Of Mice and Maltesers 3 - JohnWorf's book

[LolaLadybird]

I can't see an existing thread for this so will kick one off.

I was really pleased to see this book as I very nearly bought it when I was having a browse in Waterstones earlier this year but went for something else in the end.

I found it slow-going for a while. I think I found the long list of dinner party guests in one of the early chapters quite off putting as I thought I was going to have to remember all the characters and wouldn't have a hope in hell! Actually that wasn't the case and the guest list served as a useful reference tool later in the book which I guess was the idea.

It was interesting how all the characters were quite flawed in a way, I don't think any of them were hugely likeable altho' some more than others (RT - what a sad, sad man!).

The only turn off for me was the all the banking talk about John Veal's dealings and ARB - obviously a necessary part of the whole story but I found the level of detail boring in many places as much of it went over my head.

By the latter part of the book, I'd really got into and was keen to find out how it ended so all in all a thumbs up. Thanks JW.

my thoughts down about this book too. i found this book OK. i didnt love it but i didnt dislike it either.

for me this book started very slowly and there were so many characters to remember. before i read a book i almost always read the 'blurb' and after reading the blurb for this one i was expecting a fast racy read - sadly that was not the case.

my main annoyance was the constant use of alternative names which are instantly recognisable, i found this rather cringeworthy and a little embarassing.

there was too much detail for me about the financial wheeling and dealing and it was rather boring in those parts if i am being honest (sorry)
obviously there is a strong message from the author that he is trying to show us how shallow we can be

I read this at Christmas, just after I had had the flu for a couple of weeks, so it maybe wasn't the best time. I so wanted to like it. I actually lost the book halfway through - I swear it vanished into thin air - and I was desperate to borrow a copy to see what happened, but I wish I hadn't bothered. I think the lack of bomb was a bit of a cop-out, and the banking stuff went completely over my head.

I found it a really difficult book to get into, although I thought the premise was great. In the end, a disappointing read. Sorry, Johnworf.

Reading your comments has made me laugh! I'm so utterly tedious, the whole ARB premise of this book was exactly what I do. I am the person who drafts those financial covenants.

So actually, if anything I found the banking law bit a little simplistic, but in general the financial wheeling and dealing interesting. Awfully sad people, probably a bit stereotypical (evil sociopath hedge fund manager, crazy thin wife, pothead unloved son), but they probably also exist.

I found it like the other SF books I've read, very readable and sort of good, but always felt that he could do better if he wanted, be a bit "deeper" (felt that more with his wartime books).

So, off now to try and get a life...