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Book Review

Review of The Irresistible Inheritance of Wilberforce

December 29, 2018

Writing a review of The Irresistible Inheritance of Wilberforce, by Paul Torday, is an exhilarating experience. I get to talk about the brilliance of the novel and the hopeless mediocrity that surrounds us.

Indeed, it’s interesting to give you a quick briefing of how I discovered The Irresistible Inheritance of Wilberforce.

I saw the book at the local library. As I sometimes do with authors I haven’t read before, I took a quick look at Goodreads reviews. The average rating of The Irresistible Inheritance of Wilberforce is (at the time of this review) 3.49/5. The thing is, I have the experience to know that if a book (or a film) features bad ratings by the social masses, it might mean it’s actually good.

Taking a look at one or two reviews, I felt certain it was a book I wanted to read. People complained that there was no resolution to the story. Others gave the book 2 stars because… the protagonist was in denial.

The level of ignorance and mediocrity is appalling, when it comes to unsophisticated readers.

And so, let’s see what I thought about Torday’s novel. This is a review of The Irresistible Inheritance of Wilberforce. It’s also another chance for me to express my dismay at the social mediocrity that has enthralled the world. Ironically enough, the two processes are metatextually related as you will see.

review of The Irresistible Inheritance of Wilberforce
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Review of Travels in the Scriptorium

October 10, 2018

Travels in the Scriptorium: the Basics

A review of Travels in the Scriptorium, by Paul Auster, should begin by mentioning a fact: it is not your regular story. Moreover, it is not your regular Paul Auster story. Those familiar with Paul Auster’s work should realize a thing or two by this statement.

For others, let me underline some things. Travels in the Scriptorium is not a story with a typical beginning, narrative evolution, or ending. So far so good. Now, hold tight. Paul Auster’s novella is not a story at all.

Let me repeat that, just so that it sinks in. Travels in the Scriptorium is not a story.

What is it, then, you will ask. Well, let’s see.

Travels in the Scriptorium
On the surface, the story revolves around madness. Deep down, it’s about controlled madness
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Review of B.J. Cyprian’s Shadow Resistance

October 5, 2018

Shadow Resistance: The Basics

Debut novels are something that intrigues me, on a personal level. There is something unique about examining the first published novel of an author. Shadow Resistance is B.J. Cyprian’s authorial debut, though of course – as the reader discovers in the introductory noteParenthetically, if you are the kind of reader that skips introductory notes, do not skip this one, especially if you are an author yourself. It is replete with interesting elements related to the writing process. – other attempts came before it.

Shadow Resistance operates on multiple levels and involves a large variety of characters, but if I had to describe it in a few sentences, it’s the story of a group of individuals who (half-accidentally, as it usually happens with true heroes) combat institutionalized injustice.

Shadow Resistance
B.J. Cyprian’s Shadow Resistance exposes the institutionalized injustice affecting millions of people
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