The Timewaster Diaries / Robert Popper (as Robin Cooper)

The Timewaster Diaries

category: humour, author:

Robert Popper (as Robin Cooper)

book 3 of Timewaster
original copyright 2007,
read in December 2010

Agamedes' opinion: 5 out of 10

Take a lot of lightweight cliches. Mix with cliche characters. Believe that the cliche stupid hero is actually funny. Serve as a Timewaster.

The hero invents all sorts of things. These could be cliche clever and working, a la Doc in Back to the Future. Or they could be ridiculous and not working, a la Timewaster. I find that this perpetual and unadmitted failure is sad rather than funny.

The hero fails to fix the bathroom door. Until the day when he is trapped in the bathroom so finally gets round to it. Sad and thoughtless. And cliched.

The hero lies to his wife about his efforts to clear a bird from the attic. Sad and thoughtless and stupid. And cliched. Seinfeld, for example, is about people whose first and automatic response to trouble is to lie about it.

The hero has been fired for writing thousands of letters using employer resources during work time. Sad and thoughtless and stupid and dishonest.

Then there's the Simpsons cliche: The hero is sad, stupid, mean, thoughtless and dishonest -- but his wife loves him, despite all his faults.

It's an easy book to read. It provides lightweight entertainment. Just don't think to closely about the underlying pathos.

..o0o..

These reviews are provided by Agamedes Consulting. For an independent and thoughtful review of your processes, problems or documents, email nickleth at gmail dot com.

The Tenth Chamber / Glenn Cooper

The Tenth Chamber

category: thriller, author:

Glenn Cooper

original copyright 2010,
read in October 2010

Agamedes' opinion: 7 out of 10

I enjoyed this book's "environment": France, cave paintings, archaeology... Something a bit different. I also appreciated the way that "France" was the country it was set in -- and not some cutesy foreign setting where we were expected to appreciate the exciting French-ness of it all... It's just a good story which happens to be set (mostly) in France.

Also an enjoyable idea, with a realistic portrayal of what could happen to fairly ordinary people who gain the benefits of... the mysterious secrets of The Tenth Chamber.

Then there's the government involvement... How many books expect us to believe that no-one in power has ever discovered the secrets right under their noses? The Tenth Chamber is far more realistic. I like it!

It's just a bit surprising when -- suddenly -- mass murders occur. Still, it suits the story and the characters. And -- speaking of mass murder! -- the grand finale is rather satisfying!

It's a good book, well worth reading. Not a great book. Solid story, great background. Keeps you reading... Just doesn't quite grab you with ... whatever it is with which great books grab you...

..o0o..

These reviews are provided by Agamedes Consulting. For an independent and thoughtful review of your processes, problems or documents, email nickleth at gmail dot com.