Soup for the Spirits: Neil Gaiman’s American Gods Neil Gaiman’s American Gods is a Tale for a person such as me; is a Tale that pleads for all of us to be Makers, in our beliefs for there really is…
Tag: literary fiction
A review of Kate Grenville’s The Idea of Perfection
In the tentative groping of the characters for meaning, the articulation of silence, Grenville creates a story which is a pleasure to read. Reviewed by Magdalena Ball Kate Grenville is one of Australia’s most accessible writers. She has her own…
An Interview with Kate Grenville
The author of The Idea of Perfection, talks about the genesis of her new novel, about e-books, teaching, being an Australian writer, her latest project and more.
Interview with Peter Carey
Peter Carey talks about The True History of the Kelly Gang, Ned Kelly, his research, his linguistic usage, living in New York City, and more. Photo by : Marion Ettlinger Interview by Magdalena Ball Why Ned Kelly? There were two…
The Already Falling-Away Moment: Sarah Stonich’s These Granite Islands
The book reads easily and quickly, but the slow action and gentle nature of Stonich’s prose conceals a powerful message of life, love, and the human condition: how we make meaning from our short lives. Reviewed by Magdalena Ball THESE…
A review of Salman Rushdie’s The Ground Beneath Her Feet
Love is the main hero of this novel which is about, among other things, love, loss, life, death, the lines between truth and fiction, beauty, and art. Reviewed by Magdalena Ball “In the front lobby, carved into a stone wall,…
Slow, Spare and Painful: Don DeLillo’s The Body Artist
Beyond the simple tale of Lauren Hartke and her grief, DeLillo’s short novel provides the reader with a mirror, showing us how flimsy our self-assurances of solidity, how delicate our mind and bodies, how easily undone and yet how beautiful…
A review of Julian Barnes’ Love, Etc
The book is an easy read, and appears to be a simple, light story of love and betrayal, but on closer reading and reflection, it is much more sinister, where the truth shifts, meaning distorts and ultimately the reader’s own sense of meaning is challenged in a very Pinteresque, post-modern way. The main characters are unreliable, with Stuart and Oliver showing their insecurities and failings and Gillian changing her story quite dramatically at times. Are the characters grappling with love, or is it hatred; desire for closeness, warmth and meaning, or just power?
A review of Salman Rushdie’s The Moor’s Last Sigh
Salman Rushdie’s The Moor’s Last Sigh is a heady, sensual, wordy, moving, funny, wonderful book. It does for the English language what Joyce’s Ulysses did over a century ago, expanding our vocabulary and consequently our ability to perceive and describe the world and ourselves.
Hero of the Word: Peter Carey’s True History of the Kelly Gang
Hero of the Word: Peter Carey’s True History of the Kelly Gang Carey’s Kelly is hero of the word. Like his other famous characters, Illywacker Badgery, Jack Maggs, Tristan Smith, Oscar, and Harry Joy, their need get the story out…