Without possessing an understanding of the cultural nuances relating to Indian life, I am sure I'm missing a lot of the subtleties in Amit Chaudhuri's collection of short stories, Real Time. Having said that, two things about the collection bother me. The first is how so many of the stories seem to 'fizzle out', lacking … Continue reading “Real Time”
Category: Reading
“Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams”
Knowing what became of her it is difficult not to read Sylvia Plath through a ready-made filter. Having said that, there is enough darkness and foreboding in Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams to at least hint at what was to later transpire. Perhaps more than anyone else, the legend of her life is … Continue reading “Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams”
“Joy in Service on Rue Tagore”
Well, I'm sorry, but I've given up on Paul Muldoon's new collection Joy in Service on the Rue Tagore. And the reason? Partly because I've no idea in terms of what's going on in most of the poems, but largely because they read as if the poet has sat down with a copy of a … Continue reading “Joy in Service on Rue Tagore”
“Prophet Song”
[It will be impossible to write this without spoilers of some kind...] Paul Lunch's Prophet Song is a difficult read. Not in the way it is written (though some people will struggle with how he handles dialogue) but because of its unrelenting agony, a depression that builds unremittingly, such that - even half-way through - … Continue reading “Prophet Song”
“May Day”
There's a warning right there on the back cover blurb: "one of the UK's most cherished poets". Whatever that means. But really? Not for me, I'm afraid. Too much 'listing' for my taste, and a great deal of personal reflection with which it is impossible for the reader to associate. All this compounded by dated … Continue reading “May Day”
“Brooklyn”
I confess I expected more from Colm Tóibín's Brooklyn, especially as it is - apparently - 'now a major motion picture'. Tinsel Town must have worked its magic to turn something so slight into something 'major'. Not that I have a problem with little really happening (a lot of life's like that after all!), but … Continue reading “Brooklyn”
“Belief Systems”
Ekphrastic poetry needs, I believe, to have a link to its source material which is suitably strong and to some degree self-evident in order for it to work. The twelve poems sitting alongside images of Robert Rauschenberg's work which are at the heart of Tamar Yoseloff's Belief Systems for me just fail to hit the … Continue reading “Belief Systems”
“The House of Bernarda Alba and Other Plays”
The thing that strikes me most about the three plays in this collection (even in translation) is how powerful they must be to witness performed live. Indeed, should I ever get the chance to see The House of Bernarda Alba I will be hard-pushed not to take it. I imagine that with an entirely female … Continue reading “The House of Bernarda Alba and Other Plays”
“Laughable Loves”
One of the remarkable things about the stories in Milan Kundera's Laughable Loves is how he can create such an array of despicable, shallow, self-centred characters! They're so easy to despise! Perhaps that's what makes the stories funny, but I can't help but take them literally / seriously - which probably makes the characters all … Continue reading “Laughable Loves”
“The Talking Horse and the Sad Girl and the Village Under the Sea”
I did something slightly unusual for me when reading Mark Haddon's The Talking Horse and the Sad Girl and the Village Under the Sea - I put it to one side for a while. The reason was that I hadn't made up my mind about it; I wasn't sure how good it was, or if … Continue reading “The Talking Horse and the Sad Girl and the Village Under the Sea”
Ian Gouge - Writer 