42%
22.04.12
When I first started reviewing books ten years ago, I never imagined that an author could promote their title on Twitter and that it could be downloaded onto a Kindle and I would write about it on a blog. (I also never imagined that the technology of the future would have such odd names.) Now books can be self-published and their authors are less remote and more likely to see obscure reviews like this one. So. 1) It has a great cover, which admittedly isn't much of an advantage on an e-reader. 2) I got to the end. 3) There were no obvious typos but it would benefit from a structural editor, a copy editor and a proofreader to give it the polish required to really make it shine.
Well and truly damned with faint praise. But it's a book about Eurovision?? Whilst I appreciate your musings on the technological stampede I think that really I should like to know more about the Eurovision side of things ;)
ReplyDeleteOeps, sounds like a... great book? ;-)
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ReplyDeleteI only bought it because of the Eurovision connection but it doesn't come up until halfway through the book and even then it's a little rushed. Which is a pity - there's surely plenty of comedy mileage in silly costumes, cliched lyrics, and Europe united in irony.
ReplyDeleteHi Julia. Yours is my first mediocre review and I intend to take it like a man! So far the book has garnered only 4 and 5 star ratings on Amazon and Goodreads, but it would be foolish of me to expect it to appeal to everyone. I would only take issue on one point. It is not - and was never intended to be - a book about Eurovision. Far from it. It's about families, relationships and career dilemmas. It's through music/Eurovision that Mike rediscovers his pride and finds redemption. Eurovision offers too many easy targets (and, admittedly, I took aim at a few) but I steered clear of making too much of it for fear of losing touch with the principal themes. Perhaps you'll prefer my second book, Standing Up, which should be out in the Autumn. Best wishes, Simon
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking the time to comment, Simon. I appreciate your insight and feedback.
DeleteI think there probably is a classic comic novel waiting to be written entirely about Eurovision - or maybe a true Eurovision history would be comical enough...