F
C Point Man 1990 NF/Christian
Generally OK advice wrapped in offensive glossy & stupid theory
FEIST, Raymond E.
B+ Magician 1982 Fantasy
Enjoyable ride and D&D characters, some originality in mixing European and Japanese medieval type cultures
C+ Flight of the Nighthawks 2004 Fantasy
Lazy, indulgent, formulaic
FEYNMAN, Richard (ed.
Ralph Leighton)
A Surely You're Joking Mr Feynman 1985 Non-Fiction - Biography
A total pleasure. Deservedly an instant classic
FFORDE, Jasper
B+ The Eyre Affair (Thursday Next, Book 1) 2001 SF/Humour/Crime
As good as, worse and better than Adams or Pratchett
B Lost in a Good Book (Thursday Next, Book 2) 2002 SF/Humour
Funny, original, but poor plot and villains
B- The Well of Lost Plots (Thursday Next, Book 3) 2003 SF/Humour
Has Thursday Next jumped the shark?
B+ The Big Over Easy 2005 SF/Humour/Crime
Another enjoyable excursion
B Luckybitch 2000 Short Story
(in ‘Speaking With the Angel’; Ed. Nick Hornby)
Ageing
hedonist diva’s vacillating monologue
B The Department of Nothing 2000 Short Story
(in ‘Speaking With the Angel’; Ed. Nick Hornby)
Charming
mix of child/grandmother’s fantasy coping with everyday
C- Delusions of Grandma 1994 Novel
Bad US sit-com gloss and
introspective vacuity
B- Batavia 2012 Historical Fiction
A bit pointless: poor fictional elements impede the
fascinating non-fictional ones
FLANNERY, Tim
B+ Throwim Way Leg 1998 NF – Biology/Anthropology
Interesting PNG treks: biology and anthropology
FLEMING, Ian
B+ Casino Royale (James
Bond #1) (Audio Book) 1953
Action (Spy)
Well narrated, different
composition to movies – more romance, less action, darker
Occasional moments, but overall farcical, predictable, irritating, pedestrian
B Everything Is Illuminated 2002 Novel
Fails as much as it succeeds
B Whiteout 2004 Action
Follett’s superwoman biff and soap-opera romance
FORESTER, C.S.
B+ Poo Poo and the Dragons 1942 Juvenile
Enjoyed by parent and child simultaneously
FORSYTH, Frederick
A- No comebacks 1982 Short Stories
Meticulous, able, satisfying
B- The Fourth Protocol 1984 Action (Spy)
Right wing bias damages stupidity filter
B The Jane Austen Book Club 2004 Novel
Capable, engaging character portraits
FREDRICKSON, Michael
B A Defence for the Dead 2005 Crime
Solid effort, beyond cliché characters, never soars
B A Dancing Bear
2005 (Online)
Novel
Clever but ultimately empty/ugly satire
FRY, Steven
B The Liar 1991 Novel
Irritatingly constant seedy action undermines language drenched with wit
B The Hippopotamus 1994 Novel
Able characters, style, dialogue and plot. Definitively gratuitous immorality