Sometimes volumes of poetry that focus on a single theme or issue seem to sacrifice the quality of the writing in favour of 'the cause'. Marvin Thompson's "Road Trip" is rooted in both place - Wales - and subject - being black in an essentially white environment - and succeeds by never making that sacrifice. … Continue reading “Road Trip”
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“I Married a Communist”
If you wanted to call a book 'hard-hitting', then Philip Roth's "I Married a Communist" would be right up there. Not necessarily in the sense of the message it conveys - though that in itself is naked and raw - but in the unrelenting and merciless power of the language. At times you feel as … Continue reading “I Married a Communist”
“A Gentleman in Moscow”
Perhaps it is inevitable that a novel which relates the experiences of a man spending his life entirely ensconced in a Moscow hotel is somewhat episodic, at times reading more like a collection of little vignettes than anything else. If so, then the fact that Amor Towles' "A Gentleman in Moscow" is c.450 pages long … Continue reading “A Gentleman in Moscow”
“Rendang”
In spite of myself I actually liked Will Harris' "Rendang". 'In spite of myself'? Well, there's a lot in this volume which I would challenge as being poetry; perhaps it's prose poetry at best. Yet there is much that is poetic (if that's not paradoxical), and the lyric quality of the pieces - thoughtful, reminiscence, … Continue reading “Rendang”
“Tenth of December”
Perhaps to start with a caution. Even though "Tenth of December" is a collection of short stories, you are going to have to work at them. This is partly because of their gritty realism, and partly because of remarkably fluid style George Saunders chooses to write them in. Often you find a mixture of real … Continue reading “Tenth of December”
“Desire”
I can't quite decide whether or not I should recommend this small Vintage 'mini' as a suitable introduction to the work of Haruki Murakami. The stories in "Desire" are more or less typical of his style and - interestingly - they give each of his major into-English translators a run-out too. (Through experience, I've found … Continue reading “Desire”
“The Porpoise”
If you're expecting 'weird' right off the bat because "The Porpoise" is written by Mark Haddon (the legacy, perhaps, of "The Curious Incident...") then the beginning lulls you into something of a false sense of security. Okay, the subject matter is undeniably dark, but the beginning feels like a straightforward narrative. But when the story … Continue reading “The Porpoise”
After the first review: do I like what I’ve written?
Perhaps it's an inevitable question. Having just completed the first stage (on-screen) of a three-cycle review and proofreading activity, the default question I always ask myself - perhaps more subconsciously than not - is do I like what I've written? Reasonably short at c. 140 paperback pages and around 52k words, my next novel represents … Continue reading After the first review: do I like what I’ve written?
“The Beekeeper of Aleppo”
Very good. Quite simply, Christy Lefteri's "The Beekeeper of Aleppo" is one of those books you should read; not just because it is well-written, but because of the subject matter. As an ex-NGO in a Greek refugee camp in Athens, filled with asylum seekers from various nations, Lefteri knows what she's talking about - and … Continue reading “The Beekeeper of Aleppo”
“Split”
If you asked me to find a single phrase to describe Juana Adcock's "Split" I confess I would struggle. 'It depends' seems such a lame response... But it does. It depends, for example, on whether I've just read "The Task of the Translator" or "The Overburden": one I liked, the second I did not. And … Continue reading “Split”
Ian Gouge - Writer 