Tag: novels
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Invisible by Paul Auster – A Book Review
Invisible spoke to me more potently than many of Auster’s other recent works. Don’t misunderstand, Auster again explored themes of identity, chance, and reality, but this novella in particular struck me as being far more concerned with character. Moreover, though the story jumped around in time and made use of several perspectives, it was one…
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The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield – A Book Review
I’d heard good things about this book, and, after my mother insisted I read it, I finally gave in. I’m happy to report that The Thirteenth Tale was indeed a fantastic read. I must admit that I was a little skeptical at first. A book about a culture’s greatest writer is dangerous ground, for what…
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November Is National Novel Writing Month
Have you always wanted to write that novel but just couldn’t work up the gusto? Well, no more excuses come November. We’re celebrating National Novel Writing Month with the good people at NaNoWriMo! The concept is simple: by the end of the month you need to have written at least 50,000 words. Quality is not…
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Peter & Max: A Fables Novel by Bill Willingham – A Book Review
In many cases, novelists have difficulty making the jump to comic book writing just as comic book writers and screenwriters may have a rough time adapting to pure prose writing. I’m happy to report that Bill Willingham not only made the jump to prose writing well, but he exceeded my already lofty expectations. Okay, I’d…
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Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon – A Book Review
With Await Your Reply, Dan Chaon has created a mesmerizing novel that keeps the reader guessing from one page to the next. I’d always considered Chaon a “literary” author, but with Await You Reply, he expertly delves into “genre,” delivering a suspenseful mystery that endlessly satisfies. Chaon raises intriguing questions about identity, and also provides…
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The Affinity Bridge by George Mann – A Book Review
George Mann has written an original novel utilizing two dynamic characters while blending science fiction, horror, and fantasy genres in Victorian England. But, even as these elements add up to a highly entertaining work, it is not without faults. The Affinity Bridge features Sir Maurice Newbury, an agent of Queen Victoria, and his newly hired…
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Of The Farm by John Updike – A Book Review
Of The Farm details the complex relationship between a son in his mid-thirties and his elderly mother. The son brings his new wife and her son from a previous marriage to his mother’s remote farm, and it’s obvious from the beginning that the mother and the wife are not going to get along. Though a…
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The Music of Chance by Paul Auster – A Book Review
Paul Auster once again scribes a tale that lingers in the consciousness long after the initial reading. In The Music of Chance, Auster provides an utterly unpredictable story focusing upon Jim Nashe, a firefighter who inherits an unexpected sum of money and begins driving cross-country for no real reason. As chance would have it, he…
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Breathers by S.G. Browne – A Book Review
With all due respect to Mr. Browne, I simply couldn’t finish this book. After the first fifty pages, I knew it was a lost cause, but out of professional courtesy, I tried to press on. I trudged through half of it and simply had to call it quits. Breathers, a story about zombies trying find…
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