The News – various authors

I haven’t posted for a while, as I’ve been riveted to the general election and reading the newspaper on the train rather than my usual diet of fiction. So here’s my review of The News.

What happens:
London-based media elites produce daily reports on national and international events, typically slanted to suit the political agendas of the writers and, to a lesser extent, the readers of their respective publications. Some facts are included, along with harrumphing and sometimes – for those who are fed up with politics – recipes.
What I liked
Variety: The News changes every day.
Continuity: The News picks up on previous bits of News, providing an enjoyable sense of following an ongoing narrative.
Bite-sized chunks: The News is produced in short sentences, well-suited to my bleary state at 7:07am.
What I didn’t like:
Repetitive: The same old idiots say the same old things most days.
Lacks narrative structure: If the aim is to produce a credible work of fiction, shouldn’t it have a beginning, middle and end?
Why you might read this on the train:
If you like inky fingers. Or alternatively you fancy having something to talk about over the watercooler apart from Simon Cowell’s latest. Also a good bet if you like harrumphing.

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Posted: May 11th, 2010 | Author: bookworm | Filed under: Nonfiction | No Comments »