Review by Sou Hi -- Tales of the 70's by D.Done

[Sou Hi]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Tales of the 70's" by D.Done.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Tales of the 70’s by D.Done is a collection of novelettes with different genres. You will be reading about a Chinese man's trauma, pain, and love in the first narrative. The second tale is about a charity's deception and its members' conspiracy of silence. The third one features two thieves trying to steal an ocelot from the zoo, and the fourth story tells the love life of a thirty-year-old virgin.

The fifth tale follows a guy's encounter with two black-skinned card players on the bus. The sixth one addresses a homosexual councilman's struggles. The final novelette depicts the last moments of an unhappy man. The second half of the collection is a novella, focusing on a man named Jeff. However, it is divided into smaller parts that don't seem to connect with each other.

My most favorite aspect of this copy is the author's intriguing and thought-provoking writing style. The stories are concise, but the messages they contain are properly delivered. While some tales have palpable endings, the others leave the conclusions to the readers' judgments, so we will be able to perceive the plots as we please. Thanks to the gentle and realistic wording, you can easily relate to the characters' emotions. For example, you can feel Zhen Hua's pain and understand his eventual choice. Watching your beloved ones slowly but surely slip away from your grasp is a heartbreaking thing we never want to experience. In addition, there are some pleasant surprises that you may love to know. They don't exactly result in happy endings, but they signify the hopes for the protagonists.

Unfortunately, the messy editing would be a huge hindrance to a smooth read. I think this copy really needs another round of proofreading. It's riddled with grammar errors, and I found more than ten errors in the initial 25 pages. In addition, the first story's tenses are confusing, as the plot keeps switching between the present tense and the past tense for no apparent reason. Besides, the novella is quite obscure, and I have to say I don't wholly understand it.

Due to the above negative aspects, I can only give this tome 3 out of 4 stars. If those problems are solved, this will be a good read for those who want a simple yet meaningful book. The cast is from many nations, so it would be appealing to a large audience. Because of the sexual scenes and the vulgar words, I think the book is not safe for young readers.

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Tales of the 70's
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[markodim721]

I think the story of the cat burglars is definitely the best part of the book.

[Michael Jerry_]

I’ve read many reviews about this book. A handful of them have complained about the editing issues just like you have. If the author does work on the issues, I’m sure the book will be a much better experience. I’d love to read the unfinished short stories only then. Thank you for the entertaining and insightful review.
Well done.

[Durgeshwari Dolas]

I think this is something that I will love to read. Thank you for your honest review!!

[Sou Hi]

I think the story of the cat burglars is definitely the best part of the book.

Yes, I think it's quite hilarious to follow the men during their stealing. Based on the author's note, I guess they will have to let the ocelot go after all .

[Sou Hi]

I’ve read many reviews about this book. A handful of them have complained about the editing issues just like you have. If the author does work on the issues, I’m sure the book will be a much better experience. I’d love to read the unfinished short stories only then. Thank you for the entertaining and insightful review.
Well done.

Thanks for stopping by. Yes, unfortunately, it's very frustrating to read a book with messy editing. It's hard to concentrate on the plot if you are distracted by the errors, after all.

[Mariana Figueira]

I normally don't enjoy novels that are a collection of stories, but this one is intriguing! Thanks for the wonderful and detailed review.

[NetMassimo]

I'm not sure about this book, I mean, at least some stories sound interesting to me, others are probably not my kind of stuff. Regardless, thank you for your great review!

[Gemjay]

Great review. I think we can both agree that the book has so many errors and the ocelot story is the funniest story in the book.

[Nicholus Schroeder]

Great review thanks for your honesty!

[Nicholus Schroeder]

Great review thanks for your honesty!

[Mbrooks2518]

This sounds like a book full of intriguing stories. Hopefully the author will fix the errors. Great review!

[kandscreeley]

I love collections of stories, but it doesn't sound like this is one for me. It sounds like the book needs a bit of editing as well. Thanks.

[SamaylaM]

The tales sound very interesting with the way you've summarized them! Hopefully, the author will take on the editing feedback. Thanks for an engaging review of this book!

[Honest-reviewer]

This sounds interesting. I enjoy reading such collections. Thanks for your wonderful review!