We often encounter difficulty when trying to reconcile our memories of events with what actually happened. In the almost inevitable mis-match, our mind plays tricks on us, and what we have recently learned and how we have recently lived gets in the way and colours the past. Pressed to recall his own life, the challenge … Continue reading My latest novel – “A Pattern of Sorts” – published today!
Category: Fiction
“Rules of Civility”
There's an interesting debate about cross-sex writing, isn't there? It seems to me the popular wisdom is that a man can't write as a woman, but a woman can write as a man. No. That's too simplistic. Perhaps is should be qualified: it's easier for a woman to write as a first-person male narrator than … Continue reading “Rules of Civility”
“The Journalist”
In many ways, Harry Matthews "The Journalist" is a remarkable achievement. Having said that, I suspect three-quarters of people who start to read the book may not make it all the way through to the end... "The Journalist" is not about someone who writes for newspapers or appears on television, but rather a man who … Continue reading “The Journalist”
A Pattern of Sorts
My new novel, "A Pattern of Sorts", is published early in August. We often encounter difficulty when trying to reconcile our memories of events with what actually happened. In the almost inevitable mis-match, our mind plays tricks on us, and what we have recently learned and how we have recently lived gets in the way … Continue reading A Pattern of Sorts
“I Married a Communist”
If you wanted to call a book 'hard-hitting', then Philip Roth's "I Married a Communist" would be right up there. Not necessarily in the sense of the message it conveys - though that in itself is naked and raw - but in the unrelenting and merciless power of the language. At times you feel as … Continue reading “I Married a Communist”
“A Gentleman in Moscow”
Perhaps it is inevitable that a novel which relates the experiences of a man spending his life entirely ensconced in a Moscow hotel is somewhat episodic, at times reading more like a collection of little vignettes than anything else. If so, then the fact that Amor Towles' "A Gentleman in Moscow" is c.450 pages long … Continue reading “A Gentleman in Moscow”
“Tenth of December”
Perhaps to start with a caution. Even though "Tenth of December" is a collection of short stories, you are going to have to work at them. This is partly because of their gritty realism, and partly because of remarkably fluid style George Saunders chooses to write them in. Often you find a mixture of real … Continue reading “Tenth of December”
“Desire”
I can't quite decide whether or not I should recommend this small Vintage 'mini' as a suitable introduction to the work of Haruki Murakami. The stories in "Desire" are more or less typical of his style and - interestingly - they give each of his major into-English translators a run-out too. (Through experience, I've found … Continue reading “Desire”
“The Porpoise”
If you're expecting 'weird' right off the bat because "The Porpoise" is written by Mark Haddon (the legacy, perhaps, of "The Curious Incident...") then the beginning lulls you into something of a false sense of security. Okay, the subject matter is undeniably dark, but the beginning feels like a straightforward narrative. But when the story … Continue reading “The Porpoise”
After the first review: do I like what I’ve written?
Perhaps it's an inevitable question. Having just completed the first stage (on-screen) of a three-cycle review and proofreading activity, the default question I always ask myself - perhaps more subconsciously than not - is do I like what I've written? Reasonably short at c. 140 paperback pages and around 52k words, my next novel represents … Continue reading After the first review: do I like what I’ve written?
Ian Gouge - Writer 