When you read a Saramago novel you have to adjust to his way of doing things. He punctuates in his own way, he does not capitalize words, at least in this book, and of course he writes dialog in a … Continue reading →
This is what you want a reading experience to be, a clear strong voice, a writer who stays out of the way but makes great decisions, characters that emerge, a compelling beginning, a through-line of energy, and an ending that … Continue reading →
Reviews of this book and many other of Hollinghurst’s books note the fine writing. The sentences in this book are well done, as usual, and the book has a goodly number of moments like those to be found in his … Continue reading →
The subtitle of the book is “An LGBTQIA Rivals-to-Lovers Road Trip Romance,” which serves as a reassurance, a summary, and a pitch. The breadth of the spoilers would be a problem if Annabeth Albert were not a good writer, but … Continue reading →
During the reading of this book I was constantly reminded of Mary Renault’s Fire From Heaven. What I was reminded of was how much better that book was than. Well. The similarities are many. The mad mother. The destiny of … Continue reading →
It is a rare thing: to find a book that simply lays itself out, seduces, moves forward, never falters, and lands with a deft final step. The good read that Goodreads is named for. Taylor’s novel is simple on the … Continue reading →
To say that the book is superbly written, and that it inhabits the very difficult territory of a literary love story, is to say that the achievement of Aciman is large. He’s depicted the cauldron of young love, youth, erotic … Continue reading →
This novel has a hazy quality from start to finish. Well, that’s not quite true. The beginning of the book has a startling turn when Liam, the main concern, loses his job, moves into a new apartment, and wakes up … Continue reading →
This book feels like a case of fan fiction meets Agatha Christie, but not the good Agatha Christie. The fact that the book has as its premise that we return to the world of Pride and Prejudice makes it something … Continue reading →
Finding this book in my smallish public library, I read it with some fascination over a few days, and with the surprise one feels on hearing a genuine voice. Laurus is the fourth name by which the protagonist is known … Continue reading →