Just because this interpretation of Homer's epic has been written by Simon Armitage, the British Poet Laureate, it would be understandable for you to assume "Homer's Odyssey" is going to be a poetic epic. But it is not. Written specifically as a radio play, Armitage succeeds in delivering a very readable and accessible version of … Continue reading “Homer’s Odyssey”
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“The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao”
'Exotic, original and spirited, it's written with huge energy and heart' - so says the Guardian's endorsement on the front cover of my paperback copy of Junot Díaz's "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao". And the Guardian isn't wrong. The novel is fizzing and effervescent - so much so that it didn't matter that … Continue reading “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao”
June’s Substack highlights
"when you see anything of mine that you don’t like remember that I’m sincere in doing it and that I’m working toward something." - Ernest Hemingway A selection of recent posts from my Substack site. "Writing until the light goes out" "Writing until the light goes out" My in-person reading event next week: Buy discounted … Continue reading June’s Substack highlights
My public reading event on 8th July
Here are two links for info: https://www.facebook.com/WordFestLincolnshire https://www.instagram.com/wordfestlincolnshire
“No Longer Human”
There was more than a touch of Haruki Murakami about Osamu Dazai's "No Longer Human". Indeed, I ended up wondering how much better a book it might have been had Murakami tackled the narrative. This was because I was never entirely comfortable with my understanding of what was going on - indeed at one point … Continue reading “No Longer Human”
“What Will Survive of Us”
I really like the way Jacobson writes - which makes it strange that I haven't read more of him. I think that's an error I need to be correcting. "What Will Survive of Us" is no different i.e. it's written very well: not over-blown or harsh, suitably pacy, accessible. [The title, by the way, comes … Continue reading “What Will Survive of Us”
Reading event in July!
“Some Sort of Genius”
Having finally got round to finishing reading it, I can say I really enjoyed Paul O'Keeffe's "Some Sort of Genius: A Life of Wyndham Lewis". It seems to me that O'Keeffe has managed the book's tone and balance really well; navigating between fact and narrative can be difficult when it comes to biography. We are … Continue reading “Some Sort of Genius”
Some of May’s Substack posts
"when you see anything of mine that you don’t like remember that I’m sincere in doing it and that I’m working toward something." - Ernest Hemingway A selection of recent posts from my Substack site. "Writing until the light goes out" "Writing until the light goes out" Buy discounted books direct from the printer
“Being Various”
"Being Various" is a collection of 'New Irish Short Stories' i.e. their authors are all Irish, as are most (but not all) of the stories' locations. By and large it's an interesting and inoffensive compendium; the stories are well-written, and the collection's cover trumpets some 'big names': Sally Rooney, Sinéad Gleeson, Eimear McBride, and Kevin … Continue reading “Being Various”
Ian Gouge - Writer 