Regular readers here know how I love a novella. It occurred to me that feature films that are shorter than 90 mins could be seen as the cinematic equivalent of novellas. At 89 minutes, the recent Australian movie, Wish You Were Here, reminds me a little of a novella. The story is focused, with no … Continue reading Wish You Were Here (Movie Review)
Review
Willa Cather, My Antonia (Review of eNotated edition)
I am a Willa Cather fan, and have read some of her novels and short stories, so was intrigued when eNotated Classics offered me an eNotated version of Cather's My Ántonia for review. eNotated? That sounded like something worth exploring so, although I've read the novel before, I decided to read it again. I wasn't sorry. … Continue reading Willa Cather, My Antonia (Review of eNotated edition)
Julian Barnes, The sense of an ending (Review)
I should have known I wouldn't be the first to think of it, but during my reading Julian Barnes' Booker Prize winning novel, The sense of an ending, I was suddenly reminded of TS Eliot's The love song of J. Alfred Prufrock. It was the melancholic tone, the sense of life having passed one by, … Continue reading Julian Barnes, The sense of an ending (Review)
PD James, Death comes to Pemberley (Review, sorta)
How do you review or evaluate a Jane Austen "sequel"*? Do we expect, want even, the author to channel Austen? I suspect the answer is as varied as are the readers of sequels, and it probably depends on why we read Austen. Those who are mostly interested in the stories and what happens to the characters … Continue reading PD James, Death comes to Pemberley (Review, sorta)
Chris Flynn, A tiger in Eden (Review)
Courtesy: Text Publishing Are all people redeemable, regardless of what they've done? This is the question that confronts us in Chris Flynn's debut novel, A tiger in Eden. I wondered, as I was reading this book, what inspired Flynn to write - in first person - about a man who was a violent thug during … Continue reading Chris Flynn, A tiger in Eden (Review)
Merlinda Bobis, Fish-hair woman (Review)
How do you classify a book like Fish-hair woman by Filipino-Australian writer, Merlinda Bobis? Darned if I know, but I'll have a go. It's part war story, murder mystery, political thriller, romance, and historical epic. It draws on the magical realist tradition of writers like Isabel Allende, but overarching all this, it is a book about … Continue reading Merlinda Bobis, Fish-hair woman (Review)
Izzeldin Abuelaish, I shall not hate (Review)
Revenge is a concept that I just don't get. No, let me put that another way. I understand the emotions that give rise to the desire for revenge - though I've never, admittedly, been tested myself, not like, say, Izzeldin Abuelaish. What I don't understand is the belief that revenge is the answer, that it … Continue reading Izzeldin Abuelaish, I shall not hate (Review)
Virginia Woolf, The mark on the wall (Review)
Back in November I wrote a post titled Nettie Palmer on short stories which resulted in Stefanie (of So Many Books) recommending one of her favourite short stories, Virginia Woolf's "The mark on the wall". I told her I'd read it and, finally, I have. This is the sort of story I like. It doesn't have a strong … Continue reading Virginia Woolf, The mark on the wall (Review)
Anna Krien, Us and them: On the importance of animals (Review)
I'll admit it right up front, I am not a vegetarian or a vegan. I like to eat meat. I wear leather shoes. I like to think, though, that the source of these products has had a comfortable life and a quick, stress-free death. But I'm kidding myself, I know. And Anna Krien's essay, Us … Continue reading Anna Krien, Us and them: On the importance of animals (Review)
Amitav Ghosh, River of smoke (Review for the Shadow Man Asian Literary Prize, 2011)
I'm rather sorry that I haven't read Amitav Ghosh's Sea of poppies because, while River of smoke does work on its own, I think my experience would have been richer had I read the beginning of the trilogy. This shouldn't affect its Man Asian Literary Prize chances, but you never know. I loved that the … Continue reading Amitav Ghosh, River of smoke (Review for the Shadow Man Asian Literary Prize, 2011)
