Haverleigh is a well written and engaging story which moves smoothly between the front lines, and the quiet town of Haverleigh, between war at its face, and the impact of war on those left at home. The work is also…
Interview with James Cumes, author of Haverleigh
In this exceptional interview, James Cumes talks about his novel Haverleigh, about growing up in Queensland, fighting on the Kokoda Trail in WW2, his next books, and his special project VOW. Interview by Magdalena Ball Compulsive Reader: Is this your own story? Are…
A Review of A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
You are never told exactly where in India this novel unfolds, but the city has the feel of Calcutta. It is fascinating to see the main character, Dina, move through disgust at the men who are working for her, tailors,…
A Review of The Superior Person’s Book of Words by Peter Bowler
There is certainly no reason to accept the dumbing down of our society and Bowler tears up the cobblestones to form a barricade in what is very likely a losing battle. This is a book worth treasuring by all who…
A Review of Death in Holy Orders by PD James
The story is straightforward, and the mystery unfolds with the right pace, and the right amount of suspense, but James is much more than a simple genre writer. Her characters are complex and well drawn, and while the story reads…
A Review of Julian Barnes’ Something to Declare
A Small Flaubertian Moment: A Review of Julian Barnes’ Something to Declare Barnes’ latest work, Something to Declare is non-fiction, a series of eighteen essays collected over twenty years, covering a range of (mainly gallic) subjects from Richard Cobb’s love and disappointment…
A review of Elizabeth Jolley’s An Innocent Gentleman
Is this Nothing: Elizabeth Jolley’s An Innocent Gentleman As a comedy of manners, An Innocent Gentleman makes for a mildly humorous, and easy to read novel; a brief play which is a kind of light farce. As a commentary on…
An interview with Elizabeth Jolley
Elizabeth Jolley, the author of An Innocent Gentleman, talks about her reader, changes in writing over the years, on innocence, themes, and labelling, and characters in her latest novel, An Innocent Gentleman. Interview by Magdalena Ball Magdalena: Tell me about the…
A Review of The Mysteries of Pittsburgh by Michael Chabon
When a novelist wins a prestigious literary prize like the Pulitzer, the National Book Award, the Pen/Faulkner, it is interesting to glance back at his first novel–first novels, even those praised, so regularly ignored by the public at large–to discover…
Interview with Michael Chabon
The author of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay talks about the making of his Pulitzer Prize winning novel, writing for Hollywood, the upcoming film version of his book, and gives us a tiny hint on what his next project will…