Stu’s Reviews – Page 40

Stu’s Reviews- #451- Book- “Lost Roses”- Martha Hall Kelly

Genre: Book

Grade: A+

Notable People: Martha Hall Kelly

Title: Lost Roses

Review: Brilliant…just brilliant, Kelly, the author of the award winning “Lilac Girls” digs back into the historical fiction surrounding the Ferriday society woman of New York. The first book surrounded Caroline’s efforts to save French children during the second world war. This is the prequel, and is Caroline’s’ mother, Eliza Woolsey Ferriday’s’ story. An extraordinary tale of three women through the duration of the brutal first world war….…. the Great War. Extraordinary detail, magnificent storytelling, captivating writing…….and characters not to be forgotten. Think “1917” meets Dr. Zhivago………These books are masterpieces………. Read 450 pages in five days-could not put it down…

Stu’s Reviews- #450- Book- “The Guns of August”- Barbara Tuchman

Genre: Book

Grade: B+/A-

Notable People: Barbara Tuchman

Title: The Guns of August

Review: 1961 Pulitzer Prize winning non- fiction about the horrid first month of World War One- a time that changed the world forever. Tuchman is kw is the recognized historian of that war to end all wars, and published at least a half dozen different volumes on it…this one typically a whopping 500 pages. Full disclosure- this is not my cup of tea…had a very hard keeping up with the Von somethings and Sir somethings and the difference between corps, divisions and units. Still, there is something special about this effort that so carefully narrates the day by day, hour by hour story of a time that most definitely changed the world was we know it Well and insightfully written, with a bit of dry humor….it still took me two months to read this book, with many thoughts of putting it back on the shelf and just claiming to have read it. I read three other books in between. But, you will find that people are really impressed if you tell them that you are reading this….

Stu’s Reviews- #449- Film- ” 1917″

Genre: Film

Grade: A-

Notable People: George Mackay, Dean Charles Chapman by: Sam Mendez

Title: 1917

Review: Went to see what the hype is about- and well worth it. Riveting two-hour film- shot in one long shot-no edits, no fade outs, no breaks…. very original. The story captures the last stages of the longest, most brutal war in history…and well shows the overwhelming wear and tear on the participants. Top notch acting. Absolutely magnificent cinematography. Nice cameos from Colin Firth and Benedict Cumberbatch. A film that deserves being seen on the silver careen.

Stu’s Reviews- #448- TV Series- ” The Crown”- Netflix

Genre: TV Series (Three Seasons)

Grade: A

Notable People: Claire Foy, Olivia Colman, John Lithgow, Helena Bonham-Carter…and a cast of thousands Crated by: Peter Morgan

Title: The Crown

Review: If you have any interest in 20th century history or royalty or all things British…this is a don’t miss show. Brilliantly written, the three seasons have gone from Queen Elizabeth’s wedding in 1947 through her fathers’ (King Edward) death and her ascension to the throne, and in the third season up through 1977. That covers 25 years on the throne-which is amazingly only about a third of the time she has reigned. Fascinating character portrayal by Foy as the younger for the first two seasons and the magnificent Colman as the latter day Queen for season three, which involved a total cast changeover for the aging royal family. Lithgow does an amazing turn as the fading Winston Churchill. Attention to detail is magnificent and the extended stories on the abdicated King David, the Crown Princess Margaret and young Prince Charles…are quite compelling. This show is well worth your time…..brilliant.

Stu’s Reviews- #447- Book- “Sing. Unburied. Sing”- Jesmyn Ward

Genre: Book

Grade: B

Notable People: Jesmyn Ward

Title: Sing. Unburied. Sing

Review: I feel very ambivalent about giving this book a B rating. Ward is at the forefront of writing about the extraordinary experience if African- Americans in the South…she pulls no punches in portraying a climate of racism, despair, alienation…it is not pretty. The book is very well written, but I had a really hard time keeping up with the narrative, and it was extremely depressing. Many dreamlike/ vision sequences that lost me as I tried to get engaged. An important work, no doubt- but not very consuming-forced myself to finish it.

Stu’s Reviews- #446- Book- “Pinball”- Jerzy Kosinski

Genre: Book

Grade: A

Notable People: Jerzy Kosinski

Title: Pinball

Review: On a recent work foray to the Caribbean, I did not want to haul a hardcover book to read, so hit my archives, and decided to go back and read this 1982 gem. I had not read Kosinski in years, and was shocked at how fresh and relevant he remains all these years later. This, his bestselling work, was written for George Harrison and is a wacked out story of a famous musician who chooses to remain totally anonymous to the public, and the washed-up composer who sets out to unmask him. Filled with humor, suspense and wild eroticism, this book is hard to put down, and a formidable notch in Kosinski’s considerable belt. Well worth the retro-read.

Stu’s Reviews- #445- TV Series- ” Ray Donovan”- Showtime

Genre: TV Series (Seven Seasons)

Grade: A

Notable People: Lieb Schreiber , Jon Voight, Eddie Marsan, Susan Sarandon, Created by: Ann Biderman

Title: Ray Donovan

Review: Dark, Dramatic, disturbing at times….brilliantly written show about Boston Southie tough kid, with lots of Demons, who grows up to be a Hollywood Fixer extraordinaire. Recent seasons moved to New York locale, but flavor does not change. The casting is top notch…never would have imagined Schreiber in this role, but he owns it. Voight is having a career renaissance with this part, and Marsan is in the role of lifetime. And he could not be better. Very ethnic, very gritty, very real. The plots are riveting, the dialog rapid fire (except for Ray/Lieb who is a man of very few words-but a very big bat), and the characters are amazingly complex and fascinating. Each season has gotten better despite the loss of early star Paula Malcolmson (Ray’s wife) after season five. No end in sight on this one…thank the TV Gods for that.

Stu’s Reviews- #444- TV Series- ” Fleabag”- Amazon Prime

Genre: TV Series (Two Seasons)

Grade: A

Notable People: Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Olivia Coleman, Andrew Scott, Created by: Phoebe Waller-Bridge

Title: Fleabag

Review: Wow…..all I can say is WOW….this one is really out there…lonely young woman in London tries to find love while coping with immense grief….sound funny? Well, it’s hilarious at times. …Bridges deadpan and extraordinary dialog with the audience is unparalleled. The show is developed from her one woman stage show…clearly brilliant….first season started off very slow, and we almost gave up…give it minute…second season is unbelievable with the addition of the beyond-gifted Coleman (Queen in The Crown) ..and the multi-talented and very seductive, Scott (Moriarty in Sherlock)….don’t know whether to bawl or belly laugh at times….Season three coming soon.

Stu’s Reviews- #443- TV Series- ” The Man in the High Castle”- Amazon Prime

Genre: TV Series (Three Seasons)

Grade: A-

Notable People: Rufus Sewell, Joel de la Fuente, Alexa Devalos, Chelah Horsdal, Brennan Brown, Created by: Frank Spotnitz

Title: The Man in the High Castle

Review: A far out take on revisionist history, in which the Nazis and Japanese won the war and share control of the US….from master storyteller Philip K. Dicks’ 1970s series of novels…very well done, captivating, mesmerizing at times….back and forth between alternate universes without much seeming like science fiction…the scenes set in Japanese controlled San Francisco are particularly compelling. Cast is first rate…cancelled after three seasons and probably had run its course…was getting a bit repetitive in last season, and ending was disappointing….but very thought provoking and entertaining show to watch.

Stu’s Reviews- #442- TV Series- ” Sneaky Pete”- Amazon Prime

Genre: TV Series (Three Seasons)

Grade: A

Notable People: Giovanni Ribisi, Margo Martindale, Peter Gerity, Marin Ireland, Created by: Bryan Cranston and David Shore

Title: Sneaky Pete

Review: Wow…..this is one not to be missed. Hard not to binge this captivating show about a con man who assumes his cell mates’ identity when released from prison to create a big score with his mates ‘family in rural Connecticut. Convoluted, complex, exceedingly well written. Ribisi is brilliant and the two grandparents (Martindale of “The Americans”, and Gerity, of “Ray Donovan”) are spectacular. Wonderful television!!! Sad note, the show has mysteriously been canceled despite great ratings. Bummer…but watch what you can.