Forgive me, but to my mind Robert Frost is no great time-traveller, his verse is stylistically too anchored in the past. I find it amazing that some of this vast collection was actually written in the Sixties, especially when you think about what had been going on in poetry (and literature in general) since the … Continue reading “The Collected Poems: Robert Frost”
Category: Reading
“Grand Union”
There is a tremendous degree of variety in Zadie Smith's short story collection, "Grand Union". Variations in style, theme, tempo. There is also (for me at least) considerable variation in terms of what one might euphemistically - and dangerously! - bracket as 'accessibility'. Some of the writing is breathtaking; some less so. A number of … Continue reading “Grand Union”
“Lanny”
If you're the kind of person who flicks through a few pages of a book before you decide to buy it, then you might be put off by Max Porter's "Lanny". The way one of the character's contributions are printed is, shall we say, a little 'esoteric'; the font is variable, and the words bend … Continue reading “Lanny”
“The Nickel Boys”
Simply stunning. Having read "The Underground Railroad", I confess to being a little reticent about deciding to read Colson Whitehead's "The Nickel Boys". I wasn't sure that it would be quite 'me'. Perhaps I was nervous that - as a white, middle class Brit - the book wouldn't resonate with me, that I'd fail to … Continue reading “The Nickel Boys”
Why as an author you shouldn’t use a Goodreads’ ‘Giveaway’…
As a member of Goodreads.com - and therefore a "Goodreads author" - I have indulged in their 'Giveaway' scheme twice now. The premise is simple: you fund 100 copies of your e-book and Goodreads runs a lottery on your behalf where members can apply for a copy which, if they are selected at random, they … Continue reading Why as an author you shouldn’t use a Goodreads’ ‘Giveaway’…
“The Offing”
I really liked Benjamin Myers' "The Offing". It's a gentle, inoffensive coming-of-age tale; romantic with a small 'r'. Like most things, "The Offing" is far from perfect: perhaps it tries a little too hard early on before it gets into the swing of itself; and most sixteen-year-olds simply wouldn't have the nouse to do some … Continue reading “The Offing”
“The Shell Collector”
I daresay a case could be made to argue that it is only when a novelist is writing short stories that you get a true measure of their abilities: the need to be economical but not too sparse; the creation of a plot that is coherent but not over-blown; the establishing of character without having … Continue reading “The Shell Collector”
“Let the Great World Spin”
It bothered me that I took so long to finish reading Colum McCann's "Let the Great World Spin" - but in the end it was simply of question of 'it's me, not you'... I needn't have worried that it was a reflection on the quality of the book, because it isn't: "Let the Great World … Continue reading “Let the Great World Spin”
The Impossible Readers
I am a registered Goodreads.com author. I had hoped that membership of Goodreads would allow my work to reach a wider audience. In support of this ambition - and possibly naïvely - I have twice indulged in Goodreads' 'giveaway' promotions. The basic premise is that you offer 100 e-books to Goodreads members in what is … Continue reading The Impossible Readers
“Homie”
From its earliest origins in aural tradition, poetry has inevitably tracked the metamorphosis of language through time. You only have to reflect on the differences between Chaucer, Shakespeare, Wordsworth and Larkin to see how poetry maps not only the journey of a civilisation but its language and mores too. Perhaps poetry takes a little while … Continue reading “Homie”
Ian Gouge - Writer 