The International Writers Magazine: Review Archives 2009/10

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2009 Man on Wire Dan Bond Review Petit's belief is as infectious as it is inspirational 9 - Directed by Shane Acker Sam North review This is simply the most amazing, wonderful, visually stunning and thrilling movie of the year... sadly you will probably have missed it. How Long is a Piece of String Horizon BBC TV Laurie o'Neil review Confused? You will be... Flash Forward Reviewed by Dan Bond As one of only a handful of people to escape the endless screenings of Lost in recent years, I feel I may have conveniently positioned myself with a slight advantage when it comes to Flash Forward The Soloist (2009) Directed by Joe Wright Daniel Cann This tells the true story of how journalist Steve Lopez (Robert Downey Jr) met and befriended the homeless but exceptionally gifted musician Nathaniel Ayers (Jamie Foxx) District 9- Directed by Neill Blomkamp Jack Clarkson Review Insects Rule! Batman: Arkham Asylum 2009 Rocksteady Studios. Eidos. Jack Clarkson review Carl almost jumped out of his skin when he heard the scream. Loud, shrill and cut short before he could hear exactly where it came from. He almost wondered whether he had really heard it or if it had simply occurred inside his head. Woody Being Woody James Campion on Whatever Works Allen has continued to present a freshly consistent string of darkly funny, thought-provoking satires on the human condition and modern society at large. Terminator Salvation (2009) Director McG - starring Christian Bale, Sam Worthington and Moon Bloodgood Daniel Cann I am a fan of the original and learning that this one was to be directed by ‘Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle’s’ McG as well as a star turn from Helena Bonham Carter (What? Merchant Ivory meets ‘The Terminator’) I had my misgivings. Star Trek (2009) Dan Cann I held my breath waiting for lots of exposition and a plodding story but was pleasantly surprised when the film unrolling before me became a fast-paced, action-packed, adrenalin rush Let the Right One In Directed by Tomas Alfredson Aby Davis review Something spooky has come over me, in recent months I have found myself cautiously peering into the genre of horror and being pleasantly thrilled with the results. Gran Torino Directed and Starring Clint Eastwood Michael Webb v Josef Fiser reviews The story of hard man turned good has been done over and again. Yet Gran Torino manages to give this well worn story a new vitality. Notorious (2009) Ruby C Harrison Okay, so its 5.45 on a slightly gray, miserable Wednesday. But it is also Orange Wednesday, and I’m off to the cinema with the lads. Watchmen Directed by Zack Snyder. Jack Clarkson If you’ve read the book, go watch the movie, you owe it to yourself, and frankly, they deserve the price of admission! In Bruges Directed by Martin McDonaugh Is there any more perfect British Christmas movie than 'In Bruges' Winner for Golden Globes & BAFTA Twilight Directed by Catherine Hardwicke Starring Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, from the novel by Stephanie Meyer Aby Davis review Boy meets Girl, Boy wants to drink girl’s blood, Boy dates girl despite wanting to drink her blood, evil vampire tries to kill Girl and Boy gets to drink some of Girl’s blood in the end Slumdog Millionaire Directors: Danny Boyle, Loveleen Tandan Starring: Dev Patel, Anil Kapoor, and Irrfan Khan Winner of 4 Golden Globes & 7 Bafta's, 8 Oscars Jo Green The vibrant sound of fun-loving India blasted through the speakers and there was no escaping its force. The twists and turns of Asia’s largest slum open up before me as a handful of young rascals run from an inevitably fatter, slower official. This is Mumbai. SKINS- Season Two Producer Brian Elsey -Channel 4 Ruby C Harrison Maybe I should be the first to say it. Put it out there and stop waiting for one more episode like an abandoned first date still filled with a puny and unfounded bit of hope that things will go well. So here we go; the new skins is utter crap. West Beirut Hiten Samtani 10 years after its release, West Beirut still intriques The Wrestler Darren Aronofsky’s Mission in Mainstream Transition Dean Betts Aronofsky’s latest film, The Wrestler, completes his evolution from art-house moviemaker to mainstream money-maker CSI MIAMI - Sink or Swim Karen Hall There are two reasons why I am sold on this detective programme,one is the presence of no-nonsense, tough talking David Caruso as the boss of the outfit Horatio Caine. The Jeremy Kyle Show Richard Crawley Jeremy Kyle is the undisputed King of morning television and reigns supreme over his dominion with a well rehearsed confidence Scrubs – Season 8 Produced by ABC Studios Gareth M Bryant The hit US comedy is back for its final (or at least Zach Braff’s final) fling, but does season 8 compare to the brilliance that is seasons 1-7? Qi John Lloyd, John Mitchinson, Stephen Fry Dan Bond Qi doesn't fall in to the category of a social or political satire, or even a topical quiz show, instead it relies solely on the intelligence and rapport of three guests A Silly Gigolo, by Sheena McKay, the third in a group of short stories entitled, ‘A Glimpse of Stocking.’ ‘Afternoon Reading.’ BBC Radio 4, 3:30pm Thursday 22nd October 2009 Laurie O’Neil Dickens Confidential: The Deal by Rob Kingsman RADIO 4: Tue 20th October 2009 Karen Hall This was a hugely enjoyable radio drama that brightened a dull, boring Tuesday afternoon. Idiot Colony At the New Theatre Royal Director: Andrew Lawson Nina Aumaitre at the New Theatre Royal This is the true story of three women, incarcerated for life in a Midlands asylum during the 1940’s. The Day The Planes Came Written by Caroline & David Stafford, Directed by Marc Beeby BBC Radio 4 – UK Reviewed by Dan Bond Although, on face value, Sarah's story presents a somewhat believable plot, The Day The Planes Came fails badly in the aspects considered most important to a radio drama This Means War: Sex and the City & the Assault on Modern Man - Kennedy Heather Being that I inhabit the western hemisphere and am either (a) a female or (b) a gay man, one of my central leisure pursuits is, of course watching Sex and the City. The show is definite in its demographic; this is part of its appeal. You wouldn’t invite your dentist bra shopping and by the same token you don’t expect your straight male pals to cosy up for a full-on SATC sesh. Such are the unspoken codes of civil society. The Beverely Birch Interview Aby Davis Finding myself sitting in front of a woman with 43 books in her name and the power to make and break young writers dreams is rather humbling _________________________________________________ More Book Reviews here from 2010 The Marcus Sedgwick interview Callum Graham 'My First Memory is being pushed through a graveyard by my Nanny'. Marcus Sedgwick talks about life, death and his new book Revolver to Callum Graham The Clay Dreaming – Ed Hillyer Publisher: Myriad Editions (8 April 2010) Dr Dave Allen Review This is an intriguing novel that centres upon the unexpected meeting in London in 1868 of a young woman, Sarah Larkin, and Bripumyarrinin, known as ‘King Cole’ a native Australian who came to England as a member of the touring Aborigine team. The Late Great Bruce Chatwin:The Great Pretender John M Edwards Obsessed with nomads, he became one himself, ditching two successful careers, as Sotheby’s art expert and Sunday Times columnist, to roam the exotic edges of the literary wilderness. Why are George Orwell's Essays's So Good? James Morford Orwell often lived the lives of those he wrote about, be they soldiers, miners, or the down and out waiting to die in hospitals for the poor. The Rapture by Liz Jensen Paul Valentine review Liz Jensen must know that her story isn’t even a little far fetched, it is far fetched to the point of hilarity First Rule by Robert Crais Janette Carr review Mayhem and murder in tough blood-soaked thriller Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier Dan Schneider review a good novel, in the Gothic tradition, and a very good read Tropic of Capricorn by Simon Reeve Daniel Cann Exposing the harsh truths of life in the southern hemisphere Fit to Print – Misrepresenting the Middle East by Joris Luyendijk, translated by Michele Hutchison David Calleja This should be on the reading list of anybody who wants to understand why news is filtered I Am Ozzy Ozzy Osbourne and Chris Ayres Daniel Cann review Lively tale of a rock survivor The Passport by Herta Muller Paul Valentine Review Strange surreal window on a post war Romania The Second Woman - A Denton Mystery by Kenneth Cameron Karen Murray Gow review Ingredients for a recipe are just that. Kenneth Cameron has worked them together to create, as the editor suggested, a guaranteed success The Prophecy by Gill James Amanda Donovan review The central theme of the book is the Babel Prophecy White Tiger by Aravind Adiga Karren Murray Gow review Beautifully written and intelligently structured Skins: The Novel by Ali Cronin Kelsey Churcher review Pay heed to the 18+ label on the cover Golden Leaf: A Khmer Rouge Genocide Survivor Kilong Ung A David Calleja review Remarkable story of Cambodian survivor who escaped to Portland, Oregon The Spider Truces by Tom Connolly Nina Aumaitre A beautifully written first novel about life and shingle beaches Underlying Notes by Eva Pasco Paul Valentine review The most infuriating aspect of the novel though, is the writing It's not what you think by Chris Evans Daniel Cann review Evans talks frankly about his colleagues, his relationships and his ambitions. Mean Tide by Sam North A Paul Valentine review A boy's adventure in a modern Dickensian setting City-Pick Dublin edited by Heather Reyes, Chris Mills This is the latest publication in a new series of literary city travel guides. It is a wide ranging guide divided into themed sections including excerpts from fiction, memoir and travel writing. The Curse of the Toads by Rebecca Lisle Jade Harrison The Curse of the Toads is the story of a boy who has just lost everything in the world that he holds dear and the confusion and loneliness that followed. Daughters of Eve & other new short stories from Nigeria Kangsen Feka Wakai review A collection with a realistic streak with occasional dots of the fantastic Sometimes it Takes a Death: Mother to Mother by Sindiwe Magona Tichaona Chinyelu review Drawing from the 1993 killing of Amy Biehl in apartheid-era South Africa, Mother to Mother, a novel by Sindiwe Magona, shares with us a different perspective. Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith Nick Lewandowski review Here is a murder mystery set in a society where murder does not officially exist. Tom Rob Smith’s Child 44 takes place in the Soviet Union in 1953, beginning in the final weeks of the Stalin era. A child’s mutilated body is found near a set of train tracks. The State calls it an accident, the child’s family insists it was murder. Delirium by Lauren Oliver Sam Hawksmoor review In Delirium we live in a future United States where love is a disease in need of a cure – which sounds a lot like the Taliban took over and may yet happen of course.  Published: 03/02/2011 Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton ISBN 9780340980910 The Fixer by Steve Bunce Dan Cann review After reading ‘The Fixer’ we may, in Bunce, have finally found a writer who can do the sport justice.

2009 Blood Meridian of The Evening Redness in the West by Cormac McCarthy Shakil Rabbi McCathy’s novel recreates the borderlands between America and Mexico deftly and beautifully Thin Blue Smoke by Doug Worgul.  Pan Macmillan New Writing, 2009 Ryan Sirmons review This is a recovering America which has, over time and ‘thin blue smoke’, overcome much of the religious and racial strife which characterised it fifty years ago Gallows Lane by Brian McGilloway Diana Betherwick review Gallows Lane then is a rare thing – a crime novel that you want to read more than once. Generation A by Douglas Coupland Sam North Review A return to form from the master of trival lives. The Bees are dead - the future is foreclosed and everyone is calm on Solon Acts of Violence by Ryan David Jahn Gill Haigh review Acts of Violence is set in a ‘cesspool of a city’ somewhere in America in 1964.  Kat Marino has just finished her shift as the night manager of a sports bar.  In a clipped, cinematic style Ryan Jahn leads us through every harrowing detail of the next two hours of Kat’s life The Suspicions of Mr Whicher by Kate Summerscale Chris Mills review Victorian Murder Mystery investigated The Ivy Chronicles by Karen Quinn Mia Palmer review The Ivy Chronicles is, in most respects, the typical story of a put upon, newly single mother who reinvents herself Sapphire by Katie Price Richard Crawley If you picked up Sapphire hoping to witness a reclaiming of the written word for the common woman then I am afraid you will be sadly disappointed. In Pursuit of Elegance by Matthew E. May, Charles Dickinson review Matthew May has taken on the task of unpacking what makes for elegance (Why is that enigmatic smile of Mona Lisa so beguiling?). But of course, elegance is far more than the arts. Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult Change of Heart’ is Jodi Picoult’s second novel to debut at number one on the highly prestigious New York Times bestseller list, and deservedly so. Glasshopper Isobel Ashdown Glasshopper is masterful ... easily readable in a short time, the plot never too tight for comfort Sir Alan Sugar - Biography by Charlie Burden Published by John Blake Publishing 2009 Dan Cann In the last few years British television has been saturated with reality shows. One in particular has received much attention and commentary not so much because of its contestants, but because of one man, Sir Alan Sugar Time To Eat The Dog? - The real guide to sustainable living by Robert and Brenda Vale, Charlie Dickinson review If everyone on Earth shared equally the lifestyle enjoyed in North America, then five planet Earths would be needed. Obviously, an unattainable proposition. The Stories Of J.F. Powers Dan Schneider review Every so often there is an artist that has a great reputation, yet a small cult following, that turns out to truly be a great artist. Then, there are all the other times that one recognizes that the repute for greatness is merely the mistaken dementia of the cultic ideologues Little Daughter - A Memoir of Survival in Burma and the West by Zoya Phan with Damien Lewis David Calleja review One survivor from the Burmese junta’s war against its own people shows that courage is displayed in multiple forms. Zoya Phan’s account is a double-edged sword, reflecting fear and hope in the same breath. Beautiful Children by Charles Bock Victor Manley review There was hope in the first thirty-two pages. Hope bolstered by false praise, and yet it falls, rather spectacularly. The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson Sam North review The stress and tension it arouses in just reading it is unbearable. An astonishing grippiing Swedish Crime novel American Hunger by Richard Wright Jessica Schneider Imagine reading a great classic novel like Betty Smith’s A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and then reading "a follow up story" about Francie Nolan in later years. How can a writer expect to have a successful follow up of what already is a great work? The Texas Stories Of Nelson Algren Dan Schneider Reading The Texas Stories Of Nelson Algren, a 1995 book from The University Of Texas Press, and edited and introduced by Bettina Drew, was an odd experience because a) the quality of the tales was very hit and miss and b) the book was not really a book, at all The Collected Stories Of Carson McCullers Dan Schneider In reading The Collected Stories Of Carson McCullers I was expecting good, and possibly great, things. After all, her first published novel, The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter is a near great novel. David Leavitt’s Collected Stories Dan Schnieder if the word hack had not already existed, it would have to have been invented for a writer like Leavitt. Apples by Richard Milward Ruby C Harrison You’ve got to hand it to Richard Milward, nineteen year old author of ‘Apples;’ if I’d had my first novel published before leaving my teens I’d be well chuffed. But as for the novel itself, I can’t quite make my mind up. Desire: Where Sex Meets Addiction by Susan Cheever, Charlie Dickinson This latest memoir DESIRE is yet another addition to the literature of personal disaster, exploring the dark corner of human experience that is sexual addiction. 2666 by Roberto Bolano Publisher: Picador (16 Jan 2009) Victor Manley My perseverance was sure to hold out, my patience was boundless, and yet despite my goodwill, I was horrified to find myself flagging. What could be the possible reason for this? Knife by R J Anderson Orchard Books; (Jan 2009); Sam North What an extraordinary tale ‘Knife’ is - this is a different take on Faeries at the bottom of the garden Dead Air by Iain Banks Callum Graham Iain Banks is not necessarily the obvious choice to pick as a writer who embodies the spirit of our times. However, after reading his novel Dead Air I found him to be a prime candidate. The Whore's Child And Other Stories, by Richard Russo Dan Schneider Perhaps the best way to judge a short story writer is to look at how he ends his tales Amanda Palmer (The Dresden Dolls) at the Sugar Club in Dublin 16.02.09 Aurelie Montfrond The Sugar Club may be one of the only place I enjoy going to in Dublin On Reading The Gambler by Fyodor Dostoyevsky Matt Alison Preparation to read The Gambler by Dostoyevsky started in January on a cold Sunday afternoon in Manhattan. Aung San Suu Kyi: The Voice of Hope by Alan Clements Ebury Press Reviewed by David Calleja The political, social and economic tragedy that exists in present day Burma is a permanent stain on humanity. Burma is a prison within a prison. Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat The Mayflower Theatre Southampton A Jen Ames Review The best part of the tour of Joseph and his multicoloured overcoat (as my Grandad announced it was called in the bar beforehand,) was the end. The Mad Mad Mad Mad World of "Weird Pulp Fiction" John M Edwards Is H.P. Lovecraft scarier than E.A. Poe? Hell yeah, says paparazzo-of-the-paranormal John M. Edwards, who beats up the dead horse deeming it a tie—and drives out to mist- and myth-shrouded Providence, RI, to prove why... The Commuter Times.com Laurie O’Neil My first impression of this slim, girly pink, one third of A4 pocket sized booklet with a front cover title of, ‘THE COMMUTER TIMES.COM.’ followed by an italicised subtitle of ‘your ticket to a better journey,’ would probably be the same as yours. This is not a serious publication; this is Private Eye meets Viz. The Man Who Would Not Die By Stephen Olvey Daniel Cann Long before Jack Osbourne became an adrenalin junkie and Evel Knievel decided to jump over buses for a living there was ‘Lucky’ Herschel McKee. Conversations from the neighbourhood ice cream shop by Denny Stockdale Karen Hall review There is much to recommend in this book. The language is easily formal, uncritical and stimulating Clough’s War by Don Shaw Review by Daniel Cann What is really a small town affair is turned into something akin to a detective thriller as both sides plot and manipulate against each other trying to dictate events. Emil and the Detectives Dramatisation by Katie Hims of the comic children's detective novel by Erich Kaestner. Directed by Jessica Dromgoole. Broadcast on: BBC Radio 4, 2:30pm Saturday 17th October 2009 Mia Palmer review In this delightful play we follow country boy Emil Tischbein, as he journeys up from Neustadt to Berlin in Germany for the first time. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo explored Tom Harris The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is Larsson¹s social portrait of a corrupt, modern Sweden. He uses the unconventional characters of the novel to explore this using the themes of abuse, control and revenge. Don't You Want Me? by India Knight Review by Daisy Seely India Knight is a great 'chick-lit' writer of our time Silence by Shusaku Endo Jessica Schnieder This is my first experience reading Shusaku Endo, and given his lofty reputation and the fact that he is non-American and thus has not had his mind chiseled by cookie-cutter MFA programs The Herring Seller’s Apprentice by L C Tyler Claire Holland review 'an assured and beautifully written debut, told with humour and an impressive lightness of touch' Red Clay, Blue Cadillac by Michael Malone Dan Schneider review Malone, in a sense, is a very generic Southern writer. All the standbys are in his work- murder, lust, drinking, red necks, etc. Homicide: A year on the killing Streets by David Simon Richard Crawley review a raw, visceral curbstomp of a book Ross Kemp in Afghanistan Daniel Cann review Kemp has morphed from a soap star and actor into a serious and acclaimed investigative journalist and television presenter And Another Thing… By Eoin Colfer Daniel Cann review Pan galactic gargle blasters, towels and offbeat humour abound in this worthy and welcome new addition to the series. John Reynolds: The Autobiography By John Reynolds with Jason McClean A very ‘what you see is what you get’ type of character emerges Force of Nature by Robin-Knox Johnston with Kate Laven Daniel Cann RKJ is not an ordinary person as I found out as the pages turned. The Savage Detectives by Robert Bolano Mathew Clews The question of the source of literary authenticity, a modern literary argument, is central to the work of Bolaño:  Does a writer have to have had lived through his experiences to write about them or should his imagination be entitled to free reign? The Passage by Justin Cronin Nick Lewandowski Vampires have finally gotten their teeth back. Rows upon rows of them, in fact. The Passage is the first novel in author Justin Cronin’s planned post-apocalyptic vampire trilogy

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