Reviews and Comments

I discovered Mordecai Richler through the recommendation of a Canadian friend and was immediately mesmerized by his style. His own biography, background as a Jewish Canadian from Montreal, QC, his time in France, Spain and England all form the backbone of his many works. This biography does a wonderful job bringing all this to life and setting it in context.

The world died and in a way it deserved it. What I found unique about this story was the setting just before. A disgusting utopia and large scale bioengineering experiments dance between rich and poor, between freedom and oppression. I didn't like the names and the main character though, but it did not stop me from being gripped by the story. That said, I don't feel the need to continue reading the trilogy.

It is a well written book. However, like most of these non fiction books I feel 20 pages would have been enough since the core thesis is really easy to grasp.

Ich bekam dieses Buch als Geburtstagsgeschenk und konnte mich gar nicht an den wundervollen Fotos satt sehen. Freilich fehlt vieles in dem Buch, Kanada ist ja auch gigantisch. So fehlen die Prärie oder auch die Northern Territories. Trotzdem kommt in dem Buch schön die enorme Vielseitigkeit und Schönheit dieses Landes heraus.

This book tells the fictional story of the Zombie War in what looks like first hand accounts with interview questions, footnotes and information about the setting. Despite this unique structure it was a real page turner that I could barely put down once I started reading. It paints a very smart picture of the choices, desparation and outcomes such a scenario would produce. And: It has nothing to do with the movie. In fact, I was surprised how different the book was.

Every constitution has one line that aptly defines the nature of the country it is governing. The German constitution calls out the invoiability of human dignity, Americans cherish "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" and Canada values Peace, Order, and Good Governance. To be honest, I think there is something profoundly true and beautiful about this.

The Canadian Constitution is messy and yet it is an example other countries follow. Consisting of several laws and unwritten conventions it tells a story of Canada's soul (yeah, I know that sounds a bit dramatic but I mean it) as much as the journey from British colony to the place Canada is today. Yes, this book contains a lot of legalese but the author Adam Dodek does a great job in explaining it to the layman.

Eine Geschichte voller Gewalt, widerlichen Männern und einer kraftvollen jungen Frau. Ich fand die Übersetzung nur so mittelgut und das nahm mir ein wenig die Freude am Lesen.

This book was gripping and allowed to look deep into the characters and their relationships. I almost teared up once which is somewhat unusual for me.

Dieses Buch ist der Hammer. Es erzählt die Geschichten von verschiedenen Menschen, die alle um 23 Uhr 12 zufällig an der selben Nachttankstelle halten. Jede dieser Geschichten ist originell, dunkel und packend. Die Geschichten sind kompakt, das Buch auch. Von dieser Autorin werde ich definitiv mehr lesen.

I love the fact that Louise Penny places her stories in Quebec and I liked the settings in this one. For my taste it was a few characters too many though and I couldn't get myself to care about them. I also had a hard time buying the motive or the murderer. Well. It was her first book, maybe I'll give another one a chance.

Most stories felt a bit flat