The first half of Birdsong is great, but the second half seems pretty formulaic to me.

Dickens is stupendous. I occasionally start with Pickwick, and work through all the novels. Takes a year, but is worth it. It is a universe: you don't ask for Turner to paint less, or Beethoven to write less music. His only flaw is that (except for Our Mutual Friend, where things get unsettled, due to the strains of his secret love affair), his portrayal of young women is cardboard.

Bomba the Jungle Boy -- I bet you can't even find them now -- Bomba was like those Beach movies, where, when things got slow, "surf's up!!". In his case, an anaconda would drop from the trees. "Anaconda's down!!!"

yours,

Peter T.