F.

I found it somewhat perplexing that Pratchett's best Discworld book would be this one (for me).

The series on Death and the one on Miss Weatherwax were always my favorites. Rincewind is simply boring. But ‘Going Postal' really takes the cake. It's quite clever and touching.

Besides, it made me feel respect for Vetinari, almost wanting to know what our world would be like with a benevolent dictator.

This is, unlike many Discworld books, not just a light read, but rather an inventive book about greed and the pride of a job well done. The way the “clacks” were run mirrors that of many corporations of our own world, which was in itself gripping enough. It's hard not to like a book that pokes so much fun at managers and the rich.

Pff, who am I to judge a 172-years book, that's close to 900 pages, written by a revered author? There are plenty of great reviews on Goodreads about David Copperfield — both favorable and not so much. (Some fall into the mistake of ignoring the almost 2 centuries that have passed.)

I wanted only to point out 2 things: Dickens does indeed “ramble” and over-extend the narrative with tangents that contribute nothing to the story; and the book is remarkable by most standards, whether I found it sublime or not.

If I were to remove one thing from the book, it wouldn't be Uriah or the rambling or what most reviews complain about. I would very much appreciate Dickens getting rid of the poor-people's English that e.g. Mr. Pegotty speaks. Oh, and Dora.

I don't agree with some who claim the characters to be rather flat. Well, except for the Murdstones and Dora. Good lord, do I find Dora detestable...

Regardless, it's a long, grinding read, but one with plenty of pay-off: the colossal quality of the writing, the sense that you're going through the lives of people you care for, the occasional humor, and (obviously) an ending that rewards your expectations about the main characters in the story.

SpoilerOh, and Dora dies eventually, leaving David to finally grap the love staring him right in the face, so there's that to look forward to.

I understand now why the 2013 movie got hit by the critics. The Great Gatsby is a sad book. The movie fails to capture the melancholy of Gatsby's dream, and the empathy you feel on moments of pure humanity throughout the book. Tobey Maguire isn't a proper Carraway to me, but as the character himself says:

‘In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I've been turning over in my mind ever since. “Whenever you feel like criticizing any one,” he told me, “just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had.”'

The only part of the book that failed to interest me was Nick's description of the people that came to Gatsby's parties. I felt for a moment as if I had picked up War and Peace. It's nothing but a long, very long list of names. Perhaps the author is trying to give you a sense of how extensive was the group of people that “crashed” Gatsby's parties, yet failed to be there he most needed them.

Well, I'm not a proper critic and can't write clever reviews, so I'll state simply: The Great Gatsby is excellent.