Reviews and Comments

David Bartlett

David_Bartlett@books.theunseen.city

Joined 3 years, 1 month ago

I read as much as I can and particularly enjoy finding unusual books in second hand bookshops (fortunately I have several nearby). I read a mixture of fiction and non-fiction and usually have several books on the go at once. I live in a small village on the south coast of the UK.

This link opens in a pop-up window

Colin Wilson: The Space Vampires (1969, Hart-Davis)

Saw this film (Lifeforce) and hated it. Colin Wilson's other books The Mind Parasites and The Philosopher's Stone were excellent, so I decided to give it a try.

Raymond M. Smullyan: The Tao is Silent (1992, HarperSanFrancisco)

Review of 'The tao is silent' on 'Storygraph'

No rating

This is quite an old book now and rather of it's time. The writing style of an argument between a sceptic and a believer becomes rather tedious after a while. Maybe good for sceptics but if you accept the concept of Taoism then you don't really want to be reading the argument against it all the time.

David Seltzer: Prophecy (Paperback, 1979, Ballantine Books)

Mutations caused by use of 'Mercury' in the logging industy; expressed in the form of …

Review of 'Prophecy' on 'Storygraph'

A bit of a disappointment following the excellence of The Omen. An interesting idea and setting but the BBC were doing this sort of thing with Doomwatch in the early 70's so this is a bit late in the game and it deteriorates into the standard monster movie of the 50's.

Guy Meadows: The sleep book (2014, The Sleep School)

"A third of the population sleep badly, but now THE SLEEP BOOK's revolutionary five-week plan …

Review of 'The sleep book' on 'Storygraph'

I found this book extremely helpful. I have had chronic insomnia for over 5 years and the strategies have significantly improved my sleep cycle so that I get back to sleep far quicker if I wake during the night and no longer feel stressed if I don't. The practice of mindfulness during the day has significantly improved my well being too.

Antonia Fraser: Cool Repentence (1983, W. W. Norton & Company)

Review of 'Cool Repentence' on 'Storygraph'

This is a solid whodunnit with an endearing investigator in the guise of Jemima Shore. It is well written, except for a slightly clunky style device to hide the identity of one of the characters. Quite a bold decision from the writer but it doesn't quite work. Otherwise an excellent read and I will certainly be trying others in the series. 

Russell Thorndike: Doctor Syn Returns (Paperback, 1972, Arrow Books)

Review of 'Doctor Syn Returns' on 'Storygraph'

This is a very good yarn in the tradition of Treasure Island, though a bit more of a pot-boiler. This was the first novel of a series and the focus is more on the supporting characters rather than Doctor Syn himself. It's of it's time but if you enjoy a good adventure and forgive it a few stylistic flaws it's an enjoyable read and I'm looking forward to reading more in the series