Blogcritics Author: James Carson

Movie Review: In Bruges

James Carson — Sun, 4 May 2008 14:38:37 EDT

In a city where the only goths have stained glass, two Irishmen discover the darker side of Belgium.
Last year I spent a relaxing weekend in Belgium. What’s that you say? Relaxing? In Belgium? Surely that’s an oxymoron! Like mountain climbing in Holland, or doing anything remotely interesting in Luxembourg.But, no. It was nice. Brussels was brilliant, Antwerp was amazing, and Zaventem was, well, where they put the airport. And then...

Book Review: Stalingrad - The Fateful Siege: 1942-1943 by Antony Beevor

James Carson — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 16:27:01 EDT

Grim but gripping account of a World War II battle that had far-reaching consequences for us all.
Battle-scarred and shell shocked: how else to describe my condition after 460 pages of blood, sweat and tanks? Antony Beevor’s book documenting the siege of Stalingrad is not for the faint of heart or the weak of stomach. What with bombing raids, grenade attacks, hand-to-hand combat -- to say nothing of frostbite, typhoid and malnutrition --...

Book Review: The Deportees by Roddy Doyle

James Carson — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 13:37:01 EDT

Roddy Doyle's tales of the uninvited show the impact of immigration on the Emerald Isle.
Fucking in fiction: are you for or against? I only ask because Roddy Doyle's frequent use of the F-word might cause even Gordon Ramsay to turn salmon-pink. Bad language as a shock tactic often falls flat, but sometimes profanity signals credibility. So thumbs up for The Deportees; If you're looking for the real Dublin, forget Bono,...

Book Review: The Bookaholics' Guide to Book Blogs by Rebecca Gillieron and Catheryn Kilgarriff

James Carson — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 17:19:56 EDT

An introduction to the world of wordy-wise book bloggers is impaired by a loose approach to quality control.
While the rest of the world blogs about what they had for breakfast, book lovers have other fish to fry. Covering everything from crime to horror, Henry James to Harry Potter, bibliophiles are producing some of the most stimulating and entertaining work on the web. Not incidentally, they're at the forefront of the forces revolutionising the...

Travel Review: Balboa Park, San Diego

James Carson — Sun, 9 Mar 2008 12:26:09 EDT

With its world famous zoo and cultural attractions, San Diego has a park for all seasons.
You know how it is. A few hours under the scorching California sun and your eyes start playing tricks. Even so, an enormous black rabbit in a pushchair was the last thing I expected to cross my line of vision. But then, this was San Diego's Balboa Park. It's a place that offers surprises at every turn. And what a lot of turns there are. For...

Book Review: The World Without Us by Alan Weisman

James Carson — Wed, 5 Mar 2008 17:57:23 EST

Not so much an inconvenient truth as an unconventional thought: how would planet Earth fare without the human race?
In The World Without Us, Alan Weisman goes off the beaten track to speculate on the future of planet Earth. What he presents is not so much an inconvenient truth as an unconventional thought: what would happen if humanity suddenly disappeared? He spends little time conjecturing how this might happen, apart from noting that its unlikelihood...

Season's Readings: Looking Back On 2007

James Carson — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 02:33:46 EST

Reflections on a year of reading, with pride of place going to an Englishman, an Irishman and a campervan.
Time to look back at the books that have accompanied me through the past twelve months.This was the year I discovered Alan Bennett. I'd been aware of his work before, but this year I became an addict. His short stories, monologues and plays have been entertaining and inspirational. But he wasn't the only author to hold my attention. Joseph...

Book Review: The Weather Makers by Tim Flannery

James Carson — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 18:43:13 EST

A global warming warning from an advocate for action.
Heatwaves, hurricanes, flooding, drought, extinction. No-one can accuse Tim Flannery of understating the effects of global warming. And there's no doubting his passion for the subject. Once sceptical about climate change, he's now a fully-paid up member of the global warming warning brigade. His chapter headings alone - "Peril at the...

Book Review: Nul Points by Tim Moore

James Carson — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 06:34:35 EST

Spotlight on the underachievers who went to Eurovision with the highest of hopes and returned with the lowest of scores.
To its aficionados, the annual Eurovision Song Contest is a marvellous melange that blends pop and politics, fashion faux pas and flag-waving. To everyone else, it's a showcase for shite.Polarising it may be, but Eurovision has no shortage of performers beating a path to its tinsel-decked door. And although only ABBA and Celine Dion have...

Book Review: The Collectors by David Baldacci

James Carson — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 05:03:11 EDT

A thriller that isn't from a writer who couldn't.
Before reading any of his books, I was all set to become a David Baldacci cheerleader. With twelve New York Times bestsellers to his name, 50 million books sold in 80 countries, plus glowing press and reader reviews, he seemed an ideal candidate for my pantheon of favourite authors. Then I started reading The CollectorsWith a mixture of...