Thought You Might Be Interested In This Book Review
- Thread starter stevegane
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Story begins: Liston Pearce was a yardie, a ruthless gangster, a drug-dealing gang boss, who never did much good in his life, except maybe once.
Looks promising. 2.99 only. Who could ask for more?
Looks promising. 2.99 only. Who could ask for more?
Good story...I'm about 25% into it on the kindle. Some peculiar expressions common to that area...Bristol perhaps...Britain/England...expressions I haven't heard prior, always fun. Story is simple straight-forward fiction, a small cast of characters, a number of peripheral characters. I wonder if this Gane character is really a Rastafarian in dreadlocks and that pic is some guy they got to pose? Maybe some old Jack they found in a park...looked like he needed a job, maybe...cover story. Just kidding...I think. Story is about a man born in Jamaica, moved to Britain when he was two, lost his mother when he was fourteen...and is now...that I'm not sure about...older. He witnesses an attack on a policewoman, pulls out a stolen pistol, and fires twice into the assailant...who eventually dies of his wounds...Liston, the hero, on the run thereafter.
Darn it!!! you have blown my cover, thanks for the kind words it really means a lot to me...
Sorry!...the pic does work...man! Or is it pronounced maan! Hard to get the accent right. I look at the pic and think, that guy looks like he knows what he's doing. I guess I should rethink my whole appearance...being self-employed one needs to make a good impression, first impression. I'm enjoying the story...I like the assorted expressions they use...can't think of the right term. Local color.
Oops...I clicked "like" thinking that's what I meant...but no...and yes...(I'm hard to put up with, hey?)...there is some dialect and that is part of it but there's expressions like: ...nip into the offy...
...the light from a chippy flooded...(a chippy, from the context, is a kind of restaurant)
there is a nice expression from a character, not related to what I mean "old age never comes alone."
...he just had a feeling in his water...
...tryin to stitch me up agan?...
heh! there's ...it will put hairs on your chest, young man... that one must be universal?
there's words to describe things that are...unique...to me:
electric fire...a sort of heating device
barman...where I'd use bartender
drayman...I kept reading...would have to look at that one closer to describe what it is
the answer phone...I think a kind of answering machine/phone
crash helmets...is used to describe what we are likely to call...well, I used to call mine a motorcycle helmet...or a Bell
riding pillion...I guess riding double on a...here a Vespa
Too, it's interesting for how the police respond. Information is obtained...they go to the public through the various media. To me it seemed like a difference between here and there, Bristol. But then, too, there is a...kind of no-knock raid...if you think of SWAT here in the States...so perhaps that is something that made its way over there...from its L.A. roots.
Yes...I thought I high-lighted some others...but apparently I didn't. When the gang members are talking to each other, there's some back and forth. One thing I remember is the use of "me"...for "my". And there's some of those, colloquialisms...things that...Brits? have a word for, we have another.
It's surprising how looks can be deceptive, I look like a tramp (hobo?) most of the time...
...nip into the offy... I am going to the off licence... last night shop that sells booze.. oops..strong drink
...chippy... Fish and Chip shop...fries..
...drayman..the man who delivers beer used to use a large cart in the old day pulled by horses...
Perhaps I should have put a glossary of terms in the front matter, when I wrote it I didn't realise (US realize )I had used so many different expressions...
No, I don't think a glossary is needed. Most of the expressions/phrases one can discern the meaning through context. The one...nip into the offy...is expressed later in the story without the slang, "he called in to a nearby off license and bought a nice bottle of red wine..." I'm not objecting to the various figures of speech...I like them...as they provide this reader with a taste of England. Knew a girl when I was in Florida...she was from England...blonde...and she "reckoned" at times. I heard her use the word so often...and I heard the same word from the assorted crackers...and I'd smile every time she reckoned to put some more mud on the wall. Until she explained to my question that people in England reckon, too. That, or she was pulling me leg.
I was only ...pulling your leg... about a glossary. Thanks for being my friend on goodreads...
Good story, Steve...I feel like I should call you Mr. Gane. I can send you a private message...and more info at the other place eventually, too...once I get it in place. Now I need to read your short biography again to get a feel for the accomplishment.
Hi, Thanks I am pleased you liked it, I would prefer just plain Steve. if you get time a review on amazon (good or bad) would be great...hope you enjoyed my bio, its a bit of a odd tale...
Good idea...when I finished on the kindle...there is that opportunity to review the story immediately and I think that gets posted to Amazon. I'll do that later on, too. Used to add questions to the quiz they got there at Goodreads...could add a question or two...give your story some...whatever the word is. People spend time on the quiz...I know I'd found stories to read by taking the quiz or looking at stories question makers read. Half the battle is knowing what is available to read, the good, the bad and the ugly. I can't imagine what life was like for you. A story that details that kind of life would be enlightening.