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review 2017-02-25 15:11
giving up, but not putting on my DNF shelf
The Suicide Motor Club - Christopher Buehlman

Look, it's not a bad book.

 

But also totally not what I expected going in.

 

100 pages in, the story drags, even with a good half dozen or more gratuitous murders by three vampires (including one wearing a neck brace... maybe they explain that down the road).

 

I wanted high speed highway murder adventure.  Not confused loss and and oddly engaging murder.

 

Removing from my shelves entirely rather than shelving as a DNF.  Might work better for me at another time

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review 2016-04-03 20:04
Review: New Arabian Knights by Robert Louis Stevenson
New Arabian Nights - Robert Louis Stevenson

Wikipedia page: New Arabian Knights (1882)

Gutenberg link: New Arabian Knights

 

I've only read some of Stevenson's works (none of the longer novels yet) and this was one that'd been recommended somewhere for the stories about the Suicide Club, the premise of which sounds like something that could easily be transplanted in a modern piece of fiction. (Check out the adaptations listed on the wikipedia page for Suicide Club. One author transformed it into a Holmes tale.) All of these read very much like many magazine short stories of the time - think how Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories read, heavy on action adventure first and characterization a bit later, in small doses if at all. It's mostly all about the action.

 

Aside: It's still kinda weird to have grown up reading Doyle's Holmes and to then bump into people who view them all as one complete thing with an indepth world instead of a world you only learn about in bits and pieces dropped in many stories. Because Holmes didn't hop into life having all that - Doyle was also churning out short stories in bits, like many other authors of the time, most of whom didn't foresee carrying on with the same characters for a series. Of course building a headcannon with Holmes isn't at all a modern thing - decades ago I bought my dad a book of the complete Holmes stories (hardback and insanely heavy) with intricate and detailed footnotes that indicated that whoever was writing them was treating Holmes as a historical figure that did actually exist. Never could tell if that was tongue in cheek or an author who genuinely believed. And yes, there are people that do believe Holmes was a real person - not just influenced by Joseph Bell, etc.

 

Anyway, if you've never read short stories and realized they were all written for separate publication, this is a kind of fun example. The Suicide Club series (really only 2 stories when combined) sort of work well together, even though the whole "I am framing this as written by an Arabian author who told me the story" doesn't really seem fleshed out. Even Stevenson agrees, as in the last tale he gives that up completely:

"As for [character in story], that sublime person, having now served his turn, may go, along with the Arabian Author, topsy-turvy into space."

 

So by the last couple of stories the Arabian Author framing is gone, as is the Suicide Club - so expect that part to be brief. I'll note that for some reason one of the later stories, the Pavilion on the Links, is one that shows up in multiple short story collections - it's action/adventure with an Italian gang in pursuit of revenge, and a love triangle in which you know who's the good guy, because obvious good guy is obvious. But I sort of enjoyed it anyway because Stevenson does have fun writing atmospheric locations.

 

So if the stories of this period interest you this is worth it, especially for the premise of the Suicide Club. You'll totally see why this is definite screenwriter fodder.

 

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review 2015-07-18 00:24
The Suicide Club - Robert Louis Stevenson

For my full review, please visit Casual Debris.

 

The Suicide Club is a triptych of individual narratives focusing on separate characters, while interlinking a single main plot. The concept is excellent, though Stevenson's aim is adventure rather than mystery or moral conundrum, both of which are serious potential avenues. To the modern reader this is unfortunate, since the strengths of each of these stories is the heightened suspense and mystery. Despite the emphasis on adventure, the three tales are nonetheless enjoyable and certainly well written.

 

Since each story has a stronger third, it might be interesting to re-visit this work and create a version that begins with the Hansom Cab, continues with the Cream Tarts, and finished with the Saratoga Trunk. Of course there would be no resolution to the main plot, but even Stevenson rushed his own resolution via an odd decision. The final conflict, a dual between our Bohemian prince and the president of the Suicide Club, is presented away from the action, with two minor characters waiting to know who comes up victorious. Potentially tense, the scene lacks suspense as it is brief, not to mention that it is obvious which party will come out victorious, and which will fall at the blade of the sword

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review 2014-07-11 05:14
The Suicide Supper Club
Suicide Supper Club - Rhett Devane

 

Title: Suicide Supper Club
Author: Rhett DeVane
Publisher: Writer4Higher
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: 5
Review:

"Suicide Supper Club" by Rhett DeVane....

What was this novel about:

"Life is crap and the weather is stupid-hot: reasons enough for four small-town Southern women to plan "the easy way out." Abby has no husband, no children, no living kin, and a painful family secret. Loiscell is a two-time breast cancer survivor facing recurrence with dwindling faith and courage. Sheila is a meek abused wife hiding behind a religious, volunteer-queen veneer. Estranged from her only child, Caroline "Choo-choo" Ivey desperately misses her late husband. Sheila's husband, a correctional officer for a local prison, belongs to a clandestine paramilitary group. Glenn's drinking and deep-seated wounds from a cruel alcoholic father fuel his anger. Glenn meets Julius Herndon, known by his secret hunting club name of Clay, an ex-military man with a dangerous, criminal edge. As the relentless summer heat continues, conditions deteriorate for the women. Initially in jest, they propose group suicide: a nice meal, followed by a quick death courtesy of a paid assassin. Choo-choo offers to pay, and Sheila figures a way to enlist her husband to acquire a contact name. Plans go haywire when Clay trains Glenn for the hit. As an unexpected result, the four members of the Suicide Supper Club learn that death is a process not easily dictated by a selective act of will. Life, no matter how difficult, is a gift."

What I received from the read....

This was quite a interesting read of how this author puts together four woman in this small town who gathered at a restaurant to plan their own suicides. However, as each one of the ladies bond together in friendship and secrets are unveiled will this 'Suicide Supper Club' plan go off? This author really works it with the humor to end it all that does come about from this suicide planning and its descriptive culture of this small southern town in the Florida. It was quite a interesting story of how this author was able to bring these women to life who lead very different lives, were of different ages as well as situations in life that each one had taking on 'the very real reason why people are driven to end it all.'

I found the characters: Abby, Loiscell, Sheila and Choo-choo were all well rounded, well portrayed and believable which helped to bring this novel to life and even maybe helping to understand why the 'Suicide Supper Club?'

What I really liked about this read?

When it's all said and done ...will each of these woman find a reason to live or will they take the easy way out....well this is when I say you must pick up "Suicide Supper Club" and see for yourself how this author brings it all out to the reader. It will be a intriguing read that I would recommend.
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review 2013-02-02 00:00
The Suicide Club - Robert Louis Stevenson This was a big disappointment. The first story had a super interesting idea that did not really get explored at all, and then the following two stories dealt with trying to capture a criminal from the first story. Wasted potential.
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