Quick Book Reviews

Death Troopers
As much as I loved all things Star Wars growing up, I never really got into the whole Expanded Universe stuff. I read and enjoyed the Timothy Zahn trilogy back in the early 90s, but that’s about the extent of my exposure. I had heard pretty good things about this one, so I checked it out from the library and a couple of days later returned it with a big grin on my face. It’s silly and not particularly well written, but it’s got a good concept and the little twist halfway through the book brought on a nice nostalgic glow. It is completely disposable, but totally enjoyable.

Fletch
Over the years, I have heard so many people rave about the Fletch books that I worried that this would not live up to expectations. Not to worry, as I enjoyed the hell of out this book. It’s a short, lively book but the characterizations are quite strong and the dialogue extremely sharp. I can understand why the material and tone was tweaked for the movie, but they can co-exist quite nicely. I look forward to tracking down the other books in the series.

Revolutionary Road
Not the best book to read whilst trying to enjoying a romantic vacation with your wife. It is beautifully written, but depressing as hell. It’s sort of like Mad Men without all of the one-liners and where you get to watch souls being crushed. It is as if you are witnessing a slow motion car crash but are powerless to do anything about it. It is quiet and subtle, and yet incredibly powerful.

The Lincoln Lawyer
This book, on the other hand, is complete tripe. That being said, it was strangely compelling and did a pretty good job of cleansing the palate. For some reason, this was selected for my wife’s book club. I don’t know what they can discuss, other than to say that it is a pretty good distraction while sitting on an airplane. I can’t recommend it, but I feel like it does precisely what it is supposed to do.