Stuart PrebbleRezensionen

Got this out the library, got it home, started reading it, finished it about 8 hours later. Great book!

I was distracted when I picked up this book, and in that state my mind decided the author's name was Peter Straub, a horror author I have enjoyed in the past. When I settled into read, I was like who is this clown, oh a TV executive. I was not thrilled at all. I decided to give it a go since it was right in front of me. I didn't pay much attention or feel invested in the book, as I was prepared to toss it away at any moment and write a snarky half assed review as I do when something is frivolous and boring. So I'm thinking about what's for dinner and what to read instead, and then IT PULLED ME BACK IN--WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED!?! Well that was a one off, this isn't even my genre, it will be boring soon--hadn't even finished the thought for a minute AND IT DID IT AGAIN! I am still angry at this book for manipulating me into liking it. I will decide what I like book! I liked the book.

I was distracted when I picked up this book, and in that state my mind decided the author's name was Peter Straub, a horror author I have enjoyed in the past. When I settled into read, I was like who is this clown, oh a TV executive. I was not thrilled at all. I decided to give it a go since it was right in front of me. I didn't pay much attention or feel invested in the book, as I was prepared to toss it away at any moment and write a snarky half assed review as I do when something is frivolous and boring. So I'm thinking about what's for dinner and what to read instead, and then IT PULLED ME BACK IN--WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED!?! Well that was a one off, this isn't even my genre, it will be boring soon--hadn't even finished the thought for a minute AND IT DID IT AGAIN! I am still angry at this book for manipulating me into liking it. I will decide what I like book! I liked the book.

I enjoyed reading this book but would not classify it as a psychological thriller. I liked the straight forward writing approach throughout. Was a fast read and one I may pick up again in a few years time.

The Bridge is Stuart Prebble's latest book.

Michael has been dating Alison for a few months now. They're on the way to meet his Grandma Rose, when the radio newscast reports a madman picking up children and throwing them over the Waterloo Bridge. Horrific, Alison and Michael agree. And then the meeting with Rose goes badly as well. Perhaps it was too soon. Or perhaps he doesn't know Alison well enough yet. The Madman strikes again, again targeting children.

Unbelievably, the police finger Michael as a person of interest. He was in the vicinity of each occurrence and they have other evidence that they say ties him to the crimes.

Prebble leads the reader with many red herrings along the way, igniting our suspicions as to the final whodunit. I must admit, I was pretty sure I had sussed out the answer about midway through. I was wrong, but....I found the coincidences that drove the plot forward to the final reveal to be just too far-fetched. The whodunit was overwrought and overwrote in my opinion. The Bridge was just an okay read for me.

Review: The Insect Farm by Stuart Prebble. This is a psychological suspense thriller that keeps the reader mystified throughout the book. I thought it was great surprising story to the end. The characters were well developed and justified the crime committed. The only flaw I thought was the writing style was so straight, low-keyed, with an even tone from the characters in the story but perhaps that’s the way the author kept his audience compelled to the subject matter and followed through with keeping all the characters in a subdued behavior. No matter the manner of the writing, as I read, I seemed to not notice anymore, it grew on me because the story was still amazing and it didn’t take anything away from the book. It was still captivating and mysterious. The story began with two brothers, Jonathan and his older brother, Roger who bonded closely as they grew older. Roger was the one that their parents worried about because he had a learning disability. Their concern was who would take care of Roger after they were gone. As the boys grew into men Jonathan was preparing to go away to college with his teenage love, Harriet who would later become a good musician. However, Roger was a real concern to their parents. He grew up interested in the life of insects so his parents let him turn the shed out back of their home into an “Insect Farm”. This kept Roger occupied growing up and continued to keep his interest even as a man. While Jonathan was away at college his parent’s home caught fire and his parents died from inhaling the smoke but they found Roger scrunched down in the back of the shed unharmed. Jonathan now has to leave college and take care of his brother like he told his parents he would do if anything happened to them. However, the love of his life, Harriet will continue college to get her degree in music. They decided to get married before she went back and she would travel once a month to stay a week-end or Holiday with Jonathan and Roger. This is a hardship they both struggled with because someone they knew from home also went to that collage who was obsessed with Harriet, which brought on a jealousy attitude from Jonathan. Meanwhile, with the insurance money from their parents death Jonathan found them another home and Roger was still obsessed with his insects that Jonathan buys him a bigger shed and places it on an allotment close to where they were living. Jonathan is truly caring and loyal to taking care of his brother. Plus, Roger is capable in his own way of caring and being loyal to Jonathan. The story goes on with Jonathan drinking a little to much, Harriet being pressured to leave her husband, Roger going to his day center and telling about his dead cockroaches, the case of the fire still left opened, and than a missing wife for years, Jonathan turning fifty-seven years old still taking care of Roger to the very end of the story that started at the beginning of the book…..great masterminding…..

Meh. There's not much there there. The limited plot may have been better served as a short story or novella.

The Insect Farm by Stuart Prebble is another book that proves how important a synopsis is in finding the right audience. When a reader goes into The Insect Farm one might expect a psychological thriller or something of the sort. The description does mention two brothers who are obsessed, what I wish that I knew going in is that the dysfunctional relationships are the mainstay. The murder and suspense take a backseat and only appears towards the end.

There are a lot of pointless scenes that I kept waiting to show purpose, but they never happened. The majority of the book was spent with Jonathan and his annoying girlfriend, and there was less time spent on the equally non important scenes with Roger. There were small amounts of important insight that added to the outcome, and it was only much later in the story that it became more conducive to what I expected based on the synopsis, a thriller...But it was still none too thrilling.

The conclusion felt like an attempt at two big twists, one predictable, and one so out of left field that it wasn't believable. I don't wish to give anything away to those who haven't read it, so I will just ask those who have read the book: What was up with that letter that Jonathan received near the end? Did that seem like any kind of believable? As if!

The Insect Farm, had it been culled of all of the pointless dribble, could have had a Hitchcock feel and would have been better written as a thirty minute television screenplay. Now that would have been worth my time.

Full Review at Tenacious Reader: http://www.tenaciousreader.com/2015/07/28/audiobook-review-the-insect-farm-by-st...

The Insect Farm by Stuart Prebble is a fascinating look into one man’s life, and his relationship with his brother. Jonathan is the younger brother of a much better looking, but also simple minded Roger. Much of this book revolves around their relationship and the impact it has on Jonathan’s life.

Jonathan is trying to live a normal life. He goes to college, falls in love and seems to be headed there. But, his insecurities can make it difficult. And then he is called back home, leaving the “typical life” behind.

As a reader I couldn’t help but theorize while reading this, trying to solve the mysteries that accrue during the story. And while I got some right, I got others wrong. There is a bit of unpredictability in this. We are seeing things from Jonathan’s perspective, so we only get the information he is aware of and finds important.

This is not a speculative fiction book and I am honestly not sure what I’d classify it as. Maybe mystery? It is more a of a introspective look at the relationship between the brothers. From the description, I expected a creepier, more suspenseful book. But, I really enjoyed the book for what it is. And it definitely has a dark edge to it, sometimes books without any sort of supernatural element can actually be much more disturbing because it is a look into what humans are capable of.

After finishing, I chatted about this book with another reader. I loved getting to do this, because it is a book that really can cause speculation and deeper observation into the motivations of characters. After you finish, you can’t help but still try to puzzle all the pieces together and look back at the entire story from the beginning and wonder about so many things that happened early on. Trying to decide if there were ulterior motives that you might have missed on the initial read.

"If you have been lucky enough to be able to tell the truth for most of your life, you probably cannot imagine how exhausting it is to spend forever living a lie."

If this is true, then Jonathan Maguire is one tired man, and his brother, Roger, isn't exactly wide-awake either. Stuart Prebble's debut novel, The Insect Farm, is a study of these two men - of their strange, insular relationship that trumps all else and of their strange, all-consuming obsessions.

For Ralph, the older of the two brothers (yet, clearly, the younger in terms of mental maturity), little else matters apart from his brother, Jonathan, and his insect farm. Roger spends his hours cultivating any number of mail-order specimens from around the world in handmade habitats that he has, surprisingly, designed on his own. For Jonathan, the younger brother entrusted with the care of his mentally challenged older brother, he has little concern for anything other than his brother, Roger, and the love of his young life, his musically-inclined, much-lusted-after,wife, Harriet. Unfortunately, Jonathan is forced to leave both Harriet and his studies at university to care for Roger upon the death of their parents in a tragic (and suspicious) house fire. With distance between the two young lovers, Jonathan's jealous nature has an opportunity to flourish and grow unbound. Will the two brothers' singular obsessions disrupt the harmony of their coexistence?

I don't know what it is about mentally challenged, male characters, but they can really tug at my heart-strings like none other (think: Of Mice's Lenny and The Sound's Benji). Poor Roger - his goofy breakfast routines, his ability to deep-sleep like a child, his uncanny ability to converse almost philosophically about insects - it all just broke my heart. I found both brothers to be extremely emphatic, but Roger really spoke to my maternal instincts; I understood Jonathan's duty and need to protect him. As much as I loved Roger and Jonathan, I hated Harriet's would-be suitor Brendon Harcourt. If there is something about mentally-challenged men that makes my heart melt, there is something about red-headed men that almost instantly repulses me. (Side note: sorry (not sorry) to all the ginges out there. The only exception to my rule seems to be Prince Harry, and maybe his royal blood cancels out the otherwise icky ginger vibes. I don't know. I only speak the truth).

Very slight spoiler alert: I loved how the prologue firmly set this book up as a psychological thriller with the tease of the two unidentified bodies. The rest of the book was shrouded in a haze of mystery that I could not wait to unravel.

A highly-recommended read due out in less than a month, The Insect Farm hits the shelves on July 7, 2015.

A published extension of the 'Grumpy Old...' series and an excellent one at that. As much as I hate to admit it I 'qualify' on all counts.

It's funny, but a bit overdone. He is truly a grumpy man who doesn't see very much good about many things in the world. It's related to the TV series and is in the same vein. Much amusement value but sometimes too much.½