The second book in my free three-book promotion is now available on Amazon: "Degrees of Separation" - 6th to 10th March This will be followed by "Secrets & Wisdom" - 11th to 15th March Both of these are collections of short stories.
Category: Fiction
“John Crow’s Devil”
You could be forgiven for wanting to stop reading Marlon James' "John Crow's Devil" fairly early on into the book. If so, it will be the Jamaican patois that will most likely get you. But my advice is to persevere. Try and get a 'voice' in your head against which you can process the language … Continue reading “John Crow’s Devil”
Free Kindle Book Promotion
I have a free Kindle book promotion running over the next two weeks on Amazon: "At Maunston Quay" - 1st to 5th March "Degrees of Separation" - 6th to 10th March "Secrets & Wisdom" - 11th to 15th March
“Primeval and Other Times”
Olga Tokarczuk's "Primeval and Other Times" is simply stunning; a plethora of literary squares woven together to make a quilt that lays bare what it means to be human. Unvarnished, all of life is here: the tragic, the mystical, the sad, the violent, the superstitious, the unavoidable. And - ultimately - the powerlessness. It seems … Continue reading “Primeval and Other Times”
“Love and Other Thought Experiments”
I have to say that I'm not really sure how Sophie Ward's "Love and Other Thought Experiments" made it to the 2020 Booker Prize longlist. Perhaps they were seduced by the surreal nature of the narrative, both its timeline and how it shifts through different versions of reality. Perhaps they were recognising the quality of … Continue reading “Love and Other Thought Experiments”
Buried treasure…
Working through some old notebooks (see My Writing Diary) and I came across this: “He stared at the photograph. It was not how he remembered it. It had been less sunny, surely; and there appeared no trace of wind. He thought he had been wearing his green jacket - the old one with the torn … Continue reading Buried treasure…
You can’t be a Writer without writing…
Sounds obvious, doesn't it? But how many of us like to think of ourselves as 'Writers' (note the capital 'w'!) when - to be frank - we don't really put the hours in. Think about it. How could you be a surgeon without learning your craft and then operating on people day-in day-out, or a … Continue reading You can’t be a Writer without writing…
“The Snows of Kilimanjaro”
To call Ernest Heminway's "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" a collection of short stories is a mis-labelling. Indeed, it could be argued that very few of the eighteen tales within the book qualify as a 'short story'. Many are very short - almost vignettes - and a number, which all centre around the same character - … Continue reading “The Snows of Kilimanjaro”
A glance in the rear-view mirror…
Every few months or so - usually at propitious or convenient points - I take stock of where I am with my writing. These reviews take the form of notes scribbled into one of many(!) notebooks, and essentially provide a snapshot of where I am with my creative work. When arriving at such moments (as … Continue reading A glance in the rear-view mirror…
“Seize the Day”
On one level it's really difficult to 'like' Saul Bellow's "Seize the Day". This isn't because the book is badly written - quite the opposite! - but rather because of Tommy Wilhelm, its main character. Bellow has succeeded in drawing for us a remarkable picture of a serial loser, one with whom it is difficult … Continue reading “Seize the Day”
Ian Gouge - Writer 