Element – DaneCobain.com

Title: Big Sur

Author: Jack Kerouac

Type: Non-Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 186

Rating: 4/5

Jack Kerouac – Big Sur

In Big Sur, we get some more of Kerouac’s reflections on his own life in his unique brand of stream of consciousness beat prosody. This one in particular focuses on his slightly later years, after the release of On the Road brought him notoriety, and follows the troubles with alcoholism that plagued both Kerouac and many of his friends.

A particular favourite for me was this little excerpt when he talked about his hangovers: “I feel like the most disgraceful and nay disreputable wretch on earth, in fact my hair is blowing in beastly streaks across my stupid and moronic face, the hangover has now worked paranoia into me down to the last pitiable detail.”

There’s just something about Kerouac’s writing style that’s both absorbing and super enjoyable. Sure, he might make you think, but I felt as though some of his maturity came into play here and added an extra element. There was more wisdom there from the older Jack Kerouac than in his earlier work.

Jack Kerouac

Click here to buy Big Sur.

Agatha Christie – A Caribbean Mystery | Review

Title: A Caribbean Mystery

Author: Agatha Christie

Type: Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 288

Rating: 4*/5

Agatha Christie – A Caribbean Mystery

This book was fun because we get to see Miss Marple out of her element, in the middle of the Caribbean instead of in her armchair in St Mary’s Mead. In fact, the setting was the best part of this for me because while the characters were pretty believable and the plot was full of twists and turns, they weren’t so good that they alone could make this book stand out amongst the rest of Christie’s ouevre.

I’m not saying this isn’t worth reading, though. Far from it – in fact, it’s probably in her top 30%. I did feel as though the whole idea of a crime being committed in the present to stop the truth about a historic crime from coming out to be a little bit over–used, but Christie was probably the originator of it in the first place.

That said, this is also one of her later books, and what’s kind of cool about that is that Miss Marple is a little older as a result of it. It’s strange to think of that, as I think it’s only natural to picture Miss Marple as a lovely old pussy (Christie’s words, not mine), and thinking of her as being “older” is almost difficult to do. But Christie nails it through her characterisation, as she always does, and it’s probably helped by the fact that she herself was getting on in years when she wrote it.

All in all, this was a cracking little murder mystery but not quite her best. Worth reading if like me you’re working your way through her back catalogue. Enjoy it.