Official Review: Things Are Never Quite What They Seem

Gabrielle Sigaki · Post by **Gabrielle Sigaki** » 06 Aug 2020, 12:40

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Things Are Never Quite What They Seem" by Roy Glover.]

4 out of 4 stars

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Things Are Never Quite What They Seem by Roy Glover is an autobiography that describes the story of a man who lived a fulfilled life. Roy was born in England, he signed up to the Royal Marine, worked in different countries, such as Guyana and Malawi, and lived fascinating experiences. The author starts the book narrating his childhood, his relationship with his family, and historical aspects of the period, for example, World War II. After that, he discusses some of his business with drinks, adventures, dangers, his strong bond with Patsy, his wife, and his friends.

In this non-fiction book, the chapters are in chronological order, but a lot of the stories appear as the writer remembers them. The author comments about his perspective and what he saw in other countries, making the book more dynamic. Also, he brings a distinct view comparing to the one other people might have. Therefore, in the introduction, Glover already tells that he didn’t intend to smooth the story of any countries’ situation, describing the events from his point of view at the time.

Besides, the biography contains black and white photographs that show some of his life adventures and experiences. I enjoyed all the pictures, but the one I appreciated the most was the image of Patsy, Glover’s wife, and their son John as a baby.

My favorite parts of the book were the author’s extraordinary anecdotes. For instance, when he was going to Guyana, he talked about the personality of Captain Cook, a man who hated Coke and loved alcohol. Roy tells about his thoughts that Cook might think if the soda spilled, it could dissolve the ship and sink it. Some of these brief episodes are funny, but some of them are deep and bring life lessons, such as when the author regrets he didn’t appreciate his parent enough.

There’s nothing that I disliked in this book. However, there were a few detailed descriptions of Glover’s business in some chapters that can make the reader get lost since they are extensive. It could be more concise, but since there weren’t many of those passages, I won’t take a star off my rating. Also, the book seems professionally edited, and I found only minor errors that didn’t interrupt my reading.

Therefore, I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. It’s an innovative autobiography with funny anecdotes about the author’s experiences. I recommend this book to people who enjoy non-fiction books and want to know some curiosities about other countries with humorous stories. But I don’t recommend it to readers who don’t appreciate references to alcohol and don’t enjoy non-fiction books since it might bother them.

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Things Are Never Quite What They Seem
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Elvis Best · Post by **Elvis Best** » 11 Aug 2020, 07:51

This book sounds like a very exciting autobiography. Thanks for the honest review. Good job!

Chiawa · Post by **Chiawa** » 11 Aug 2020, 07:58

This review is impressive and straightforward. It gives an interesting overview of the book. I am impressed by some choice of words and phrases in the review. It makes me want to read the book.

Sweet Job!

Dayodiola · Post by **Dayodiola** » 11 Aug 2020, 09:08

The happenings in one's life are best written by one.

Honest-reviewer · Post by **Honest-reviewer** » 11 Aug 2020, 10:50

It’s good to know that the author has incorporated humour in his autobiography. Thanks for your wonderful review.

Teele · Post by **Teele** » 11 Aug 2020, 10:58

A lovely autobiography. Thanks for a good review.

LuciusM · Post by **LuciusM** » 11 Aug 2020, 14:53

I have enjoyed reading your review. Great work!

simuuuu123 · Post by **simuuuu123** » 11 Aug 2020, 15:02

the review was really nice. love it.

Kola+wole · Post by **Kola+wole** » 11 Aug 2020, 16:00

Your review did great justice to the book. The autobiography sound like one in which the reader gets to see the world through the author's eyes. Thanks for a wonderful review.

queenrose19 · Post by **queenrose19** » 11 Aug 2020, 18:12

the book seems really good to read i like the review

Pluma · Post by **Pluma** » 11 Aug 2020, 20:34

Thanks for the great review! Your description of the book is very nicely done, and it sounds like an enjoyable and well-written autobiography.

Rodel Barnachea · Post by **Rodel Barnachea** » 11 Aug 2020, 21:45

I've always thought that fulfillment is based on one's mindset. This would be a fascinating read for me as I want to know how a person who leads a fulfilled life sees the world. Great review!