Customer Reviews: Read 49 more reviews...
 Random notes on rather doubtful love July 16, 2008
Anita
To tell the truth, it's been awhile I wanted to share my opinion on this, but was totally unable to "count" the stars. It's definitely not a one-star book, I think, but sometimes it scarcely rises above two, sometimes it almost reaches five, though. So my four stars is not a very credible evaluation.
Sorry, I can't give an exact quotation of some previous reviewer, but there's a very important point: real life tragedies are not necessarily plausible in a book (like breathtaking real life adventures can be totally boring in a novel). I do my best, but I can't shake off the impression, that the author, losing his own sweetheart years and years ago, remembers her as some kind of idol, hence this ideal love, Leo and Eleni. But, sorry, this flawless love is incredible, uninteresting and sparks zero emotions in a flawed reader like me (I almost switched to Romeo and Juliet......) And when a young man is crying non-stop for the first 20 pages, you feel kind of drowned, wanting to breathe, not to read.
It gets much better with the second storyline, as you can really make an idol of a girl, when you are at war, when you are suffering and separated from her by thousands of kilometers. And the description of Siberian reality in WWI times is credible, something, that does not happen very often to Western writers.
Sadly, but Leo of 1992 is no character at all. I do my best to think what kind of person he is, I try to imagine this man living and breathing. Hmmm....... Puff of empty air. Ah, there's Roberto, much more alive... ditto Hannah. Weird things happen. It seems, that when the author puts too much of himself into the character, or maybe loves him too much, the reader gets a corpse instead of the protagonist.
On the whole, it could have been two good love stories. Unfortunately, tying things together at the end adds a good amount of banality to everything. Maybe it's only my opinion, but I waited for this kind of ending since the moment I found out there are two storylines... and I would have been very pleasantly deceived by the author, had I found none of that. Alas... I could have written this ending myself, so why bother reading?...
On the whole don't get me wrong, this book is worth at least a try. And after some 20 or 30 pages you won't be flooded by torrents of tears that often.
 Total cheese-fest July 3, 2008
F. Chau (London United Kingdom)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
This book is cliche, boring, badly written and strained.
The "twist" is painfully obvious from about the thrid page.
It's so corny it actually contains the words: "They told me I had TB, but I knew I was dying of a broken heart" - isn't that a line from The Simpsons?
The love stories are utterly unbeleiveable.
There's nothing redeeming at all about this book
 A beautiful book June 29, 2008
Elizabeth (Bedfordshire)
I am just echoing what previous people have said. Random acts is a truly beautiful debut novel and I was hooked from the first page. Definitely recommended!
Stick with it June 23, 2008
Ali (Newcastle upon Tyne)
I loved this book. It laboured a little at times but stick with it and you will be well rewarded. OK a little quirky at times but so is the distraught Leo and even though the "surprise" is visible a mile off, the journey is wonderful. A lovely and unusual book.
 Disappointing June 15, 2008
A. DORRINGTON (London,UK)
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
I couldn't get into this book at all. Gave up one third of way through & glad I did. I thought the beginning was excellent, concerning Eleni & what happened to her but then went downhill fast. It just didn't hold my interest. I thought all those pictures of animals & sayings extemely annoying!
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