Ataraxia

  Take a Girl Like You by Magister Ludi Kingsley Amis – he is my favorite author, along with Marcel Proust, Somerset Maugham, and I was going to say Take a Girl Like You is one of his best, except I would be wrong, I am enthused by all his magnum opera – indeed, there are about thirty notes on his novels and short stories, maybe even more, together with thousands of reviews on books from The Greatest Books of All Time and other lists on my blog https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/2025/09/do-you-have-any-feedback.html   10 out of 10   I have read Take a Girl Like You https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/2025/07/take-girl-like-you-by-kingsley-amis-one.html               a few years ago and was ecstatic, but then that is what happens when you read a novel or short story by the divine Kingsley Amis – this was his favorite and wrote that it was the only one…   He felt like writing a sequel to, and...

  Caught Stealing by Charlie Huston is one feature that I liked, nevertheless, maybe the note will not be impressive, since it is a cloudy, and what with the war in Iran, Middle East actually, seeing as the Gulf states, Lebanon are involved, these might be depressing lines…still, you could access my blog https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/2025/09/do-you-have-any-feedback.html where you find thousands of notes on films from The New York Times’ Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made and other sites, plus reviews of books from The GOAT and other lists   8 out of 10   This was some very good entertainment, furthermore, Austin Butler seems to be on the way to become one of my favorite thespians https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/2024/01/elvis-and-me-true-story-of-love-between.html he certainly has charm, talent, an easy going way, inspiration, he can be funny and take on drama   He has the leading role of Hank Thompson in this tragicomedy, he falls in the middle of w...

  Crime 101 by Don Winslow was adapted for the big screen by the author and Bart Layton, the latter is the director; the result is a good, if not overwhelming thriller – you find thousands of notes on films from The New York Times’ Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made   and other sites on my blog https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/2025/09/do-you-have-any-feedback.html and YouTube channel, which has about ten subscribers   7 out of 10   Crime 101 is entertaining, and that should be the whole ‘review’, except I will keep adding lines to this, with the knowledge that few, if any bother reading this, and that is also some solace, it means freedom to say just about anything…well, saying what I think about the Orange Twat in the White House got me kicked out   Barry Keoghan is not the lead here, but this thespian is outstanding, he has such a wide range, from The Banshees of Inisherin https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/2025/03/the-banshees-of-inisherin.html to ...

  Elmer Gantry by Sinclair Lewis Great novel - When did I see Elmer Gantry? - Was it twenty years ago? I was anyway impressed by the magnificent Burt Lancaster in the title role. In my memory though, the movie is different from the book. That happens almost always, but in this case I remember a preacher that is strong, manly and likable. Whereas the novel created outrage among the clergy. That was because Gantry, and not just him, is coming out as sinful and depraved. Not always, but I tend to say most of the time. That makes the reading so much more interesting. A complex personage is way more inciting than a human that has only one side, good or bad. The evolution of Elmer Gantry is intriguing and perhaps he can work also as an example in church lessons: -  Look, this is what happens if you sin and err. And the reverend is a strong man, both physically and spiritually...well, the latter in some situations. It is amazing to see how hard he falls and then he jumps back and cli...

  The Tender Trap by Max Shulman and Robert Paul Smith is one of The New York Times’ Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made – you find thousands of notes on films from The NYT 1,000 and other lists on my blog https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/2025/09/do-you-have-any-feedback.html and YouTube channel, plus a multitude of book reviews   8 out of 10   Frank Sinatra has the leading role of Charlie Reader in this comedy, a sort of Casanova https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/2025/06/memoirs-of-casanova-by-giacomo-casanova.html which I understand Sinatra himself was, albeit I am biased and tend to believe rumors on this matter, or even think I have rea about it   He was also alleged to be the inspiration for the singer in The Godfather, Johnny Fontane, the one who comes at the wedding to complain, Don Corleone gives him a lesson, to the effect of ‘be a man’, and then intervenes on his behalf, the director of the film refuses to give him a role, and then he gets the in...

  The Commitments by Roddy Doyle is one of The 1,000 Novels Everyone Must Read according to one critic, albeit it is just 3777 th on The Greatest Books of All Time site – you find thousands of reviews on magnum opera from both and other lists on my blog https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/2025/09/do-you-have-any-feedback.html   9 out of 10   “This is one of the fantastic, hilarious and short marvels that you can finish in just a few hours, wishing at the same time that there would be more, included for perfect reasons on The Guardian’s 1,000 Novels Everyone Must Read list” – this is how ecstatic I was some years ago, when I had the chance to read this for the first time https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/2025/09/the-commitments-by-roddy-doyle-10-out.html   Alas, on this second take, I was not so elated, even if I discovered that quite a few books will gain when somebody else reads them, audiobooks that is, in this particular case, the actor is also a ta...