This shift of chronological focus is similar to that found in Little Follies. There the opening stories carry Peter from toddler to a young boy of almost nine. Time then becomes elastic and – as in this book – turns…
Category: Literary Fiction Reviews
A review of The Enigma of Arrival by VS Naipaul
Neither memoir nor story, the descriptive detail is fine, but it lacks any overall movement, is slow going and painful to read, and ultimately leaves the reader with nothing more than a brief impression of the mental state of the…
A review of One Note Symphonies by Sean Brijbasi
Brijbasi makes connections that have nothing do with sequence of events or prominence of character. It is, in fact, juxtaposition that rules. Nothing is placed next to another in the way that you would expect but each element is very…
A review of An Angel in Australia by Tom Keneally
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…
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 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 Andrew McGahan’s Last Drinks
The style is serviceable but without the lift and lilt that distinguishes the classic practitioners of the novel noir, Chandler and Hammett. A purist might think that McGahan is careless regarding grammatical niceties but this is a common failing and…
A Review of Confessing the Blues by Anson Cameron
In Cameron’s fourth book, Confessing the Blues we are thrown directly into the rock and roll world of Be Good, a late night radio DJ who has become a cult classic on Triple X – his rapid fire talk meant to inspire…
A Review of In Arcadia by Ben Okri
A Review of Inflating a Dog by Eric Kraft
In the business of juggling disparate elements and merging apparently irreconcilable positions, Kraft has few equals. Many writers that have provided less have been better known. Even though Kraft’s novels are a guilty pleasure and despite the trappings of Proust…