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New Hart’s Rules: The Handbook of Style for Writers and Editors (Oxford University Press) — Although I consider myself to be very well educated (I have two degrees, one from University of St. Andrews), I’ll never be so arrogant as to think that I’ll never need to continually improve my writing. In fact, you’ve probably noticed that my writing could do with a heck of a lot of polishing up, especially with regards to grammar. And with one of my primary aims over the next 12 months being that I want to hone my writing craft to perfection (or as close as to possible to that), I’m currently focusing on stocking up the writer’s reference shelf in my library.

I have a number of good books on my writer’s reference shelf already, but shockingly I have very little in the way of grammar guidance or reference works particularly aimed at writers. And after asking around to find out which titles I should be looking out for, one of the ones that kept cropping up was New Hart’s Rules: The Handbook of Style for Writers and Editors (Oxford University Press). It seems that many consider this to be an essential for the serious writer, and if they think that then I do too. It’s rocketed to the top of my wishlist, together with a partner – the New Oxford Dictionary for Writers and Editors. I think these two together are going to be something of a killer combo. Well see, meantime if you have any further suggestions then I’d love to hear them.

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The Encyclopedia of New York City 2nd Ed., edited by Kenneth T Jackson (Yale University Press) — Well I guess everyone knows by now that I’m a huge fan of anything New York (I certainly go on about it enough ), and as a fan I have a rather extensive reference section of New York-related titles here at RobAround Manor. And one of my most favourite New york-flavoured titles in my library is undoubtedly Kenneth T. Jackson’s The Encyclopedia of New York (Yale University Press). This is undoubtedly my primary ‘go to book’, the first title I reach for whenever I need to find out about anything New York. It’s usually the only book I have to reach for too, because more and often than not the answer I need is sitting there waiting for me, in its tome-like pages. Imagine my delight then when I discovered that a second edition of The Encyclopedia of New York is coming out in November. With 800 new entries and a ton of updates to the previous one, this is the first revision of The Encyclopedia of New York, since it was originally published, 15 years ago. Am I excited? I don’t think I need to answer that!

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Writers and Their Notebooks, edited by Diana M. Raab (University of South Carolina Press) — You’ll know if you’ve seen me tussle with my own online reading journal, that I’m hugely passionate about keeping reading notes. Offline I use a Moleskine for more general note-taking, and a Midori Traveler’s Notebook for my more personal journal writing (and yes it did come all the way from Japan. There’s a pic of my one, HERE). My notebooks and journals are so valuable to me. They serve me in so many ways and on so many levels that I couldn’t imagine living without out them.

In fact I’m so fascinated by the whole concept of journal writing and notetaking, that I adore reading the notebooks and journals of others. Of course I’m not talking about snooping where one shouldn’t snoop here, but I’m happy to read those journals and notebooks which have been made public. That brings me nicely to the next title which has been added to my wishlist, Writers and Their Notebooks by Diana M. Raab.

Writers and Their Notebooks consists of a collection of essays written by professional writers, on the subject of notebooks and how they use them in their professional lives. Now, if ever there were a book that I could say was specifically written for me, then this would be it. This is absolutely, 100% my kind of thing, and I’m hugely excited about discovering this title. And if I wasn’t excited enough, than I can tell you that I almost had a heart attack when I found out that the foreword in this book is written by one of my favourite essayists, Philip Lopate. Do books get any more exciting than this? Absolutely not!

There is one slight downer to this book though – especially if you live in the UK – and that downer is PRICE. The exchange rate between US and UK has barely been taken into consideration and so the paperback edition comes in at £22.50, while the hardback edition is selling for a whopping £44.50. That’s a lot of dosh to lay down for a book that only just breaks 200 pages, and although I’m a little put off, I’ll still get around to picking a copy up. It’s just going to take a little longer than I would have hoped it would.

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Best European Fiction 2011, edited by Aleksandar Hemon (Dalkey Archive) — Last but certainly not least in this edition of my ‘On The Radar’ series, is the upcoming 2011 edition of Dalkey Archive’s Best European Fiction anthology. You remember that I mentioned the 2010 edition of Best European Fiction in an ‘On The Radar’ post way back in August 2009. Well, despite always meaning to pick up a copy I never got to around to it, and now my good buddy Stu (blogger over at Winston’s Dad), has given me a ‘heads up’ on Twitter, letting me know that the 2011 edition is coming in November.

Edited once again by Bosnian writer Aleksandar Hemon, the 2011 edition of Best European Fiction, contains this year’s selection of European short fiction (short stories and extracts from longer works, in translation where required of course), which offer something of a snapshot as to what’s happening in the European literature scene right now. Essential reading for any fan of European literature I’d say, and I for one am certainly not going to procrastinate on this one again this year.

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Constance Garnett: A Heroic Life by Richard Garnett (Faber Books) – It was only a couple of weeks ago that I decided once and for all that my favourite translator of all things ‘Russian Classics’ was that early twentieth-century ‘heroine of translation’, Constance Garnett. Her translations may, by today’s standards, often seem a little awkward and unwieldy at times but truth of the matter is that she brings a real sense of the age with her; a feeling that her translated words are perhaps more in tune with the period and closer, in many ways, to the original. So you may well think that I’ve declared Ms. Garnett to be a personal hero of mine, and you’d be right. Imagine my delight then to discover that Constance’s grandson, Richard Garnett, has authored a biography on his grandmother. Published by Faber Books as part of their Faber Finds series, Constance Garnett: A Heroic Life is said to be both meticulously researched and personal and affectionate. And coming from a personal family member, I can’t think of a more delightful way of discovering the woman behind so many great translations. I look forward to picking a copy up.

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Oblomov by Ivan Goncharov. Translated by Marian Schwartz (Yale University Press) – The blame for this book appearing on my radar lies squarely at the feet of fellow blogger Rebecca Reid. Recently tweeting that she loved the cover of this newly published edition from Yale University Press and the premise the main character never wants to get out of bed, my interest in this novel was immediately piqued. I’ve got to admit that I’ve never heard of Ivan Goncharov before, let alone read anything by him, but now that I have I want to make amends. So what better place to start than with Oblomov, a novel described by Tolstoy himself as “a truly great work, the likes of which one has not seen for a long, long time.” If further encouragement were needed, then this newly published edition from Yale University Press also comes with its translation by award winning Marian Schwartz. Irresistible? I should say. It’s on the wishlist!

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The Return of Kral Majales: Prague’s Literary Renaissance 1990-2010 Ed. Louis Armand (Litteraria Pragensia) – If I’m being completely honest then I can’t even remember where I first discovered this upcoming anthology, but I’m glad that I did. Published in May by Litteraria Pragensia, an imprint of the Philosophy Faculty of Charles University, Prague, this 960pp tome celebrates the literary renaissance which is said to have occurred in Prague over the past two decades, looks delicious. Containing over 90 contributions from writers and translators who have been active in Prague over the past twenty years, The Return of Kral Majales looks to be one book that Eastern European Literature fans shouldn’t live without. My savings jar is rattling!

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Writing New York: A Literary Anthology Edited by Phillip Lopate (Library of America) – If proof were ever needed as to why it’s important for book fans to keep a close on Twitter, then the fact that this is the second Twitter-discovered book to be featured in this edition of On The Radar, must speak volumes. This time around the credit goes to good friend Teri Tynes, that dynamic individual behind New York blog, Walking Off the Big Apple. Not surprisingly her recommendation is New York-flavoured, and boy what a recommendation it is. Writing New York: A Literary Anthology contains the writings of over 100 illustrious 20th-century writers. From Washington Irving to Don DeLillo and Edgar Allan Poe to E . L . Doctorow, the contributions work together to offer an ‘unprecedented literary portrait of the city as seen through the eyes of the writer’. It all sounds absolutely exquisite – as it should do to a bibliophile who has an incurable passion for anything ‘Big Apple’. But there’s one last thing that really puts the icing on top of the cake for me. The anthology is edited by none other than Philip Lopate, one of my favourite essayists of all time. Am I beside myself with excitement? You damn well bet I am! Before you rush off and grab yourself a copy though fellow reader, take note! As Teri reminded me at the time, if you’re going to pick up this anthology then make sure it’s the latest 2008, expanded 10th-anniversary edition (ISBN: 1598530216). Got that? Good. Off you toddle .

New York in the Forties by Andreas Feininger (Dover Publications) – My passion for New York City continues (as if it would ever stop ), and I was lucky enough to pick up a framed print the other day of a photograph taken in 1940 by Andreas Feininger. It’s a black and white shot taken down a smokey Oliver Street, Lower Manhattan, with the west tower of the Brooklyn Bridge silhouetted in the background. It’s a beautiful shot – very contrasting in its tones (a real trademark of this photographer) – and seeing it sent me on an online hunt for more New-York flavoured creations from the German-American photographer. Not only did I discover this fine online stash of photographs, but I also discovered this superb book which contains 162 of Feininger’s finest New York City shots. It’s under £10 too, so an instant addition to the ever expanding wishlist.

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Fun With Problems by Robert Stone (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) – USA Today has a nice mini round up of recently published short story collections, and this one really caught my eye. Even though I should have read Robert Stone by now I haven’t, and this new collection of seven stories looks like essential reading. With stories that ‘search the shadowy corners of people’s lives’ the reviewer, Craig Wilson describes the collections as ‘unsettling’. Definitely my cup of tea (which when I think of it is quite disturbing), and it’s been planted on my wishlist. Actually any of the four short story collection in the mini round up has a certain appeal to it, but this one, I think, stands above the others.

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Manhattan Transfer by John Dos Passos (Penguin Modern Classics) – If I’m being completely honest with you here, I can’t remember exactly where and when I first discovered this book. But ever since I did it’s hung in my head like a bat in the barn rafters. And the reason for that is a portion of the blurb which promises that the book is ‘a powerful and often lyrical meditation on the modern city’, which for me is a real kicker. Couple that with the the fact that Manhattan Transfer is also described as ‘an experimental montage and collage techniques borrowed from the cinema’ and that it contains ‘the jumbled case histories of a picaresque range of characters from dockside crapshooters to high-society flappers’ and you can be assured that this book is an essential wishlist add for me. 2

The Necronomicon: The Best Weird Fiction of H. P. Lovecraft – As a moderate fan of H. P. Lovecraft I’ve seen this Gollancz publication around the Net quite a few times. But I’ve never actually held one in the flesh. Or at least I hadn’t until a couple of weeks ago, when I was strolling around the Edinburgh branch of Waterstones and stumbled across a copy in the sci-fi section (an area of the store which I don’t tend to visit too often ). “Wow,” said I. “What a gorgeous, gorgeous volume this is”. And that utterance was followed by much stroking, hugging and inhaling (I drew the line at licking because I didn’t own the book ).

The Necronomicon really is a beauty to behold. Leather-bound and embossed in gold, it totally reeks of luxury – in an old gentleman’s library kind of way – which, I think is a very befitting treatment for what is a essentially a precious collection of stories. There’s a lot of additional content too – maps, background info etc. making it all the more desirable. Thankfully the price is right on this one too, so it won’t be long until The Necronomicon takes pride of place on my bookshelves (and then nothing will be able to stop me licking it ).

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Focus by Arthur Miller – If you’ve been following my reading journal lately then you would know that I’ve been up to my neck in the short stories of Arthur Miller (courtesy of Bloomsbury’s most excellent Presence: Collected Stories. Well what a timely reminder then, when I was reading this weekend’s Guardian Review supplement and up pops a mention of Arthur Miller’s only novel, Focus, in a ‘Top 10′ of novels featuring spectacles.

It had actually slipped my mind that Miller had written this novel, and the columnist who wrote up the brief synopsis for it really sells it for me (and I’m sure for others too):

Set in the 1940s, Miller’s novel features nondescript New York middle manager Newman, whose life changes radically when he gets a new pair of glasses. Suddenly he starts being mistaken for a Jew. Previously he was indifferent to the racism, but suddenly a world of bigotry is revealed to him.

Now, I know that Miller had a Jewish background, and that he often touched on this theme in his short stories (I Don’t Need You Any More and Mont Sant’ Angelo spring to mind), but I’m really interested to see what he can do with it in a full-length novel (I’m sure he also probably covered the subject Judaism and antisemitism in his plays but I never really follow them).

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William Trevor: The Collected Stories Giftset – So there I am sitting all smug, thinking that I have all of William Trevor’s short stories at my fingertips, bundled in the Penguin’s 1992 William Trevor: The Collected Stories, when I have a chat with Kim aka kimbofo over at her Reading Matters blog, and discover that I’m way off the mark on that one.

Kim was showcasing one of her favourite Christmas presents – Penguin’s newly published 2-volume HB edition of William Trevor: The Collected Stories. I already knew of their existence – I’ve drooled over them uncontrollably for long enough i.e. since Penguin publicist Joe Pickering first Twitter-pimped them (damn you Joe! *shakes fist*) – but I’d resisted the urge to buy them (mainly due to that old enemy called finances) and I’d resigned myself to sticking with the older and unwieldy single-volume paperback tome. But then Kim informed me that the four short story collections that Trevor has published since 1992 – After Rain, The Hill Bachelors, A Bit on the Side and Cheating at Canasta – are also included in the edition. I sat there agape, mainly because I should have known that a writer as prolific as Trevor isn’t going to go eighteen years without publishing further short story collections. Some William Trevor Fan eh? I’m embarrassed at my lack of knowledge.

Anyway, the upshot is there are an extra forty-eight Trevor shorts which I don’t have on my shelves. So you can bet that this new 2-volume HB edition is now well and truly affixed to my wishlist. I’m just biding my time now, until the price, and the finances, are right for buying. On the positive side though, at least I’ve now got a proper excuse for wanting to buy this Trevor set, other than aesthetics (oh and the practicality of the stories being split over the two volumes of course)

My new ‘best friend’ has got to be the Conversational Reading blog. Not only is it a great literary blog, it’s also just brought two great titles on to my ‘radar screen’ for future consideration:

Rasskazy: New Fiction from a New Russia [ISBN: 978-0-9820539-0-4] – This is a anthology of 22 ‘new Russian’ stories, being published this September by Tin House Books. When it comes to new Russian literature there’s a real gap in my reading, and this new anthology, which Tin House claim contains stories written prestigious award winners, looks like it may help to plug it. The post on this at the CR blog, links to a short review on the Publisher’s Weekly website (scroll to locate), where the reviewer briefly runs through some of the included stories. Every one of the stories sounds incredibly interesting, but the one that holds the most intrigue for me is Arkady Babchenko’s The Diesel Stop, which is described as a ‘powerful and harrowing remembrance of the Chechen war.’ I remember reading a book a few years ago on the Chechen War (I can’t recall what exactly it was called now), and the brutalness of it marked me. It looks like this story alone may bring that all back to me.

Best European Fiction 2010 [ISBN: 9781564785435] – The second title of personal interest that the CR blog talks about is this anthology of European fiction which is being published in January 2010 by Dalkey (Amazon UK list W.W. Norton as the UK publishers(?)). Marketed as ‘a window onto what’s happening right now in literary scenes throughout Europe’, the most exciting thing about Best European Fiction 2010 is that it’s not a one-off publication, but rather the first of an annual anthology of the best European fiction. So a tome-like anthology of European fiction to look forward to every January? What a way to each kick off the new year.

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Last Steps: The Late Writings of Leo Tolstoy [ISBN: 9780141191195] – As the autumnal months draw ever closer there’s a distinct Tolstoyan aroma in the air. In a recent ‘On The Radar’ post I mentioned that the diaries of Sofia Tolstoy were being published by Alma Books on October 1st, and I for one can hardly wait. But more recently I’ve discovered that Penguin are also releasing a collection of Tolstoy’s autobiographical writings, diaries, and letters at the end of October, to tie in with the release of the movie The Last Station; an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Jay Parini (published by Canongate) which documents Tolstoy’s final year. Fans of Parini will be delighted to hear that Last Steps is edited, translated and introduced by Jay Parini himself, so the tie-in is all the more conjoined.

Oh and on a final note, Canongate are also re-publishing The Last Station in March next year, so the smell of freshly-baked Tolstoy looks set to continue for a long while to come.

My first On The Radar post is a while is actually somewhat unique in that all of the titles I mention below are to be found on The Guardian’s recommended holiday reading list, printed in their newspaper today – Saturday 18th July (or online for those who don’t get the newspaper). The list is extensive, split into genres and there’s something in it for everyone (I’m sure of it). Here’s what was in it for me and why:

Footprints in Paris by Gillian Tindall [ISBN: 9780701181024] – I have a real affinity with city exploration, as attested by my love for the city-lit guides from Oxygen Books, and this one from Gillian Tindall, which explores the 200 year history of the Parisian Latin Quarter, looks to be exceptional. If the Guardian doesn’t ‘sell it’ to you with its exquisite recommendation – “charming disinterment of a lost 19th- and 20th-century Paris of small boarding houses packed with immigrant workers and cultured dames d’un certain age”, then a quick skim of the synopsis on the publisher’s website surely will.

The Vagrants by Yigun Li [ISBN: 9780701181024] – As some may know I’m often drawn to world literature and this recommendation is no exception. Winner of the Guardian First Book Award for his short story collection A Thousand Years of Good Prayers, this first novel from Li is based on the true events of a small provincial town’s rebellion against Mao’s Communist rule. It’s a rebellion which began after the execution of one of the town’s young women, and it’s one which involves ordinary Chinese people. The Guardian says that “the stark, unshowy prose only heightens the book’s power”, which is a real draw for me, but the synopsis on the publisher’s website signs, seals and delivers it for me. Come to Dada!

The Collected Stories by Lorrie Moore [ISBN: 9780571239368] – Sometimes I wonder if I really do live on Planet Earth, because I’m ashamed to say that I’d never heard of Lorrie Moore until today. Hailed as one of America’s top short story writers, it’s the Guardian’s evangelical praising of Moore that’s got this book firmly planted on the radar screen – “..how very funny Lorrie Moore’s stories are, and how intensely pleasurable to read. She’s one of the finest in the field, and this fat paperback is an essential collection.” I can’t think of a more glowing reason to add another short story collection to my shelves.

I indulged myself at the weekend and along with spending a wad of birthday and Father’s Day cash on a number of much desired titles (more on these when they arrive), I spent an hour or two bolstering up my wish lists for future purchases. That there are three OneWorld Classics titles in this ‘On the Radar’ post is no coincidence. They’re a great publisher with some truly covetable titles in their inventory. I already have Oneworld Classic’s edition of Bunin’s The Village on my reading pile and it looks like three more are soon to join it. As for the others, well they’re equally covetable. My only concern is the morbid direction that my literary tastes seem to be going in.

Lenz by Georg Buchner [ISBN: 9781847490858] – A nineteenth-century tale based on the gradual descent into madness of real-life author Lenz, has to be appealing right? Even more so when you realise these bouts of madness occur while he’s wandering around the Vosges mountains. I think it sounds delicious, although I do sometimes wonder about the state of my own sanity when I find myself drawn to books like this.

The Black Spider by Jeremias Gotthelf [ISBN: 9781847491084] – Everyone hate spiders right? *shivers* but what about a plague of allegorical ones attacking a ‘a petty and morally bankrupt village’? *double shiver* Well that’s the fate that befalls the villagers in this eighteenth-century novella by Jeremias Gotthelf. I ummed and awwed about this one for a while, until I read that Gotthelf believed that his writing had the ability to cure souls. That was the hook for me. Sold!!

The Last Day of a Condemned Man by Victor Hugo [ISBN: 9781847491176] – What better writer to entrust one’s money to than the great Victor Hugo? And what better way to spend one’s money, than on a novella based around the diary scribblings of a man facing execution? Yeah I know I have serious issues but when the publisher’s blurb describes it as “a poignant tale [that] vividly conveys the mental anguish of a man confronted with the intransigent mechanism of justice”, I’m going to find it difficult to resist.

The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann [ISBN: 9781400044214] – Any book that’s described as erudite and ambitious is sure to get my attention, especially when it’s also described as one of the 20th century’s most important works of German literature. It may be sprawling at 854 pages (for this edition), and a lot of people may have complained about it being ambiguous and slow-paced, but I sometimes enjoy drifting into a period of literary mediation (that will be why I enjoy Proust so much )). There’s also the fact it’s set in a sanatorium in the Swiss mountains ) *grin*

Beneath the Wheel by Hermann Hesse [ISBN: 9780312422301] – OK, last but not least is a scrumptious looking novella from Herman Hesse. It’s a story about a gifted young scholar who heads off to a top school, only for him to have a nervous breakdown (oh look there’s that common theme again )) and get sent home again. What I love about this is it’s meant to be a dig by Hesse at the education system, and knowing Hesse it should be a fairly scathing one.

The Diaries of Sofia Tolstoy [ISBN: 978-1846880803] – It was The Guardian in a recent article on this forthcoming title from Alma Books, who piqued my interest for this title. Not difficult when they proclaim that these published diaries from the the Russian master’s wife reveal Tolstoy as being ‘a cruel and difficult man, indifferent to his family, and endlessly critical’. The book’s not out until October but this is one I definitely can’t wait to get my hands on.

Paris (City-Lit Series) by Heather Reyes [ISBN: 978-0955970009] – I can’t recall exactly how this title from Oxygen Books, or indeed the series, first came to my attention but as soon as I discovered it I loved it. Think travel guide for some of the world’s greatest cities – nothing new there – but then think travel guide containing writings from some of the best writers, both living and dead, and what one has here is something very special indeed.

There’s a London edition scheduled for release later this month (June 16th if I recall correctly), but it’s the Paris edition that’s really piqued my interest. With selected entries from Proust, De Maupassant, Flaubert, Orwell and many more (including a number of contemporary authors), this Paris edition of the City-Lit series looks super appealing. What a fantastic idea, and at last there seems to be a literary work on Paris that matches the precious Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway. Check out the City-Lit website or blog for more information.

Little People in the City: The Street Art of Slinkachu [ISBN: 978-0752226644] – Every now and then one stumbles across an idea that’s fundamentally so simple, yet so profoundly realised, that one can’t help but exclaim GENIUS! I made such a discovery in my local branch of Waterstones a couple of days ago, when I spotted the cover for this book. It’s a picture of a miniature figure of a man holding a rifle, with a small girl cowering behind him. To the side is a real bee (albeit dead) that looks as though it has been shot by the miniature ‘Dad’. I’d just been given my first introduction to the incredible world of artist Slinkachu and his Little People.

Slinkachu’s concept is simple. He buys and remodels miniature model railway figures and then positions them to interact with the urban environment. A simple puddle becomes the scene for a search and rescue operation. An empty cigarette packet transforms into a refuge for a pair of curious children. A lumpy white line on the road becomes the scene for a winter-scape, complete with mini sledge and fir tree. Absolutely fantastic and if you want a taste of Slinkachu then head along to his ‘Little People’ blog.

From Ink Lake: Canadian Stories by Michael Ondaatje [ISBN: 9780394281384] – Take a look at the various reading challenges I’m working my way through right now and it’s plain to see that I’m a big fan of the short story form. With such a love for short stories it’s no surprise I’m drawn like a moth to a light bulb to almost any short story anthology, and it seems the bigger the volume the bigger the affinity. I’ve already declared my love for the Short Story Omnibus from the Great Books Foundation (704 pages of short story reading goodness), and now I’ve discovered one of a similar that’s wholly Canadian in nature. Weighing in at a wrist-busting 736 pages, From Ink Lake contains 49 short stories from a number of top Canadian writers and it looks hugely appealing.

“On the Radar” provides small incidental rundowns on books which I’ve discovered, but haven’t yet purchased. These are titles that I’ve either added to my wishlist or am keeping a close eye on, with a view to adding them. In addition, these are books which I feel may be of some interest to fellow readers, and I welcome feedback as always, on your own opinions and thoughts on the listed titles – especially if you’ve already had the pleasure of reading them.

Wonderful World by Javier Calvo [ISBN: 0061557684] – Spotted as one of the ‘staff picks’ in the latest Hot@Harper newsletter, Wonderful World looks to be a promising title (not least because of its gorgeous cover *grins*). It debuts as the Spanish author’s first novel to be translated to English, and it seems to be one of these novels that has a bit of everything. Publisher’s Weekly seems to sum it up best of all in saying that Wonderful World is “a frenetic and magnificent mashup of family drama, mob revenge story and surreal mystery featuring a gigantic enforcer obsessed with comic books, a 12-year-old girl fixated on Stephen King, a namby-pamby antiques dealer on a mad quest and a crime lord with a penchant for women’s coats.” Sound crazy and intriguing enough for you? I thought so too!

How it Ended by Jay McInerney [ISBN: 0-307-26805-5] – As much as I’m into short stories I’ve never read any that have come from the pen of this author. Now may well be the best time to do that however, as the short story collection How it Ended is released in the US today, courtesy of Random House. Why would I be so interested? Well on the publisher page for the title RH have quoted The New York Times Book Review as saying “These stories, with their bold, clean characterizations, their emphatic ironies and their disciplined adherence to sound storytelling principles, reminded me of, well, Fitzgerald and also of Hemingway…” High praise indeed, and when someone mentions Fitzgerald and Hemingway in the same sentence, then my interest is most certainly piqued. No word on a specific UK release (RH didn’t reply to my tweet asking them ( – not their fault. I’m sure they’re very busy), but definitely one to add to my watch list. ::discovered via Random House on Twitter.

It’s funny how on the Internet one thing leads to another. There I am being entertained by a post on the Caustic Cover Critic, speaking about the ubiquitous cover use of Alexei Kondratyevich Savrasov’s painting ‘The Rooks Have Come Back’, and in the space of a couple of minutes I find two works of Russian literature that hit the radar instantly and go straight onto my wish list.

The Village by Ivan Bunin [ISBN: 1847491049] – The first is the one spoken about mainly in that Caustic Cover Critic article. Released this week as it happens by One World Classics, a quick check of the synopsis told me it was a book I really wanted to read – The Village is a bleak and uncompromising portrayal of rural life in south-west Russia. Set at the time of the 1905 Revolution and centering on episodes in the lives of two peasant brothers – “characters sunk so far below the average of intelligence as to be scarcely human” – it reveals the pettiness, violence and ignorance of life on the land. How incredibly yummy does that sound? )

Dead Souls by Nikolay Gogol [ISBN: 0140448071] – My brief research on The Village lead me on to title’s page on Amazon.com (non-affiliate link as always) and a response from a Patrick W. Crabtree on a review for the book which more or less labelled Russian literature as a sad affair. Pat responded: “It’s true that much Russian literature gets the “misery rap” and for good cause. Someone should have helped you out and pointed you toward some of the more hilarious stuff that exists. Try Gogol’s “Dead Souls” (a guy travels around buying “dead serfs”), or his “The Inspector General”. Wow! A novel about a guy buying dead serfs? Must have! Must read! Must add to my list!

I’m still to look into Pat’s recommendation for Gogol’s The Inspector General but for now, another fine addition to my wish list.