A reason to read John Banville

I’m sorry to say I’ve never read anything by John Banville or his crime-fiction alter-ego Benjamin Black. After reading this interview, I’ll have to give him a try- for the following quote if nothing else:
” ‘That’s one of my notions. Cast your mind forward to 2050. In a biographical dictionary you read: ‘Banville, John: Irish [...]

and a long-delayed review of A pair of blue eyes by Thomas Hardy, 1873.

Elfride Swancourt is the only daughter of a minister in the secluded seaside village of Endelstow. A church restoration project sees a handsome young architect named Stephen Smith visit from London and sure enough, Elfride and he fall in love.
There seems to be a mystery surrounding Stephen, who claims to know no one locally and [...]

Some high-calibre distractions…

I’ve been a bit negligent with my reading and consequently my blogging recently. In my defense, I’ve had some very high-calibre distractions.
First, there was this:

(The cricket test versus the Indians at the WACA) . The result was regrettable but it was an absorbing match spanning four days. The Adelaide test is now in full [...]

Bookshop visit #1 for 2008

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of visiting one of my favourite bookshops, Abbey’s. From the top, here’s what I bought:
1. Two literary biographies- the first is a short, witty view of Dickens’s life and work by G.K Chesterton, apparently crucial in resurrecting Dickens critically. It will complement my plan of reading a Dickens novel a [...]

Booking through Thursday: May I introduce…

How did you come across your favorite author(s)? Recommended by a friend? Stumbled across at a bookstore? A book given to you as a gift?
Was it love at first sight? Or did the love affair evolve over a long acquaintance?

Ask a devoted reader any question about his or in my case, her, favourite authors, [...]

Elementals: stories of fire and ice by A. S. Byatt, 1998

I’ve just finished this sublime collection of short stories from A.S Byatt. My overwhelming impression is one of colour: each story is vividly descriptive and saturated in colour both literal and metaphorical. Happily, each story contains the often unexpected combination of the everyday and the mythical which is so characteristic of Byatt.
Crocodile Tears [...]

Booking through Thursday: Anticipation

Last week we talked about the books you liked best from 2007. So this week, what with it being a new year, and all, we’re looking forward….
What new books are you looking forward to most in 2008? Something new being published this year? Something you got as a gift for the holidays? Anything in particular [...]