I confess to have struggled with Sasha Dugdale's latest collection. The blurb praises the 'complex and not always easy range of voices', so maybe that's what did for me. It was, to be honest, difficult to see the long title poem as a 'poem'. It seemed part play, part prose, part something else. Not sure … Continue reading “Joy”
Category: Reading
“The Little Friend”
Donna Tartt's "The Goldfinch" is simply brilliant - and "The Secret History" and "The Little Friend" are not that far behind. If I have a criticism of "The Little Friend" it's really a banal one: it's a bit too long... The last chapter, where it really picks up the pace (and obviously builds on all … Continue reading “The Little Friend”
“An English Guide to Birdwatching”
It is very rare these days that I am blown away by the opening of a book. However, the first chapter of Nicholas Royle's "An English Guide to Birdwatching" was, I thought, stunning. I was immediately drawing internal parallels with people like Graham Swift - and praise from me doesn't get much greater than that. … Continue reading “An English Guide to Birdwatching”
“The Man Who Walked Through Walls”
The problems with translations is, of course, that if what you read doesn't quite strike a chord then it's impossible to know if the source of this discomfort is the original work or the translation. Marcel Ayme's "The Man Who Walked Through Walls" (translated by Sophie Lewis) is a bit like that for me: discomfort. … Continue reading “The Man Who Walked Through Walls”
“The Temporary Gentleman”
I said I'd read something by Sebastian Barry after "Days Without End" - and I'm glad I did. Whilst I'm not sure "The Temporary Gentleman" completely lives up to the hyperbole on the front and back covers (but do books ever?!), it is a tight, really well-written story, filled with tragedy, emotion, pathos. There's a … Continue reading “The Temporary Gentleman”
How was it for you?
I'm not sure what I expected from the reading and book launch yesterday. Of course, there was always the naive and simplistic hope, skulking in a dark corner somewhere, that at the end of the reading there would be a prolonged standing ovation, followed by a huge queue to buy my book and to secure … Continue reading How was it for you?
“Waiting for Godot” – still..!
Sometimes it's great to re-read something you haven't opened in quite a while. In the case of "Waiting for Godot", its probably over thirty years since I read it cover-to-cover, as it were. Not surprisingly, it's still as unique now as it was then - and maybe with all those years having seen so much … Continue reading “Waiting for Godot” – still..!
“The Power”
Perhaps I should avoid books that use the word 'thriller' on the front or back cover. It isn't that "The Power" is inadequate in any way; indeed it has all the required attributes - pace, tension, the gradual build to the climax. You can easily imagine it as being transferred to the screen in a … Continue reading “The Power”
“The Underground Railroad”
Over the last few years I have used the Pulitzer Prize as one of my guides for the fiction I read. Like the Booker, it is often won by exceptional novels and both prizes have, over the years, introduced me to some good books and great writers. Having said that, "The Underground Railroad", by Colson … Continue reading “The Underground Railroad”
“The Essex Serpent”
I'm not entirely sure what to say about Sarah Perry's "The Essex Serpent". At first it felt a little like a slow pastiche of Thomas Hardy or even Dickens. I was worried that it was going to be too predictable. But at some point - probably half-way through - it seemed to take on a … Continue reading “The Essex Serpent”
Ian Gouge - Writer 