Thendral's Take: February 2022
Greenwich Park by Katherine Faulkner
My Thoughts
This was a pretty confusing read for me. Because if there's one thing I have to give major props to this book/ author, it was that there were SO many unlikeable characters (intentionally), yet, it didn't turn you off the book at all. You just want to find out what happens next. But the bulk of the good things about the book ends there too. For starters, the book was too long - the length felt unnecessary because there were times the details felt overdone and excessive. So it feels like you've been reading and reading and READING but have not gotten anywhere. There were different points of view in the book, so you would have the character names at the top and then what they were experiencing/ seeing - if not for the names, there is literally no way to tell you're not reading the same point of view. All of them felt the same. The plot was not the most original, in fact when things were "wrapped" up at the end to "solve" the mystery, I found myself rolling my eyes. Both in the "why are people?" sense and the "THIS was what I spent an entire day on??" sense. The lead also felt ridiculously naive and capable of making nothing but bad decisions. I wanted her to get her shit together.
Overall
I think it was a fine read overall. It wouldn't be one of my go-to recommendations for thriller and suspense. If you specifically asked, "Hey, I'm thinking about reading Greenwich Park, have you read it? How did you find it?" I would say "Yeah check it out, it was unnecessarily long, but it was an okay read". I wouldn't be jumping to make this one of my recommendations though.
Verity by Colleen Hoover
My Thoughts
I love a story within a story and stories that wait until the last few moments of the book to make you go "WAIT. WHAAATT???" Which is exactly how this book was. I was hooked from the first page and the fact that the writing was simple and accessible definitely helped in finishing the book in like 4 hours. But this is NOT for the faint-hearted, as there are some unsettling and disturbing themes in there (TW: child abuse, narcissism and violence. Seriously, if any of these are not your thing, please SKIP this book as it is hard to stomach.) I didn’t find the characters to have much depth either, I found them to be very one dimensional, simplistic people with black and white personalities. It was a very engaging read nonetheless, the creepy atmosphere, the unsettling house, all keep you wanting to find out what happens next but there was just something missing. It also had too much of graphic sex scenes for my personal taste - I know some were actually necessary for the plot but still found it too much.
Overall
If the author wrote more suspense (she seems to have the bag in YA and adult romances), I would definitely check it out - to get my "fix" of thrillers. And I would say if you're looking for a thriller (and are comfortable with the TWs I mentioned), check this out! But this is not like some of the thrillers I read years ago that are STILL fresh in my mind.
The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox
Overall
One thing I really want to give props to this book for is how clean it is. No curse words, no awkward sex scenes where you feel uncomfortable. Which is pretty much everything you need to know about this book too - it's a very simple, sweet read, exactly the kind of content you'll probably look for during the holiday season (I say this, having read it in February). There is also food and baking content in there, which is a bonus point from me because I like reading about food. At the halfway mark, the plot starts to feel a little repetitive and like the book is longer than it needs to be but overall it's quite a cute read. It's not the most exciting or charming chick flick I've read but it's still a good one!
Death on the Nile
My Thoughts
First of all, I can't believe how glaring this was but the camera work was SO bad! There were so many ruined shots, unnecessary Nat Geo-esque shots, shots where the camera pans over TOO quickly to keep up with the scene that it makes your head SPIN. I don't think I've had this issue EVER with a movie! The score didn't help either and from the opening scene, we cut directly to Emma Mackey and Armie Hammer which just left a sour, sour taste in my mouth. I felt icky every time I saw him on screen. I think the primary issue was, there are LOADS of whodunnits where you can tell pretty much from the introduction of characters who would be the murderer. But let's be honest, that's not what whodunnits are about - it's about building mystery and suspense and keeping you on your toes which this movie, unfortunately, did not. None of the characters was sufficiently developed which meant it was obvious who had motive and who didn't, which makes an ensemble of suspects unnecessary, and the setting of Egypt even more so. There are points there that border on boring but when it grips you (thanks to the character Bouc), it GRIPS you.
The huge, HUGE plus (and only redeeming factor) is Kenneth Branagh's rendition of Hercule Poirot - he has the old-timey actor look that fits the setting so well and he delivered so many subtle nuances that were just BEAUTIFUL! Literally obsessed, could not take my eyes off him whenever he was on screen. I want to watch Murder on the Orient Express purely for him and if there was another Agatha Christie/ Hercule Poirot film with him, I'm THERE. But the fact that his appearance is the only riveting factor about the film which he directed makes me wonder now if this whole thing was just a tad self-indulgent.
Overall
I would still classify it as an "aeroplane movie" I.e., a movie you watch when you need to kill time but not because it's great but simply because you have nothing else to do and you need to stop asking yourself "how much time is there left on this flight?" There's something in there that keeps you entertained just enough and almost forget the negatives. Just don't go in with high hopes!
My Thoughts
So. After Death on the Nile, I definitely went into this movie with a bit of trepidation. But to my pleasant surprise, the two movies felt like night and day! None of that whirling camera action that made me giddy for starters. The crew is the same and the only difference between this movie and death on the Nile is the editor but I don't see how so many of the technical issues in Death on the Nile can all be on the editor. Now let’s get on with the pros. Kenneth Branagh is definitely more comfortable as Hercule Poirot in Death on the Nile but this was a wonderful introduction. It's like the man waited all his life to play this role and he's just so attached to it. The cast is STELLAR. Everyone was a powerhouse in their role and it’s what carries you through a movie, you know what I mean? The themes discussed in the movie are SO relevant to this day and if I dare say, timeless even. The exploration of just vs law, morality is grey without weighing you down like you're in a philosophy class but also enough to make you go "hmm" is just *impeccable*. There are still scenes in this movie that still feel a bit too indulgent of Poirot at the expense of the other characters, but the other aspects of the movie will gloss over it for you. Everything just felt so sleek and stylish - from the train conductor’s uniform to the actual train, it was all just visually so pleasing.
Overall
I was just bowled over, make this the next movie you watch. It might not be the best thriller in recent times, but it is still thoroughly enjoyable and well made. A quick caveat though: I can’t comment on parallels with the book as I didn’t read it and I know how important that might be for some!
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