David Logan (3)

This book had an intriguing premise. The title meant nothing to me (I've read the poem, though years ago)and chose it from the library becuase it sounded like something a bit out of the ordinary, dark and with a touch of humour.

For the most part, I really enjoyed the way this book was written. As 5-year old Edward, the narration was spot-on, and the continued use of the word 'precocious' to describe him was also correct, but he was a likeable character and I enjoyed his company. The way the narration changed when Edward started in education was also well done. The character development was very good. The setting for the most part of the story, the Manse, was sinister and gothic, with creaky timbers and ghosts and bodies in the basement. I was unsure what time period was being depicted here though.

To begin with the story flowed really well, there were some intriguing events and situations - I loved the idea of the time-travelling Morris Minor, and was a bit disappointed that it didn't appear again until the end. Unfortunately, after the first part of the story there a few other things that also began to disappoint and led to a big let-down at the end.

The character of Alf was one such disappointment. I never really understood if he was imaginary or not, or for the most part, what he was doing there at all. He was a bit annoying to be honest. The last 2 sections of the book seemed to hint at a lot of involvement with Alf in the story, but he wasn't really that important to the story at all in the end. The main part of the story to me were the events at the Manse, with Sophia and their parents, and the other storyline just got in the way of that. In fact, the part where Alf began to explain to Edward about time travel and universes was so convoluted I almost stopped reading.

Towards the end of the story the consistency with the narration began to falter and I get the feeling that the author was trying too hard to keep it interesting - sections written in third-person, passages in present tense, dialogue in script format - at these points it became awkward and clunky and all it did was spoil the narration, which up until these points was very enjoyable and didn't need the interruption in flow.

As for the ending, this is where the book did fall flat. Dead bodies everywhere. It was as though the author wasn't sure on how to finish and answer all the questions that had been mounting up throughout the book, and this was the easy way out. I was left wondering what I had had actually just read.

I think that with more careful planning, this book could have been so much more. The book would have got four stars for the writing style, but the plot was where it failed in the end.… (plus d'informations)

This is a good, solid DIY guide to framing. It's not as comprehensive as [b:Matting and Framing Made Easy|2125629|Matting and Framing Made Easy|Janean Thompson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1312036764l/2125629._SX50_.jpg|2131069], but the subset of topics it covers is a good selection for common framing needs of the amateur or semi-pro. In particular I appreciated the advice on selecting mat colors and choosing attractive mat border dimensions, as these are important factors that the average layperson won't have experience in.

This book doesn't have a lot to say about DIY frame building. Understandable given that many people won't be interested in that area, just a limitation to be aware of.

You'll likely end up supplementing this book with other sources of information, but it makes a good place to start on. It gets you on the right track and introduces you to common options without overwhelming you with information.… (plus d'informations)

I'm not really sure what to say about this book.
When it starts out, it has a touch of whimsy (time travel appears to be mentioned), though that is left to one side for the first part of the book and you follow a precocious little boy who lives with his twin sister and odd family in a very macabre home called the Manse (though it wasn't one).
Edward's sister, Sophia, makes a promise to their father to never leave home and takes it literally, so she's unable to break away, while Edward goes onto further studies at boarding school. There he has various experiences--most of them kept at a distance by the description of the author--Edward often doesn't seem to realize what's happening to him. There's also a strange boy around called Alf, but nobody else seems to see him, so it appears to be an imaginary friend.
It's the end of the book which I find difficult to deal with. All of a sudden there's murder, there's incest, there are bodies left, right and centre--and all in very bizarre circumstances.
After enjoying the first part of the book, it's left a bad taste after having finished it. A macabre story. I've only given it two stars, but I guess that's just my taste.… (plus d'informations)