Although this is primarily a novel of plot – a fine story, rather than a difficult exploration of ideas, Frank’s attempts to reconcile a personal morality which makes sense in terms of his own experiences with the Church’s morality is…
Category: Book Reviews
Book Reviews
A Review of Portraits in Fiction by A S Byatt
It is likely that, as an writer who works solely with words, however visually descriptive these words may be, Byatt is naturally biased. Portraits in Fiction is nevertheless, exactly what literary criticism should be, provocative, well researched, well written, enjoyable to read,…
A Review of Pasta e Sugo by Maria Ponte
If you are a beginning cook, and looking for a no-frills, easy to use cookbook with a number of well known pasta dishes, Pasta e Sugo might not be a bad choice, otherwise serious pasta lovers may be disappointed with the lack…
A review of Belief or Non-Belief: A Confrontation by Umberto Eco and Cardinal Martini
The book is worth reading for its philosophical insights and the beauty of its prose alone, but the very fact that a correspondence like this can take place is also meritous and powerful. In these times of fundamentalist ignorance and…
Imagination, or, The Delicate Art of Eric Kraft
The Delicate Art of Eric Kraft The cumulative effect of Kraft’s work is of a sober humor that refuses easy answers however much self-indulgence may appear on the surface. The latter becomes the lie of art by which we come…
A review of All I Ever Wanted Was A Window by John West
The poems in John West’s fourth collection of poetry are strong, stark, and filled with a very ordinary ennui and pain that most readers will be able to relate to. At 61 pages, this slim volume contains an equal number…
A review of Favourite Food by Jill Dupleix
The book celebrates traditional and classic recipes from around the world: “food that links us to the generations past; that has a sense of time and place; that has a reason to be; that gives us a sense of the…
A Review of The Prosperous Thief by Andrea Goldsmith
Andrea Goldsmith’s fifth book is an historical novel that looks at the lives of Heini Heck and the Lewins – the two opposing sides of the Holocaust which intersect, and the impact that this has on their children as the stories moves forward in time to the modern day. While presenting a compelling and powerful story, the novel explores a wide range of topics including crime, punishment, good, evil, pain, survival and the legacy that acts of these nature leave across generations in permanent repercussions.
A Review of Writer’s Guide by Irina Dunn
While the book suffers from trying to cover too much and therefore being a jack of all trades and master of none, there is still plenty of material here for both the beginner and the experienced writer, much of it…
A Review of Belinda Jeffery’s Tried-and-True Recipes
This isn’t really a book to read. The prose is brief, although it is friendly and warm. However, these are recipes which really do seem to work. Aside from a fairly regular use of smoked paprika, which really does add…