Describing what’s impossible – “Mr. Vertigo”
For a writer to describe something impossible or inconceivable, they might use metaphors, similes, understatement, incomplete phrases, invented words, blankContinue Reading
Tag: Review of historical fiction
Backstories critiques Discussion of author’s portfolio Discussion of writing style Review of historical fiction romance Romances and Love Stories
It wasn’t trash after all
I’ve lost track of how many books and authors I’ve reviewed and written about. I’ve regularly published reviews since 2009,Continue Reading
Discussion of writing style Review of Biographical Fiction Review of historical fiction Review of memoir
Beautiful and quotable – Antinous was dead.
In the process of writing lyrics, I’ve been doing an awful lot of critical listening, and I’ve been reading aContinue Reading
Art-themed Fiction Discussion of writing style Review of Biographical Fiction Review of historical fiction Review of literary fiction Review of new book
Time-travel into a nightmarish moment in history – The Marriage Portrait, by Maggie O’Farrell
Maggie O’Farrell wrote the sublime historical novel Hamnet and Judith, about the children of William Shakespeare. She has a wonderfulContinue Reading
Creative Process Discussion of writing style Review of classical fiction Review of classical novel Review of historical fiction Review of translated novel
Two tales of Japan of more than a thousand years ago – The Tale of Genji and The Tale of Murasaki
Tension between Russia and Japan is increasing at the moment, because of the disputed nation status of the Kuril Islands,Continue Reading
When a novelist turns to poetry
Poetry within Fiction: sometimes, for the sake of fully portraying a character, a writer may invent the poetry, stories orContinue Reading
“…Peace in a little heap of vivid dust” – The Leopard, by Tomasi di Lampedusa
Because I absolutely loved Lampedusa, by Steven Price, I had to go back to the novel which caused all theContinue Reading
Discussion of writing style Modern fiction Review of historical fiction Review of modern fiction Review of new book
Family sagas, Socialism and Chile – A Long Petal of the Sea, by Isabel Allende
The latest novel by Isabel Allende is a family saga that depicts the modern history of Chile as well asContinue Reading
Complete and intense immersion – The Mirror and the Light, by Hilary Mantel
Having read every single page in the 883-page long historical novel The Mirror and the Light, by Hilary Mantel, IContinue Reading
Art-themed Fiction Arts-themed novels Authors to watch Creative Process Discussion of writing style Künstlerroman Review of historical fiction Review of literary fiction Review of new book
Wonderful! – Hamnet and Judith, by Maggie O’Farrell
For the first time in a very long while, I could feel tears coming to my eyes while I wasContinue Reading
Discussion of writing style Review of historical fiction Review of Horror Fiction Review of new book Review of new novel
Departing from the winning formula? The latest Night Vale novel
The Welcome to Night Vale (WTNV) phenomenon is now so well known that the listeners to the podcast are actuallyContinue Reading
Art-themed Fiction Arts-themed novels CanLit Discussion of writing style kunstlerromane Review of Biographical Fiction Review of historical fiction Review of literary fiction Review of new book Review of new novel
Falling for the Leopard – Lampedusa, by Steven Price
Do you where Lampedusa is? Or what it is? Steven Price’s historical novel, Lampedusa, is not actually about the islandContinue Reading
Mannered throwaway lines and very bad people – Undermajordomo Minor, by Patrick deWitt
It seems to me that Hollywood film producers keep rehashing the same subjects and plots, which is why I rarelyContinue Reading
Backstories Discussion of film/TV series Discussion of writing style Review of historical fiction Review of new book Trending
A portrait of stoicism and fortitude – Caroline, by Sarah Miller
What is the appeal of the old-fashioned stiff upper lip? Of a person with backbone, inner strength, dogged determination? Caroline,Continue Reading
Authors to watch Award-winning novel Best of 2018 Constructed World Novel Discussion of writing style Review of Biographical Fiction Review of historical fiction Review of new book
A Triumph of Imagination – Lincoln in the Bardo, by George Saunders
I wrote this review of Lincoln in the Bardo carefully, and I spent some time making sense of it, becauseContinue Reading
Authors to watch Discussion of writing style Review of historical fiction Review of novel Review of previously published novel
Wrathful Icelandic sheep – From the Mouth of the Whale, by Sjón
I went to Iceland in August 2017 in the company of a Geologist to see volcanoes and other spectacular geologicalContinue Reading
Ooh, what a horrible man – The Book of Human Skin, by Michelle Lovric
The title is a fair indication of what lurks inside the covers of this book. It has been compared toContinue Reading
Current events Discussion of film/TV series Discussion of genre Discussion of writing style Modern fiction Review of historical fiction Review of modern fiction Review of novel
The Big Business of Erotic Romances – Fifty Shades of Grey, by E.L. James
For the last in my series of festive season books, the theme is romance and erotica, and I have someContinue Reading
And the Mountains Echoed, by Khaled Hosseini
(Penguin Group, 2013) Introduction Khaled Hosseini’s latest novel has made me cry and made me miss my family. I knew,Continue Reading
SEVEN CIRCUMSTANCES 