Review of Tales of the 70's
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Punnya Singh
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- Latest Review: Tales of the 70's by David Done
Review of Tales of the 70's
[Following is a volunteer review of "Tales of the 70's" by David Done.]
Tale of the 70's by David Done follows the different kinds of lives of various characters through seven short stories and a novella, all set in the early 70s. All the stories are based in California. This book portrays complex human emotions, tragedy and how life was back in those days without the gadgets and advanced technology we have in this age. Each story shows the simple living and struggles of people in that era that can make a reader feel transported back to the seventies. Some are even written through the author's lens during his time in California.
The novella revolves around how mental illnesses affect someone and how a person going through them perceives the world. The main character is inspired from the experiences of the author's friend. It is not easy to understand this character's story as he is disconnected from reality, so it would require intellectual ability and emotional depth to dive into his state of mind.
What I liked most about this book is it's ability to be so relevant regardless of the time it is set in. One can relate to the stories and even empathise with the characters because no matter what time period it is, human emotions work the same. Even the characters which I did not resonate with, I felt they were shown in their truest nature and raw form without any clichés. The endings are unpredictable and surprising, leaving the reader to interpret their own end to the story. I liked "Point To Point After" the most. This story of an old couple and their endless love brought me to tears. Also, "The Cat Burglars'' felt hilarious, adventurous and sweet. It is about two thieves trying to steal an Ocelot and the comedy that ensues further.
While these were the positive aspects which can be seen in most of the stories, some of them like "Blind San Franciscans" and "The Short Unhappy Life of Terrence McAkers" had abrupt endings that just felt incomplete and the plot as well did not seem to add up to something meaningful.
Although there are hardly any spelling errors in the book, the inverted commas have not been placed properly and the spacing has not been done right either. Due to these reasons, it is hard to figure out where a dialogue begins.
Thus, I rate it 3 out of 4 stars, deducting one star for these flaws. Overall, this book is a worthwhile reading experience for its realistic presentation and interesting themes. Since severe profanity has been used and sex scenes are described, I recommend this book to adult readers.
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Tales of the 70's
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Tale of the 70's by David Done follows the different kinds of lives of various characters through seven short stories and a novella, all set in the early 70s. All the stories are based in California. This book portrays complex human emotions, tragedy and how life was back in those days without the gadgets and advanced technology we have in this age. Each story shows the simple living and struggles of people in that era that can make a reader feel transported back to the seventies. Some are even written through the author's lens during his time in California.
The novella revolves around how mental illnesses affect someone and how a person going through them perceives the world. The main character is inspired from the experiences of the author's friend. It is not easy to understand this character's story as he is disconnected from reality, so it would require intellectual ability and emotional depth to dive into his state of mind.
What I liked most about this book is it's ability to be so relevant regardless of the time it is set in. One can relate to the stories and even empathise with the characters because no matter what time period it is, human emotions work the same. Even the characters which I did not resonate with, I felt they were shown in their truest nature and raw form without any clichés. The endings are unpredictable and surprising, leaving the reader to interpret their own end to the story. I liked "Point To Point After" the most. This story of an old couple and their endless love brought me to tears. Also, "The Cat Burglars'' felt hilarious, adventurous and sweet. It is about two thieves trying to steal an Ocelot and the comedy that ensues further.
While these were the positive aspects which can be seen in most of the stories, some of them like "Blind San Franciscans" and "The Short Unhappy Life of Terrence McAkers" had abrupt endings that just felt incomplete and the plot as well did not seem to add up to something meaningful.
Although there are hardly any spelling errors in the book, the inverted commas have not been placed properly and the spacing has not been done right either. Due to these reasons, it is hard to figure out where a dialogue begins.
Thus, I rate it 3 out of 4 stars, deducting one star for these flaws. Overall, this book is a worthwhile reading experience for its realistic presentation and interesting themes. Since severe profanity has been used and sex scenes are described, I recommend this book to adult readers.
******
Tales of the 70's
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Tales of the 70's by David Done
