take him and torture him for all eternity, or he can go on, win against her and all the other gods, then rule over a dead universe because he doesn't have the power to create anything. No Earth, no heaven, no hell; just him and his mind for all eternity. (hide spoiler)] Wow, sucks for him, but I probably would've made that choice too. At least the former has variety. And we have a couple of cool scenes with Astinus who is actually one of my favorite characters on Krynn even if he doesn't really do much. He showed up before anything was made, pulled out some pen and paper, and started writing down what happened. He kept doing this every day and pretty much recorded all history which is kept in his ever growing library. I was a history major in college, and this kind of thing is like a wet dream for people like me; how could I not love the man? Anyway, if you liked the first two books, keep on keeping on; this won't disappoint... too much. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
2
|
Nov 11, 2019
Jun 1994
|
Nov 21, 2019
Jun 30, 1994
|
Jul 18, 2019
|
Hardcover
| ||||||||||||||
| 0786927666
| 9780786927661
| 0786927666
| 4.34
| 2,548
| 1986
| Sep 03, 2002
|
really liked it
|
7/19/19: 15-year-old Pierce gives this series five stars. Time of the Twins: ★★★★★ War of the Twins: ★★★★✰ Test of the Twins: ★★★★✰ Final analysis, 11/21/19: My original surmisal was correct; Time of the Twins was/is my favorite Dragonlance novel, but that's explained in my review of that book. Also, this trilogy is better than the Chronicles, but they're both a lot fun. Everything I say in my review of that series (linked above) can pretty much be put here. As for the rating for the series, I'm going four and a half stars, rounded down to four. ...more |
Notes are private!
|
2
|
Oct 11, 2019
Apr 1994
|
Nov 21, 2019
Jun 30, 1994
|
Jul 18, 2019
|
Mass Market Paperback
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
my rating |
|
|
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| 4.09
|
really liked it
|
Dec 05, 2023
|
Nov 29, 2023
|
|||||
|
| 3.96
|
really liked it
|
Dec 18, 2023
|
Nov 29, 2023
|
|||||
|
| 4.13
|
liked it
|
Dec 10, 2021
|
Sep 21, 2021
|
|||||
|
| 4.27
|
really liked it
|
Dec 02, 2021
|
Sep 21, 2021
|
|||||
|
| 4.28
|
really liked it
|
Nov 08, 2021
|
Sep 21, 2021
|
|||||
|
| 4.30
|
really liked it
|
Oct 21, 2021
Jun 07, 2011
|
Sep 21, 2021
|
|||||
|
| 4.30
|
really liked it
|
Sep 29, 2021
Apr 30, 2011
|
Sep 21, 2021
|
|||||
|
| 3.96
|
really liked it
|
Nov 10, 2021
|
Aug 30, 2021
|
|||||
|
| 4.13
|
it was amazing
|
Oct 22, 2021
Jul 07, 2011
Feb 07, 1993
|
Aug 30, 2021
|
|||||
|
| 3.89
|
really liked it
|
Sep 16, 2021
Mar 14, 2011
|
Aug 30, 2021
|
|||||
|
| 4.14
|
really liked it
|
Sep 12, 2021
Feb 20, 2011
|
Aug 30, 2021
|
|||||
|
| 4.53
|
it was amazing
|
Jan 25, 2019
Jan 1991
|
Aug 09, 2019
|
|||||
|
| 4.14
|
liked it
|
Sep 25, 2019
Mar 1994
|
Jul 18, 2019
|
|||||
|
| 4.14
|
really liked it
|
Sep 05, 2019
Feb 28, 1994
|
Jul 18, 2019
|
|||||
|
| 4.01
|
really liked it
|
Aug 09, 2019
Jan 31, 1994
|
Jul 18, 2019
|
|||||
|
| 4.24
|
really liked it
|
Sep 25, 2019
Mar 31, 1994
|
Jul 18, 2019
|
|||||
|
| 4.17
|
it was amazing
|
Oct 28, 2019
Apr 30, 1994
|
Jul 18, 2019
|
|||||
|
| 4.15
|
really liked it
|
Nov 08, 2019
May 31, 1994
|
Jul 18, 2019
|
|||||
|
| 4.20
|
really liked it
|
Nov 21, 2019
Jun 30, 1994
|
Jul 18, 2019
|
|||||
|
| 4.34
|
really liked it
|
Nov 21, 2019
Jun 30, 1994
|
Jul 18, 2019
|
Loading...
