Rating: 
Summary: Refreshingly Unsavory
Review: This book is terrible. The writing is a plodding and relentlessly boring rendition of technical fencing techniques. This book has no conclusion, it simply ends. Magnus Mills should go back to driving buses. This is the first impression one receives from The Restraint Of Beasts. Then, if the reader takes the time to read further and put some thought into the novel, The Restraint Of Beasts becomes a genuinely amusing novel. If the reader has some degree of intelligence, the impressive subtleties and nuances of the novel become apparent. And if the reader possesses a functioning sense of humor, the work becomes a comedic masterpiece. The characters are refreshingly distasteful; Tam the fencer in particular being full of rampant Scottish glory. The plot almost forces a second read of the novel, "just to make sure it really went like that." The Restraint Of Beasts is one of those few chronicles of the working class that is neither depressing nor sophomoric. Altogether a satisfying read.
Rating: 
Summary: Wierd or what?
Review: This book was read on the BBC Radio 4 "Late book".So fascinated was I that, on returning home from the pub, I met a group of mates who said "Come for a late drink! " and I said "Er - no- I have to listen to the late book on the wireless..." (And thereby marking me down as a VERY SAD PERSON INDEED) I read a LOT of books last year and this was one of the two that really hangs around (lurking in a leather jacket) in my memory. Brilliant, and yes, VERY funny. PS My partner didn't like it - he said it had "No proper ending"! PPS The other book was Seamus Deane "Reading in the Dark" - also brilliant (and not as depressing as you might think).
Rating: 
Summary: The Restraint of Readers
Review: This is a story of three men who built high-tension fences for the restraint of beasts but found themselves under the restraint in the end. Editorial review speaks about black humor and promises that "readers will remember this book and laugh, long after they have finished reading it". Some events of the novel are rather black but it is a real slog to find any humor and I do not even smile during reading. The heroes are unattractive, the plot is predictable, the language is poor with perpetual insipid 'alright' and f-words.The real bolt from the blue is that the book was shortlisted for the Booker Prize.
Rating:
Summary: A Good Read
Review: This is a terrific first novel. The writing style is simple, without all that folderol that you might find in a Martin Amis novel or one of Nick Hornby's recent works. Nor was I dazzled by the writing techniques, such as in a Carol Shields work. Instead, this a curious story told in a simple writing style. Perfect combination. And, all of the first and secondary characters are engaging. Mr. Finlayson is just as interesting as Tam, or Donald, or the narrator. And the plot, such as there is a plot, is fairly entertaining. By the time the third, er mishap, occurs, you have to see what happens next. The only reason I did not give it five stars was the ending was a bit weak. I don't know what I expected but the ending did not go well with the major theme. Otherwise, this is one of those rare books that I will recommend. If you prefer gothic romances, go elsewhere. If you like good fiction in the modern style, take a chance on this one.
Rating: 
Summary: Original but overrated
Review: This is the first time I have bought a book, purely for its Booker credentials. I would have to admit to being a little disappointed. On the plus side, Magnus Mills manages to create a build up of quite real suspense using simple, skin-deep characters indulging in repetitive and often meaningless activity and dialogue. On the minus side, the story really doesn't get anywhere and ends disappointingly. This is not always a problem but, in this case, it made me reappraise characters, plot and dialogue and find all wanting. Mills could have done more with the characters he'd created and the situation he'd got them into. His ending was a cop-out.
Rating:
Summary: Love it or hate it - I love it!
Review: This seems to be a 'love it' or 'hate it' book. The friend who gave it to me told me I could burn it when I was finished. I loved it!! Like a couple of other reviewers I laughed aloud while reading (not something I'm prone to do). Enjoyment of this book obviously depends on the type of humour you appreciate. It's for readers with a warped, wicked, weird, sick, black sense of humour. Australian reviewers seem to like it....
Rating:
Summary: Can't put this one out of my mind.
Review: This short debut novel is about fencers (the honest type) who immerse us into a world where the simplest pleasures are the only kind. Following a trio of Scottish manual laborers through work-related misadventures struck me as the search for the meaning of... Mills's writing has a dream-like magnetic quality. Part absurdist, part dystopian, this novel can be like a meditation: beneath the threadbare, yet precise storyline lies an inviting ocean of meaning created by the author's tone and style, lulling the reader's mind to wonder. Fencing as a metaphor for life evokes a multitude of interpretations of the book's theme, but I have a feeling that yours will differ from all others.
Rating:
Summary: Work and emptiness
Review: This simple, straight and gloomy book is a punch on the nose. It clearly blows down our faith in the post-Industrial Revolution rethoric that tells us that being a paid worker is the best we can get from our lives. Well, perhaps it's not. Perhaps we can end up getting a as empty existence as Tam and Richie got. And trying to fill it up with pints and pints of beer, as they do. I dare to say that, if Chaplin had had a nightmare the night before he conceived "Modern Times", he would come out with something quite similar to this little great book by Mills. I suggest you to buy it now and read it as soon as possible, so you can feel a bit more human, besides being a worker. But, if you've got to get back to work, give those two Scots a call later, because they might want to invite you for a pint or two.
Rating:
Summary: What, Me Worry?
Review: Too bad it is so hard to find novels like this one. Bitingly funny for the right reader, the tale is a simple story with subtle complexity and room for thought. Easy to fit into segments where little time might be available, with each part darkly delightful. If you like TV movies, this book isn't for you. If you appreciate David Lynch, go get it.
Rating:
Summary: What the ?????
Review: What a strange little novel! Deadpan tale of a fencing crew in rural Scotland... told from the POV of the reluctant crew boss, who is put in charge of two guys that are both a couple of tacos short of a combination plate... Incredibly droll, it nevertheless pulls you in with its perfect pitch... strange, dark-humored, odd... I was pleasantly confused for days after I read it. Quite enjoyable, although I'd hardly rate it a prizewinner. I look forward to his new one coming out in paperback.
|
