BOOK REPORT: The Hot Rock by Donald E. Westlake

Title:                                           The Hot Rock

Author:                                       Donald E. Westlake

Original Copyright Date:          1970

My Rating:     4 out of 5 stars  ( fun )

Backcover Description

John Dortmunder left prison with the warm words of the warden ringing in his ears and not once chance of going straight. Soon Dortmunder was riding in a stolen Cadillac with venetian blinds, reuniting with old friends and scheming to heist a large emerald belonging to a small African nation. As always, his planning is meticulous. As always, the execution is not. Undaunted, Dortmunder is now chasing the gem by plane, train, and automobile. Because this hot rock has a way of getting stolen -- not just once but again and again and again and again....

My Thoughts

The hot rock was an enjoyable book about a large emerald that just won't stay stolen.  This is the first book in a series of comedic crime capers based around John Dortmunder,  the aforementioned criminal mastermind who attempts to steal valuable items from difficult places as a hobby more than a source of income. The keyword is *try* in that previous sentence as things just don't always go as planned.  

The book starts off similar to "The Blues Brothers" or "Ocean's 12" where the main character walks out of jail, into a car, and plans the next job. In this case, a certain small African country wants to pay Dortmunder and his crew good money to steal an emerald from another small African country during an exhibit at a New York City museum. The first attempt goes awry which leads to successively more ridiculous attempts at snagging the stone.  Dortmunder could have called it quits several times, but he just won't let this one get away.

I would definitely recommend this for anyone looking for a fun and light read which will keep them entertained from beginning to end.

BOOK REPORT: Animal Farm by George Orwell

Title:                                           Animal Farm   

Author:                                       George Orwell

Original Copyright Date:          1946

My Rating:     3 out of 5 stars  ( interesting )

Backcover Description

This remarkable book has been described in many ways -- as a masterpiece...a fairy story.... a brilliant satire...a frightening view of the future. A devastating attack on the pig-headed, gluttonous and avaricious rulers in an imaginary totalitarian state, it illuminates the range of human experience from love to hate, from comedy to tragedy.  "A wise, compassionate and illuminating fable of our times...The steadiness and lucidity of Orwell's wit are reminiscent of Anatole France and even of Swift. 

My Thoughts

Animal farm is what it is:  a short political cautionary fairy tale of power, greed and corruption.  It is laid bare just like any other fairy tale from your childhood, down to the anthropomorphic farm animals who talk, each having a distinct role in a black and white world of innocence and corruption.   It is meant to scare you, in this case, into not trusting those in power.

But that's all it was to me, which is why I only gave it 3 stars.  Animal Farm didn't have any depth beyond the words on the page.  There were no lines to read between.  Just the one line, and it was the moral, and the moral is clear.  Don't trust those in power. Don't believe their propaganda.  

I'm glad I read Animal Farm, but it left me wanting more substance, more subtlety. 

In the end, this is a simple book report for a simple, but interesting book.