Book Review: The Financial Expert by R.K. Narayan In the South Indian town of Malgudi, across from the Central Cooperative Land Mortgage Bank, there is a banyan tree under which sits Margayya, the financial expert. Margayya (“the one who shows the way”) is an unofficial middleman who helps the unlettered villagers apply for small loans… Continue reading Book Review: The Financial Expert
Tag: 1930s
Book Review: Billy Smith Shanghaied Ace
Book Review: Billy Smith Shanghaied Ace by Noël Sainsbury, Jr. William “Billy” Smith, noted teen aviator, has been called to Australia by a wealthy banker, Mr. Clafflin whose daughter Janet was on the missing passenger liner GLORIA (sic). The banker believes that the ship was not sunk, but is stranded off course somewhere in the… Continue reading Book Review: Billy Smith Shanghaied Ace
Book Review: The Vanishing Airliner
Book Review: The Vanishing Airliner by Van Powell Rodney Ellis is the son of an aircraft designer whose firm is on the verge of bankruptcy after the Crash of 1929 and the crash of a previous airplane designed by his company. Mr. Ellis’ one hope is his new airliner, the Oakland Queen. He hopes to demonstrate… Continue reading Book Review: The Vanishing Airliner
Book Review: The Partnership
Book Review: The Partnership by Pamela Katz Disclaimer: I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway on the premise that I would review it. This copy was a bound galley, and changes have been made in the published edition (most notably, a proper index.) The Weimar Republic, Germany after World War One and before the… Continue reading Book Review: The Partnership
Movie Review: Trocadero (1944)
Movie Review: Trocadero (1944) Hollywood columnist Erskine Johnson (playing himself) needs a story for his Sunday slot, and goes to his favorite nightclub, the Trocadero. It’s hopping as usual, but headwaiter Sam (Ralph Morgan) finds a moment between celebrity cameos and musical numbers to talk to the columnist. He reveals that things were not always… Continue reading Movie Review: Trocadero (1944)
Book Review: The Jail Gates Are Open
Book Review: The Jail Gates Are Open by David Hume Cardby and Son is a detective firm comprised of ex-Chief Inspector Cardby (late of Scotland Yard) and his son Mick. They’ve been engaged by a consortium of banks to discover where a recent flood of “slush”, counterfeit money, is coming from. Nick realizes that… Continue reading Book Review: The Jail Gates Are Open
Book Review: The Green God
Book Review: The Green God by L. Ron Hubbard Disclaimer: I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway on the premise that I would review it. This is another in the line of pulp reprints put out by Galaxy Press, and continues their tradition of excellent physical quality. I should also give a shout-out to… Continue reading Book Review: The Green God
Book Review: The Saint: The Man Who was Clever
Book Review: The Saint: The Man Who was Clever by Leslie Charteris, with art by Dave Bryant Simon Templar, the Saint, was created by Leslie Charteris in the late 1920s and went on to become a major franchise. Mr. Templar (not his birth name) was a roguish young man with a murky past, and a… Continue reading Book Review: The Saint: The Man Who was Clever
Anime Review: Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood/Battle Tendency
Anime Review: Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood/Battle Tendency This 2012 anime series was based on the first two story arcs of the manga by Hirohiko Araki. The series as a whole deals with the bizarre adventures of the extensive Joestar family, with protagonists having repeated “Jo” sounds in their names, thus “Jojo.” Phantom Blood takes… Continue reading Anime Review: Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood/Battle Tendency
Movie Review: Four Frightened People (1934)
Movie Review: Four Frightened People (1934) The last of the Cecil B. DeMille movies in the set I have, it’s very different from the others, being set in the present day, and having a relatively small cast. The story opens on a passenger ship that has become infested with bubonic plague. The crew is… Continue reading Movie Review: Four Frightened People (1934)