August 29, 2012 – 4:08 pm
My First Wife
by Jakob Wassermann
translated by Michael Hoffman
This “lost classic” deserves introduction because it’s really quite an odd story. First published in German in 1934, this story was just a small segment buried in a 2000-page trilogy, an autobiographical confession loosely disguised and hidden from view. When Michael Hoffman stumbled across it he was stunned by this powerful account of a marriage and knew he had to bring it to a wider audience and so set about translating it into English for the first time…
August 23, 2012 – 7:23 am
Vile Bodies
by Evelyn Waugh
Why oh why have I never read Waugh before? How has this happened? He was clever and funny and acerbic and fun and catty. Can you tell I enjoyed this book…
August 18, 2012 – 1:06 pm
I’m the King of the Castle
by Susan Hill
I think I may have left it a little too long to write this review because I was struggling to think of coherent things to say. Which is not to disparage the book. I really enjoyed it. I had just fried my brain a little with too much stuff…
August 16, 2012 – 9:13 pm
Three weeks ago, the very lovely poet and bookseller Jen Campbell blogged about a fantastic event in London called Raining Poems. She offered to send out some poems from the event and I was thrilled to be one of the lucky winners. My poem arrived today…
August 16, 2012 – 7:37 am
Whether it’s a tired, not ready for the world early morning; a lazy, no need to get up late morning; or a I’ve done too much today and want to stop now interlude, this is the perfect sleepy tune. Enjoy…
August 12, 2012 – 5:47 pm
Many years ago, my sister won a fancy dress competition dressed as British summertime. She wore a swimsuit, kagoule and wellies and carried a bucket, spade and umbrella. And most summers that’s pretty accurate: we’re hopeful but ultimately disappointed. But this year, well it’s been a bit special…
Old Paint
by Megan Lindholm
This is a novelette from Asimov’s Science Fiction that Tim encouraged me to read. It’s a touching, simple story set in a near-ish future and playing on American tropes…
August 5, 2012 – 11:07 am
Penguin Lost
by Andrey Kurkov
translated from Russian by George Bird
When I began this book, the sequel to Death and the Penguin, I was mostly a little lost and puzzled. I ended it engrossed and near tears (happy-sad ones). Which is a pretty good review in itself, I think…
Through England on a Side-Saddle
by Celia Fiennes
I picked this up in a rare glow of national pride, what with certain sporting stuff going on. It’s an odd little book. Published as part of Penguin’s “English Journeys” series, it’s an extract from the 1698 travelogue of a rich Englishwoman travelling on horseback up to Newcastle and down to Cornwall. Intrepid, I think the word is…