The only novel by the playwright Tom Stoppard - and a completely bonkers one! Surreal, off-the-wall; you choose the phrase - but it's also funny and poignant, and I suspect says quite a lot about the young 1966 Stoppard who wrote it just after finished Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. Stoppard offers us a cast … Continue reading “Lord Malquist & Mr Moon”
Category: Reading
“Twist”
Twist is the fifth novel from Colum McCann I've read - and I daresay it won't be the last. A fluent narrative with just enough in terms of 'teasers' to keep you reading. Interestingly, many of these come at the beginning of chapters rather than at the end; a kind of trailer for what could … Continue reading “Twist”
“Life A User’s Manual”
I should start by confessing that it has taken me more than two years - if not three or four! - to finish reading Georges Perec's novel, Life A User's Manual. And why is that? Although it weighs in at 500 pages (in my 2008 Vintage paperback edition), it's not the size of the book … Continue reading “Life A User’s Manual”
“The Second Chance Convenience Store”
I really must stop trying to read Korean novels (in translation). It seems to me that they are too simple, repetitive, predictable, moralistic, and positive. If that generalisation is correct then I suspect it must be a cultural thing - allied to the fact that I don't like my novels written that way. Indeed, I … Continue reading “The Second Chance Convenience Store”
“Live a Little”
Simply excellent. For me there are two reasons Howard Jacobson's Live a Little shines: the more minor of the two is that he doesn't let the religious backgrounds of the characters overpower the story; the major is the marvellous Beryl Dusinbery. What a marvellous confection of a character! Without doubt one of the best portrayals … Continue reading “Live a Little”
“Flesh”
David Szalay's Booker-winning novel Flesh is a brutal read; not in terms of the narrative - though it has its moments! - but in terms of its style: short staccato punchy and repetitive sentences which seem to strip the language down to its bare bones and remove any kind of lyricism at all. I can … Continue reading “Flesh”
“The Chemistry of Tears”
It has been a while since I read any Peter Carey, and The Chemistry of Tears is as solid a piece of work as you would expect from a two-time Booker Prize winner. I'm happy to recommend it, though with a couple of caveats. Firstly, I wondered if the main characters were, towards the end, … Continue reading “The Chemistry of Tears”
“Enduring Love”
Let's be honest, Enduring Love is a difficult read; not because of the way it's written, but rather in the uncomfortable and challenging circumstance McEwan's main character (MC) finds himself. Indeed, the situation is so disturbing - in the "I'm so glad that's not me" sense - that I could only read it in short … Continue reading “Enduring Love”
“Between the Acts”
Some novels travel better through time than others, I feel; and maybe it's not surprising that Virginia Woolf's work can struggle a little. Between the Acts is, I think, one such novel. The technical artistry and innovation is clearly there to see, but the novel suffers in terms of distance because of the world it … Continue reading “Between the Acts”
“prisoner’s dilemma”
Although prisoner's dilemma is an early Richard Powers novel (1988) it's right up there: splendidly written; intricately constructed narrative; just enough tension - those big unanswered questions - which keep you going right to the end. And the characters - Pop and his clan - do indeed 'pop' off the pages. There is a great … Continue reading “prisoner’s dilemma”
Ian Gouge - Writer 