The Trial
Orson Welles’ adaptation of Franz Kafka’s The Trial was screened at the Capitol Cinema Film Club near my house. What an amazingly stylish film – it really played up the “nightmare” aesthetic. Everything looked a bit surreal, including Anthony Perkins … Continue reading
The Book of Anna – Carmen Boullosa
In Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, it is mentioned in passing that Anna is writing a book. Carmen Boullosa has taken this idea and written what amounts to a fan fiction. The main characters are new, but they do interact with … Continue reading
Plumb — Maurice Gee
Plumb comprises the reminiscences of one George Plumb, covering the first half of the 20th century. He starts out as a clergyman but his strict, even fanatical, adherence to his own idiosyncratic principles gets him into trouble with his church. … Continue reading
BBQ Economics – Liam Dann
A pretty good explainer of economics, with a focus on how it affects you. Yes, you – the cost of living, savings, mortgages and the rest. The idea is that if you are at a barbecue and the discussion turns … Continue reading
Notes of a Native Son — James Baldwin
A compilation of pieces written from 1948 to 1955, all concerning contemporary African-American life and culture. The first part consists of various reviews: Baldwin is quite dismissive of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, which he says is not a novel so much … Continue reading
Swann’s Way — Marcel Proust
This, volume 1 of a new(ish) edition of Marcel Proust’s magnum opus In Search of Lost Time, is slow-moving but totally immersive. So slow-moving that even the event that arguably kick-starts the whole extended novel, the famous episode where the … Continue reading
Freedom Regained – Julian Baggini
We do have free will, but it doesn’t necessarily mean what you think it means. Many conceptions of free will are just incoherent; if you think about it, free will can only mean that your decisions are consistent with your … Continue reading
White Teeth – Zadie Smith
Archie and Samad fought together in World War II, and both ended up back home in England. This is their story, or really their kids’ story. Around them are family, friends, school, work and community, packed full of their own … Continue reading
Blurb Your Enthusiasm – Louise Willder
Lots of short pieces relating to the art of the blurb. Initially the pieces seemed fairly light and amusing enough. But I thought the book got better towards the end, with a few pieces on related topics like publishing, cover … Continue reading
This Little Art – Kate Briggs
I love this book. The more I read about translating, the more interesting it seems. It combines close reading with creative writing, psychology (what did the author mean by that phrase? What will the reader understand by this translation?) and … Continue reading