Friday, April 07, 2006

Utterly Monkey, Apex Hides The Hurt and Sound and Fury

Utterly Monkey by Nick Laird is a Irish import . A dark comedic crime novel that was entertaining and quirky but didn't have the impact on me that some of my other novels have. I enjoyed it immensely but it is not one that will stay on my final list.

Apex Hides the Hurt by Colson Whitehead is a book that had a clever idea but didn't quite pull it off. Featuring a town with an identity crisis a consultant is brought in to rebrand it could have been an interesting commentary on modern society but instead drifted along aimlessly. It failed to keep my attention and took me far longer to read than it should have because I kept putting it down and wandering off.

Sound and Fury: Two Powerful Lives, One Fateful Friendship by Dave Kindred is an engrossing look at the friendship between Mohammad Ali and Howard Cossell. This work follows the highs and inevitable lows of both careers and beautifully highlights the biographer's affection for each of these remarkable and difficult personalities. It also illustrated how each interaction benefited their careers creating a symbiotic relationship. I really enjoyed this a great deal.

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