There's a simple bottom line here: I like the way Philip Roth writes. And "Nemesis" is no exception. There is something unfussy about his style, the way he paces his work, the emotional depth he manages to achieve... It's also fair to say that some of his subjects - particularly those relating to religion - … Continue reading “Nemesis”
Category: Reading
“Sturge Town”
There are some wonderful pieces in Kwame Dawes's collection "Sturge Town", and lots of those "I wish I'd written that moments". So let me recommend it to you right off the bat. But... If I was being picky, for me the book had some downsides: I thought it was too long (there were just too … Continue reading “Sturge Town”
“Liberation Day”
You can see why Booker Prize winner George Saunders is so revered as a short story writer, and why his Substack - where he is incredibly generous in his responses to his subscribers - is so well supported. "Liberation Day" bristles with innovation and good writing. Having said that, its two dystopian stories - set … Continue reading “Liberation Day”
“No one belongs here more than you”
Having found Miranda July's "No one belongs here more than you" in the remainders room of Waterstones, Lincoln, I decided to give it a try. It's amazing what you can find in a Waterstones' remainders room! I really liked these short stories - and I've no idea why the book was for sale where it … Continue reading “No one belongs here more than you”
“The Largesse of the Sea Maiden”
I like Denis Johnson's work; there seems to often be something slightly off-kilter about it, a 'slant' view of the American world he inhabits. Or should I say inhabited. For some reason - presumably thanks to the contemporary edge to his stories - I had always assumed that he was still alive, and it was … Continue reading “The Largesse of the Sea Maiden”
“Guernica”
What strikes me most about James Attlee's chronology of Picasso's "Guernica" is the sense of how the painting seemed to have a life of its own, independent of the artist. And how it was never displayed in Spain - indeed, never in the country - until well after Franco's death, so four decades after it … Continue reading “Guernica”
“The Hot Gates”
While some of the pieces may not have travelled that well through time, William Golding's collection of short non-fiction - "The Hot Gates" - remains a delight. The breadth on Golding's menu is extraordinary: Ancient Greece, the English Channel, Stratford-upon-Avon, a kind of critique of "War and Peace" - as well as his own "Lord … Continue reading “The Hot Gates”
“Crow”
I'll keep this one simple. Because I felt ashamed that I had never read Crow in its entirety, I decided I should. Simple as that. But I just couldn't. I really tried, but had to give up. I daresay it was ground-breaking at the time it was written, but now? Isn't it just too dull, … Continue reading “Crow”
“Coming Through Slaughter”
Michael Ondaatje's "Coming Through Slaughter" is a real jigsaw puzzle of a book, the narrative split into fragmented passages, different third and first person voices, a blend of fiction and fact. Often you are never really sure exactly where the boundaries lay between the two. Look-up Buddy Bolden on the internet and you will find … Continue reading “Coming Through Slaughter”
“The Woman Who Rode Away”
If D.H.Lawrence were to submit some of the stories from this collection to a modern-day mentor or writing group, they might not go down too well. "All that repetition! Clumsy. Have you heard of editing? You could cut some of these down by twenty percent, then you might get to a decent short story..." Lawrence's … Continue reading “The Woman Who Rode Away”
Ian Gouge - Writer 