Word: reader
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...leaves no stone unturned, as the voluminous Notes, Bibliography and Acknowledgements attest. The result is a thorough account of the last 19 years of Elvis' life, in which the lithe, rebellious rocker who snarled "Hound Dog" while swiveling his hips turned into a pill-popping, sickly wreck. Although the reader may not exactly agree with the author's assessment that there is "no sadder story," the tale contained within Careless Love is certainly a tragedy, of "the price that is paid for dreams" and their fulfillment beyond any person's expectations. The only problem with this book is that although...
...while serving in the Army and which eventually led to the physical causes for his death: "the two principal laboratory reports...state(d) a strong belief that the primary cause of death was polypharmacy." His wild lifestyle is described in excruciatingly boring detail in Guralnick's book, giving the reader a fairly good idea of how Elvis must have felt sometimes while engaged in some time-wasting exploit or other. In frustration he turned to such occupations as reading spiritual books, learning karate and running a ranch, but none of it was enough to stop or save...
...book is Guralnick's ability to depict Elvis' life and detach the real person, a flawed yet well-intentioned human being, from the frozen images that make up his legend. The main flaw of this book is not one of flawed research but of excessive enthusiasm; he tells the reader more of Elvis' "sad story" than he or she may want to know...
...ridiculous characters are the two men: Professor Bartleboom, who tries to measure the end of the infinite sea, and Plasson the painter who tries to paint where the sea begins. As Bartleboom combs the beach with his measuring stick and Plasson paints on a white canvas with seawater, the reader can only laugh at Baricco's overly solemn attempts at symbolism. Of all the characters, Ann Deveria has the greatest potential for sparking the reader's interest. She is an adulteress whose husband has sent her to the ocean to "cool the passions" and forget her lover. Unfortunately, she remains...
Intercut with the tales of his voyages with Darwin are chapters depicting Covington's old age. Settled on the Australian coast, he awaits the delivery of an early copy of The Origin of Species. A reader's expectation, of course, is that the book will blow away Covington's Christian piety, but it's a measure of McDonald's wisdom and subtle understanding of human ties that something altogether stranger happens. Evolution, as Mr. Darwin's Shooter demonstrates, is driven by forces more nuanced and mysterious than the crude survival of the fittest...