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Graham Greene – England Made Me | Review

Title: England Made Me

Author: Graham Greene

Type: Non-Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 207

Rating: 7/10

Graham Greene – England Made Me

I’ve never been too taken by this novel, although the story-line is reasonably good and the characterisation is great in some places, as with the character of Minty, a down-trodden journalist who must’ve reminded Greene of some of his contemporaries, if he wasn’t based on a real person to begin with.

I’m not too sure what I can say – it was alright, and that’s all, an uninspiring novel that sticks out like a sore thumb against such books as The Quiet American, The Heart of the Matter and Our Man in Havana. It probably doesn’t help that twin siblings Anthony and Kate are fundamentally unlikeable, as is Kate’s lover, a powerful financier called Krogh.

In fact, that’s probably part of the problem – it’s difficult to get too absorbed in to a novel when the characters just annoy you, and I certainly felt no sympathy for their plight. That said, using such unappealing characters allows Greene to play them off each other in a way that he might not normally be able to do, and that ought to redeem the novel for serious fans of his work.

Graham Greene

Click here to buy England Made Me.

Michael Mainelli and Ian Harris – The Price of Fish | Review

Title: The Price of Fish

Author: Michael Mainelli and Ian Harris

Type: Non-Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 328

Rating: 7/10

Michael Mainelli and Ian Harris – The Price of Fish

Disclaimer: While I aim to be unbiased, I received a copy of this for free to review.

Despite the fact that this is a book about economics, you don’t have to be a financier to enjoy it. In fact, there’s a lot of value here for almost everyone who buys or sells something on a regular basis, whether you’re a stockbroker on Wall Street or a small business owner in rural Scotland. See, the whole world is complex and interlinked, and while it’s difficult to get your head around just how the global economy works in the age of the internet, this book is as good a place to start learning as any.

It can be a complicated read at times though, so you’ll want to make sure that there are no distractions before you start reading it – if you’ve got kids, there’s no chance whatsoever that you’ll be able to read it when they’re around, because it’s tough going as it is. If you understand exactly what the authors are talking about at all times then you’re a wiser man than I, but you don’t really need to worry about understanding each and every concept as long as you let the underlying principles sink in.

But don’t let that put you off, and don’t worry if the thought of reading about economics has never excited you, as long as it’s relevant. I can’t say that I’ve read loads of books about economics, and I’m sure that even the authors would agree that it’s a fairly dry subject in comparison to some others, but they’ve done a fantastic job of making it both interesting and educational, and trust me – that’s no easy task. Some of the stuff about game theory and the idea of time as a tradeable resource is fascinating, too.