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katykelly's review against another edition
4.0
Pretty good. Saw some of the twists coming, not others. Liked the protagonist and scenes in India. Well done Mr Palin.
b0hemian_graham's review against another edition
5.0
I've forgotten how well Palin writes. I think this one surpassed Hemingway's Chair.
more coherent thoughts when I'm not on a smartphone
more coherent thoughts when I'm not on a smartphone
andrew_j_r's review against another edition
3.0
This book surprised me in several ways. Being written by a comedy legend, I was expecting it it be a little more funny and a lot less serious than it turned out to be.
Not that that's a bad thing. There are several humerus moments, but it is the main character that us surprising. Initially you think he's going to be a stereotypical failed author with delusions if grandeur, but there is a lot more to Keith Mabbut than that - despite a shaky start he is actually a very well rounded and believable character.
The book is also a comment on media portrayal and the nature of hero worship and faith (the non religious kind) and it makes some very relevant points. There is a twist at the end (there kind of had to be otherwise it would have been a very unsatisfactory read) which is intriguing and believable. But at just shy of 270 pages, I just wish it had been a little longer!
Not that that's a bad thing. There are several humerus moments, but it is the main character that us surprising. Initially you think he's going to be a stereotypical failed author with delusions if grandeur, but there is a lot more to Keith Mabbut than that - despite a shaky start he is actually a very well rounded and believable character.
The book is also a comment on media portrayal and the nature of hero worship and faith (the non religious kind) and it makes some very relevant points. There is a twist at the end (there kind of had to be otherwise it would have been a very unsatisfactory read) which is intriguing and believable. But at just shy of 270 pages, I just wish it had been a little longer!
soniapage's review against another edition
3.0
Not what I was expecting. I thought more of it would be set in India with the main character searching for the environmental activist to get the true story. Actually only the middle third took place in India. I found the beginning to be rather slow, almost wallowing in Mabbut's personal life, but I guess some of "the truths" we are looking for involve his personal relationships. I really didn't see the end coming. Lots of good twists in the plot.
nsusdorf's review against another edition
3.0
The first third of this book was incredibly slow and made wanting to continue difficult. The rest of the book, however was delightful. Once the action picked up, it was quite suspenseful and enjoyable to read.
jen286's review against another edition
3.0
Also posted to Jen in Bookland
The Truth was a fun light read, though I cannot help but be a little disappointed it wasn't a bit deeper though. It didn't dig into the issues just a little bit more. It felt like it just skimmed over everything so.
The book started off and I was really confused as to what it would be about. It was kind of boring with Mabbut up working on his oil rig story thing. I almost stopped reading it as it was just not that good. Then he gets the job of writing about Melville, who does not give interviews or anything of the sort. He is the golden boy humanitarian who many people look up to. The company offering Mabbut money to write about Melville wants to know if he really is as good as everyone thinks he is. Does he have a dark past? What makes up Melville?
Mabbut knows he has to be sneaky to try and get more info from Melville. He travels to India where Melville is supposed to be, in search of him. He quickly finds him and the two, after a little bit of a rocky start, hit it off and travel a bit together. Melville shows Mabbut some things that are going on in the area and it was interesting. Here is where I wish it would have gone a bit more into the issues. For example Mabbut thinks about the people who live in the small village and whether we should just let them live how they have been living, or should we bring some modern day things in to their village. If the modern day things would be better, help people, should we? Or should we just leave them be? Things like that are interesting. It was really just two sentences in the book, when I would have enjoyed more discussion about things like that. It started to make me think about some of the grey areas, but since it never really went anywhere or even went into the grey areas very much I just pushed it aside.
Then I was kind of sad by the end of the book. For the most part I felt like I should be out there doing more, but then the end...it is just like why bother. I just was a bit disheartening to find out the truth. Maybe that is the way it is, but I like to believe the dream instead.
Overall a fun, light read, but was a little disappointed it didn't go deeper.
The Truth was a fun light read, though I cannot help but be a little disappointed it wasn't a bit deeper though. It didn't dig into the issues just a little bit more. It felt like it just skimmed over everything so.
The book started off and I was really confused as to what it would be about. It was kind of boring with Mabbut up working on his oil rig story thing. I almost stopped reading it as it was just not that good. Then he gets the job of writing about Melville, who does not give interviews or anything of the sort. He is the golden boy humanitarian who many people look up to. The company offering Mabbut money to write about Melville wants to know if he really is as good as everyone thinks he is. Does he have a dark past? What makes up Melville?
Mabbut knows he has to be sneaky to try and get more info from Melville. He travels to India where Melville is supposed to be, in search of him. He quickly finds him and the two, after a little bit of a rocky start, hit it off and travel a bit together. Melville shows Mabbut some things that are going on in the area and it was interesting. Here is where I wish it would have gone a bit more into the issues. For example Mabbut thinks about the people who live in the small village and whether we should just let them live how they have been living, or should we bring some modern day things in to their village. If the modern day things would be better, help people, should we? Or should we just leave them be? Things like that are interesting. It was really just two sentences in the book, when I would have enjoyed more discussion about things like that. It started to make me think about some of the grey areas, but since it never really went anywhere or even went into the grey areas very much I just pushed it aside.
Then I was kind of sad by the end of the book. For the most part I felt like I should be out there doing more, but then the end...it is just like why bother. I just was a bit disheartening to find out the truth. Maybe that is the way it is, but I like to believe the dream instead.
Overall a fun, light read, but was a little disappointed it didn't go deeper.
ee_grant_adhd's review against another edition
4.0
For those expecting Python-esque hilarity, this isn't the book for you. A quietly thoughtful, and profound allegorical view of the world and media today, The Truth highlights what is wrong with people, the media, the news; it shows that nothing should get in the way of a good headline.
Why read about difficult subjects that actually will an impact on everyone's day to day lives, when you can keep up with the Kardashians?
Well done Mr Palin, well done. I finished the book with a grin on my face, as a slow realisation of what you'd crafted washed over me in the closing sentences.
Why read about difficult subjects that actually will an impact on everyone's day to day lives, when you can keep up with the Kardashians?
Well done Mr Palin, well done. I finished the book with a grin on my face, as a slow realisation of what you'd crafted washed over me in the closing sentences.
tazzle_dazzle's review against another edition
2.0
I wanted to love this book so badly, but in the end i found it underwhelming. It's neatly written but i just found the plot and the characters lacklustre. I'm sorry Mr Palin, I'm so sorry.
ohgiseal's review against another edition
3.0
Full disclosure: grabbed this because a Python wrote it.
The writing is fine, and the story is fine, even if the last minute twist is not exactly a surprise. It’s a pleasant read, but not groundbreaking. Solid 3.5
The writing is fine, and the story is fine, even if the last minute twist is not exactly a surprise. It’s a pleasant read, but not groundbreaking. Solid 3.5
alexsiddall's review against another edition
2.0
Waste of time. Thin plot, puppets not characters. Quite pacey otherwise I'd've dropped it. Destruction of environment and communities by big business - didn't we know that already? The moral is not particularly new or interesting. Palin's writing style isn't attractive either. Who'd read this if it weren't for the author's name?