Lit And Miss

[litandmiss-blog]

American Psycho - Bret Easton Ellis

NO, WAIT, I CAN PROBABLY DO THIS ONE. Patrick Bateman, VP at a New York investment bank and horrible social climber, commits a series of increasingly lurid and mysogynist murders while listening to and commenting on the soft rock of the 1980s. A detective, Donald Kimball, starts to get interested in these murders, which Patrick is blaming on Paul Allen, a professional and social rival. Then it turns out it was all just fantasies! I skipped large chunks of the more horrible bits of this book, of which there are many.

The best bit is when his horrible social climber fiance, Evelyn, is discussing whether or not they could get Annie Liebowitz to do their wedding video, following which Patrick breaks up with her.

WIKIPEDIA SAYS: 1) Owen not Allen and (2) you don't get points for knowing what everyone else of your generation also knows. 3/10

[litandmiss-blog]

Cyberville - Stacy Horn

This is a non-fiction book about setting up an early online community. The one that was New York based, rather than being The Well. Lots of chasing up payment (by cheque! in the post! The internet of the past was very different) plus trolling and banning and other regular internet stuff. The cover also featured the author in a catsuit looking thoughtfully/playfully at the camera. I wonder what she is doing now.

Read in 2004 as part of a university course.

WIKIPEDIA SAYS: the online community was called Echo, and what she is doing now is writing more books. 5/10

[litandmiss-blog]

Cat's Eye - Margaret Atwood

An adult woman, who was bullied as a child, recalls being bullied as a child, whilst action occurs in the present day. The adult woman, who is probably named in the book, might also be a moderately successful writer of novels that think they're too good to be sci fi? She's certainly Canadian.

I enjoyed this book a great deal when I read it, which was 2004.

WIKIPEDIA SAYS: 1) CONTROVERSIAL PAINTER not writer, but I was close and despite (2) themes of Catholicism which I also missed in Owen Meany it (3) looks like I basically nailed this one. 5/10

[litandmiss-blog]

A Prayer For Owen Meany - John Irving

A physically stunted young adult called Owen Meany (also mentally a bit odd?) learns random physical skills and bits of Korean (Vietnamese?) which, at the climax of the book, helps him to rescue a gym full of of Korean (Vietnamese?) children.

Owen Meany's mother claimed, also, that he was an immaculate conception. This is most likely set in small town America, during the Korean or Vietnamese war would seem like a good bet too.

I read this book in 2004.

WIKIPEDIA SAYS (1) Vietnamese not Korean (2) father as well as mother made this claim (3) airport not gym (4) a whole load - I mean a whole load - of other characters and themes that had completely escaped me. 2/10