Blood Knots - Luke Jennings- dont miss this book!

[Shaun Harrison]

No problem, strong with milk but no sugar please

[Bluedun]

A note of dissent. Although it's not a bad book - better than many fishing books - I don't think it's as good as many think. It's half a fishing book, half a biography of a friend who met an unhappy end. The writing about the fishing itself is curiously flat - perhaps something to do with the author being a journalist. Certainly not great literature, although I'm not sure there are any fishing books that deserve such acclaim. Maybe one, though it depends on the comparisons.

[Gary Bills]

A note of dissent. Although it's not a bad book - better than many fishing books - I don't think it's as good as many think. It's half a fishing book, half a biography of a friend who met an unhappy end. The writing about the fishing itself is curiously flat - perhaps something to do with the author being a journalist. Certainly not great literature, although I'm not sure there are any fishing books that deserve such acclaim. Maybe one, though it depends on the comparisons.

Well, it's more than half a biography of one friend - it's about Jennings' family and his wounded father too, isn't it? Public school comes into it also, - and pike fishing with the doomed rock musician friend - the most haunting part of all for me. The Nairac passages were disturbing, true, but they do not really dominate the entire book, at least for me...
and I think the carp fishing passage, when he hooks and loses a hard-battling common beneath a placid statue of Mother Mary, on the banks of a rather creepy pool, is quite unforgettable...

[Shaun Harrison]

I'm happy to gamble my 99p plus £1.90 postage for the copy I ordered to-day.

I guess different authors and different writing styles appeal to different readers. Some of my favourite writers, the ones who's writing I find my eyes flowing the smoothest across the page with, would not be classed as great pieces of literature, but they strike a chord with me.

If I don't enjoy 'Blood Knots' then it hasn't quite broken the bank and would probably work wonders in the base of my Kelly Kettle. Which reminds me of a certain friend who used to tear the pages out of his paperback books as he read them. Like he says, he never wasted time looking where he had got to in a book!

Sacrilege really.

[Nigel Rainton]

I was given this as a birthday present, I couldn't put it down and have read it several times. I enjoyed it more than some of BBs books.

[Ian.R.McDonald]

mine came from the library- so wont be using it is as fuel!

[Bluedun]

Well, it's more than half a biography of one friend - it's about Jennings' family and his wounded father too, isn't it? Public school comes into it also, - and pike fishing with the doomed rock musician friend - the most haunting part of all for me. The Nairac passages were disturbing, true, but they do not really dominate the entire book, at least for me...
and I think the carp fishing passage, when he hooks and loses a hard-battling common beneath a placid statue of Mother Mary, on the banks of a rather creepy pool, is quite unforgettable...

Well yes, it does have those other parts, but it's the Nairac chapters that are to the fore - what I remember anyway. Completely forgotten the carp; I'd have to look that up. I suppose it was so hyped, I was just rather disappointed.

[Pedro]

A note of dissent. Although it's not a bad book - better than many fishing books - I don't think it's as good as many think. It's half a fishing book, half a biography of a friend who met an unhappy end. The writing about the fishing itself is curiously flat - perhaps something to do with the author being a journalist. Certainly not great literature, although I'm not sure there are any fishing books that deserve such acclaim. Maybe one, though it depends on the comparisons.

I tend to agree,only cost me a £1.
However,I found it disappointing after all the hype and recommendations in the various media.
Perhaps if we all liked the same books,life would be boring.
Still,it only costs a £1

[Scott]

A note of dissent. Although it's not a bad book - better than many fishing books - I don't think it's as good as many think. It's half a fishing book, half a biography of a friend who met an unhappy end. The writing about the fishing itself is curiously flat - perhaps something to do with the author being a journalist. Certainly not great literature, although I'm not sure there are any fishing books that deserve such acclaim. Maybe one, though it depends on the comparisons.

Well, it's more than half a biography of one friend - it's about Jennings' family and his wounded father too, isn't it? Public school comes into it also, - and pike fishing with the doomed rock musician friend - the most haunting part of all for me. The Nairac passages were disturbing, true, but they do not really dominate the entire book, at least for me...
and I think the carp fishing passage, when he hooks and loses a hard-battling common beneath a placid statue of Mother Mary, on the banks of a rather creepy pool, is quite unforgettable...

Thought you weren't going to do a spoiler? Just ordered my copy and I'll have my tuppeneth when I've read it... ...still think we should have a book review section on here... ...suggested it in the improvements bit, but...

[Shaun Harrison]

So sad to hear of the death of James Herbert to-day. I love reading but very much prefer reading factual stories yet James Herbert totally captivated me by his style of writing. I'm sure there are lots of favourites for lots of people as is illustrated in the comments above or more to the point different styles of writing appealing to different minds. Stephen King is obviously very highly regarded the world over but I always struggled to get into his books. So, I guess it makes my view on writers a strange one and certainly not what appears to be the norm'.
For what it is worth there is only one other fictional writer I have hunted more than a few books out of and the is Martina Cole. Obviously different styles of writing appeal to different minds and I salute James Herbert for hours of reading pleasure. I was very soon at the stage where I was having to keep waiting for him to write another.

Sorry for starting off on a slightly different tangent but still relative really and I am saddened by the news of James Herbert so wanted to mention for those who may not have heard. He was such a great writer he even made it onto the Traditional Fisherman's forum with a mention when he left our world.