Crisp, clear, descriptive, and golden-ripe, and finely hollowed out, albeit in a real way. Continue reading
Do you remember when you thought the secrets of life were contained in each and every book you pulled off the library shelf? Continue reading
Often, with a single, delicately crafted sentence, the truth and clarity of his vision will pierce your heart. Continue reading
Note that you may also have to loosen your bodice at certain parts, if not rip the whole damn thing off… Continue reading
Sharp, brittle, bloodless, and as beautiful as china. Continue reading
I love the understated humor and I could really relate to the protagonist. All of the characters seemed extremely fresh (the book was published in 1971.) The wife’s dialogue was especially brilliant, as were the parents from Boise. Continue reading
the very French combination of ridiculous physical comedy with a spiritually-cleansing send-up of academic pretension tickled my… Continue reading
The Enthusiast is a fun read in a Tom Robbins-y style — youthful, but updated in a blog-topical way for the Internet era of micro-interests and short attention spans. Our man Henry Bay journeys through life and these United States … Continue reading
Shield’s hypnotic first novel follows the criminal investigation of the circumstances surrounding the death of Dora, the subject of Freud’s famous treatise on repression and female sexual hysteria… Continue reading
It’s the fourteenth century Balkans, and water transportation has recently been monopolized by a shady outfit called “Boats and Rafts” that imposes standard tolls for water crossings. Our fictitious monk-narrator acts as interpreter when two strangers appear in the realm … Continue reading