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Agatha Christie – The Big Four | Review

November 18, 2020
Authors A-E (By Surname)Fiction

Title: The Big Four

Author: Agatha Christie

Type: Fiction

Page Count: 160

Rating: 4/5

This is a Hercule Poirot book in which the great detective comes up against a criminal network called The Big Four, which is hell-bent on world domination. It’s arguably one of the books in which the stakes are the highest, and I think that in itself makes it interesting.

But I also thought that the story line was pretty good, and I think that it would even be a decent one to go to if you’re relatively new to Poirot. It would make a good movie too, especially if you could get an ensemble cast, and so I’m kind of surprised that it’s not more popular than it is.

Still, there was at least something about it that stopped it from making its way into my top tier of Agatha Christie books. It was good but not great, I guess.

Learn more about The Big Four.

Alan Dean Foster – Aliens | Review

November 28, 2019
Authors F-J (By Surname)Fiction

Title: Aliens

Author: Alan Dean Foster

Type: Fiction

Page Count: 250

Rating: 3.75/5

This book is the novelisation of the second Alien movie, and it’s actually a pretty good read. Foster is a well-known and well-loved novelist in his own right, and before picking up this and Alien, I’d already read Midworld, which is my friend Todd the Librarian’s favourite book. That was great, Alien was great and so was this one.

The only real flaw for me was that it’s a little top heavy and so the last twenty pages contain the most climactic scenes. But at the same time, I can see how this could happen when you’re writing a novelisation based upon a movie. Movies and books work differently, and it’s kind of noticeable here.

Still, Foster’s writing style combined with the original script make for a compelling read, and I was impressed again by the way that he was able to bring the story to life. His writing style is super evocative, so at times you feel as though you can smell the stench of alien blood burning its way through steel decking.

Of course, the downside is that by this point, most people have seen the movie and so they already know what happens. That kind of gives it the weird sensation of being a re-read even if it’s the first time you’ve picked it up. That’s not a bad thing though, and I thought it was decent.

Click here to learn more about Aliens.