The exploration of themes like how we deal with midlife, love, and hate in the 21st Century – in the wake of the sixties — makes this a book that resonates long after the fun stops. Hughes’ descriptive powers are exceptional, from the Dickensian characters carrying the full range of quirks – both charming and obnoxious, to the rich natural world of its Long Island setting.
A review of Be Near Me by Andrew O’Hagan
And Be Near Me is exquisitely written and this in itself prompts another question. Can a book that is exquisitely written condescend to bother with plot, characterization, and, quite simply, the dirty work of novelistic labor?
A review of The Chigorin Defence by Valery Bronznik
To pronounce a judgement: The Chigorin Defence offers a comprehensive, solidly researched survey of this most aggressive and dynamic defence to the Queen’s Gambit. The organisation and presentation of the material is excellent, and there is much detailed original analysis.
A review of Gleaner or Gladiator: the struggle to create by Lyne Marshall
She lays her own journey out honestly, celebrating the successes and exploring those areas that didn’t work – struggling to create new meaning in both areas through the relationship between words and visual impressions. It isn’t always an easy thing to do, but Marshall has produced a work that is an important addition to the aesthetic canon, and a pleasurable read full of both heady insights and lovely images.
A review of Elmore Leonard’s 10 Rules of Writing
Overall, Elmore Leonard’s 10 Rules of Writing is a smart, generous, thought-provoking piece of work and is chockful of all of this writer’s insouciant integrity – but don’t come to it expecting to be spoon-fed. One would have liked more, for at a mere 89 pages in all, the book is somewhat slight.
A review of 3rd I (CD Version) by Basil Eliades
For a lover of the kind of complex poetry that Eliades writes, there will never be a substitute for the slow, repeated reading of words on a page. But listening to this CD is indeed a completely different experience – one where you can chant along, or allow lines to permeate directly into you while driving. Listening to Basil Eliades deliver his exquisite lines with breathless excitement, sincerity and elan, is indeed, delicious.
A review of Send Yourself Roses by Kathleen Turner
Send Yourself Roses is not at all like these recent memoirs, but more like the kind of celebrity hagiography produced as a movie tie-in or short-term career booster. This represents a lost opportunity for Turner, one of whose purposes in releasing this memoir seems to be to garner more of the respect she has worked so hard for.
A review of Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld
But even the fact that this book is all about making your family healthier without a hint of coercion isn’t the reason why I like it. I like it because the recipes are sensational. What Seinfeld doesn’t tell you is that the vegetables actually add significant subtle flavour, depth, and richness to your food. The chocolate cupcakes with avocado and cauliflower were the best tasting cupcakes I’ve ever made.
A review of My One Hundred Best Games by Alexey Dreev
To come to a reckoning: My One Hundred Best Games is a splendid collection and a good summation of Alexey Dreev’s chess achievements to date. The games are unfailingly interesting, often aesthetically pleasing and as a showcase of modern chess they can hardly be bettered.
A review of Beginner’s Greek by James Collins
The problem is that there’s not much substance to this novel. If all you want is entertainment, then this will provide it. It is competently written, but uneven; character development is in need of work. And there is too much manipulation of the reader.