When I was contemplating this entry, it is surely telling that my primary concern was whether or not I should use the full title of Conrad's novella. My instinct was to do so, but recognising that in these sensitive times certain words can be highly offensive and inflammatory, I have settled on an abridged version. … Continue reading Conrad’s “The…Narcissus”
Category: Reading
“Flights”
Whatever you do, don't start reading Olga Tokarczuk's "Flights" expecting to encounter a conventional novel - because you won't. It is a fragmented, meandering creation with dozens of vignette's nestling against each other, sometimes in a logical progression - but mostly not. Some of these are as long as twelve or more pages, the majority … Continue reading “Flights”
“A Month in Siena”
Part-travelogue, part-art history, part-personal reflection, Hisham Matar's "A Month in Siena" could easily be seen as something of an antidote if you have been reading too much fiction and are seeking something different just to break things up. Indeed, in a way that is how Matar sees his trip to Italy; an opportunity to fill-in … Continue reading “A Month in Siena”
“Ravelstein”
There is something about Bellow's first person narrator / observer which draws you into "Ravelstein"; it seems to me that you are both 'inside' and 'outside' simultaneously. This elongated pen-picture of Ravelstein, laid out by his close friend Chick, is undoubtedly all sorts of things: colourful, expansive, amusing, ironic, submissive... Indeed, the list of adjectives … Continue reading “Ravelstein”
“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”
“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”
“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”
“Selected Poems” – Lawrence Durrell
If his "Selected Poems" (Ed. Peter Porter) is anything to go by, Lawrence Durrell's poetry has not travelled well through time. Whilst they may have been stylistically appropriate for the 30s and 40s, I fear that do not sit well in the twenty-first century. Many seem contrived and clumsy, with (sometimes inconsistent) rhyming schemes shoe-horned … Continue reading “Selected Poems” – Lawrence Durrell
“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 