Much of the book depends on the ability of several of the characters to shape-shift and Pella especially spends much of the novel as a small animal ubiquitous on the planet and known as household deer, shy creatures that haunt…
Category: Literary Fiction Reviews
A review of Taking Off by Eric Kraft
The seriousness and complexity of Kraft’s novels varies. Taking Off has a modest scope compared to Leaving Small’s Hotel or Reservations Recommended, but each book by Kraft has a consistency of its own that is enjoyable on its own merits and is enhanced by its…
Blue Arabesque: A Search for the Sublime by Patricia Hampl
It is a short book but has a range and depth that is uncommon. The skill of the author is disarming and the orchestration of this personal essay is flawless. Some books we welcome, but this is a book to…
A review of The Visitor by Maeve Brennan
Brennan writes this kind of emotional turmoil with lightness and depth, evoking the wrenching fear and panic that true loneliness induces. Neither excusing nor explaining Anastasia’s heightened sense of self-preservation, Brennan’s is a powerful and compassionate voice, one that haunts…
A review of February Flowers by Fan Wu
The moment of transformation comes late in the novel, and is handled so subtly that it is easy to miss. Nevertheless the reader is left with a satisfying conclusion that doesn’t limit the story with overt sensationalism. February Flowers is a beautifully…
A review of The Weather Man edited by Matt Ward
The Weather Man contains twenty-seven stories, and there’s a kind of similarity between them—nearly all of the stories contain a hard twist towards the end, and although there are a couple of exceptions, most are rooted in the psychological transformation of…
A review of Native Sons by James Baldwin and Sol Stein
Stein talks about Baldwin being late in delivering his work and the editorial process they shared; and it’s hard not to hear in these words Stein’s self-aggrandizement. Especially as Native Sons is an unnecessary book: Baldwin is one of the rare writers who told us what we need to know about himself, his philosophy, and his work. While this book Native Sons is not despicable, one wonders why it was published.
A review of Theft by Peter Carey
Although the truth theme continues to be compelling, it never takes precedence to the original and natural integrity of the story, which is overwhelmingly entertaining, first and foremost. On pure plot and characterisation alone, Carey is a master. That Theft like all…
A review of Oulipo Compendium by Harry Mathews and Alastair Brotchie, editors
Consider for a moment, though, how it (or any other constraint, for that matter) works. It places a restriction on the expressions and phrases that can be used in a poem, and it determines to some extent what the poet…
A review of Life, Death & Bialys by Dylan Schaffer
Life, Death & Bialys is a very personal book. Dylan tells us much about himself, and what he tells us is the kind of thing that most of us can’t talk about. Dylan is fearlessly self-revelatory. He strips briskly and without…