In a Nutshell: Dark Lies the Island is easily as good as Barry's debut collection There Are Little Kingdoms, and in some respects - mainly in terms of maturity - it's even better. I may have been worried going into this one thinking that I may have … [Read more...]
Afterthoughts: Me and You by Niccolò Ammaniti
March 21, 2012 By 3 Comments
In a Nutshell: While this may be the shortest novel that Niccolò Ammaniti has published to date, it's no less powerful than any of his other works of fiction. Containing all of the signature themes that have made Ammaniti the stand out storyteller … [Read more...]
Forethoughts: Me and You by Niccolò Ammaniti
March 20, 2012 By 6 Comments
*Please note, I've now posted my afterthoughts for Me and You. It's not every day that I'll leapfrog a new arrival to the top of my review pile (especially while I'm reading as a shadow judge for this year's Independent Foreign Fiction Prize), but … [Read more...]
Afterthoughts: Scenes from Village Life by Amos Oz
March 19, 2012 By 10 Comments
In a Nutshell: A wonderfully engaging novel from Amos Oz, which explores to some depth the theme of loss and longing, and the eternal search to find that which cannot be found. If you're not a fan of the short form or the ambiguous novel then it … [Read more...]
Forethoughts: Scenes from Village Life by Amos Oz
March 14, 2012 By Leave a Comment
*Please note, I've now posted my afterthoughts for Scenes from Village Life. And so I take a first tentative step into this year's Independent Foreign Fiction Prize as a 'shadow judge', by reading one of the shortest books on the longlist, … [Read more...]
Forethoughts: Accabadora by Michela Murgia
October 20, 2011 By 2 Comments
Hand's up, who knows what an accabadora is? I'd be impressed if you did know. I didn't, but I soon found out when I picked up my lasted read which uses this word as its title. The meaning of accabadora is revealed in the cover blurb (see below). … [Read more...]