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Monthly Archives: May 2011
The drama of revolution
May 29, 2011 – 10:18 am
The Glass-Blowers
by Daphne du Maurier
I love du Maurier but she was pretty prolific and sadly I think that her lesser known titles are, well, lesser works than the famous ones. At least, that’s been my experience so far. I enjoyed this book and its still better prose than some writers will manage at their peak, but like I’ll Never Be Young Again this wasn’t the captivating read I had hoped for…
Coming soon: Literary Giveaway Blog Hop (25–29 June)
May 27, 2011 – 7:35 am
This blog hop with a literary flavour is being run by Judith of Leeswammes and I thought it looked like the perfect opportunity for my first ever giveaway…
The truth is buried in there somewhere
May 24, 2011 – 9:57 pm
A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
by Mary Wollstonecraft
I originally got this book for the Year of Feminist Classics project, but when they actually discussed it back in January I was only about 20 pages in. And then I put it aside for four months. The thing is, while being a hugely important and interesting work, this one is pretty tough to read. Or at least, I thought so…
Headlines and other titles
May 21, 2011 – 9:44 am
This is probably painfully obvious already, but I am a bit rubbish at writing headlines. What’s especially bad is that I also need this skill for my day job. Ah well. There are lots of guidelines to follow, long lists of hints and tips, but in the end it comes down to imagination and, somehow, my imagination generally fails me on this front…
A break from the norm
May 17, 2011 – 6:20 pm
Palestine
by Joe Sacco
This is an unusual, interesting, informative but potentially inflammatory work from journalist Joe Sacco. It’s an account of two months spent in Palestine (and occasionally Israel) in 1991–1992, told in graphic novel form…
The trials of being above the rest
May 12, 2011 – 6:29 pm
Claudine at School
by Colette
translated from French by Antonia White
This was the first novel written by Sidonie Gabrielle Colette, the result of her entertaining her first husband with stories of her own schooldays. It is a thoroughly charming read that I was reluctant to put down yet wanted to linger over…
World Lupus Day 2011
May 10, 2011 – 6:50 pm
Yes, it’s that time of year again. I had forgotten all about it and then Stephen Fry kindly tweeted a reminder. In timely fashion I am struggling to write very much about World Lupus Day because my lupus is flaring a little and stealing all my words. It does that…
Sometimes you shouldn’t probe too deep
May 8, 2011 – 4:05 pm
Rupture
by Simon Lelic
This was another book club read and it certainly generated a lot of discussion, even if part of that was our cynical reaction to the marketing surrounding this book – a lot of review copies were sent out and the book includes “book club” style questions at the back. I mean, it worked, we all read it…
A gallop through time
May 5, 2011 – 5:58 pm
One Hundred Years of Solitude
by Gabriel García Márquez
translated from the Spanish by Gregory Rabassa
This is one crazy book. I both loved and hated it. I took my time over it, reading just a few pages at a time, but I was never bored. Confused, surprised, shocked, maybe…