Lost in the City by Edward P. JonesMy rating: 5 of 5 stars These are powerful stories carved out of real stuff. Everything I respect and love about writing is embodied here. Jones can write a first line that gives … Continue reading →
The Man of Property by John Galsworthy My rating: 3 of 5 stars I do appreciate the quality of the writing, especially its careful choice of sentences that reveal moments that in their turn resonate in several directions. Compared to … Continue reading →
Three Kingdoms by Luo GuanzhongMy rating: 5 of 5 stars This is a very old novel, the actual date of its writing in dispute, its authorship also in dispute, written out by hand, copied so many times that the state … Continue reading →
Elatsoeby Darcie Little Badger This is a very fine young adult debut; I am only beginning to read books in this field, but this certainly ranks as one of the best – perhaps the best – I’ve read so far. … Continue reading →
The Intuitionist by Colson Whitehead My rating: 4 of 5 stars This book came to mind after reading another attempt at a surreal novel; Whitehead’s tale of two opposing schools of elevator maintenance has stayed with me over the years … Continue reading →
Memoirs of a Polar Bear by Yōko TawadaMy rating: 2 of 5 stars This is one of those stories that appeals to the intellect, an exercise in cleverness, of which I am rarely very fond. In the case of this … Continue reading →
Cecilia by Frances BurneyMy rating: 3 of 5 stars This is the most recent reading project I have undertaken, having heard that Jane Austen admired this novel; it is a late 18th century novel about the inevitable young woman of … Continue reading →
Have been watching the various Oxford detectives on Masterpiece because it is very difficult to find television that is not cringeworthy within minutes. Murder mysteries are at least reliable. The BBC versions of detectives have the virtue of wonderful accents, … Continue reading →
The Scholars by Wu JingziMy rating: 4 of 5 stars I read this book when I was in college and recently picked it up again to reread. No fear that the book would hold up; it’s one of the six … Continue reading →
Blue Mars by Kim Stanley RobinsonMy rating: 3 of 5 stars The book is better than my rating of it for at least a third of its length, so much better that I ought to rate it higher; but the … Continue reading →