In Pyramid of Skulls: A Novel of Timur, Warrior and Emperor, David is Timur’s court doctor and vizier, who witnesses the intrigues of court and the carnage of the battlefield. While ostensibly a historical novel, I found reading Pyramid of Skulls akin to reading a Warhammer 40K novel or a book from R. Scott Bakker’s epic fantasy series. Continue reading CCLaP Mini-review: Pyramid of Skulls, by Martin Fruchtman
At NYJB, I review The Sound of Things Falling, by Juan Gabriel Vasquez, a beautiful and strange entry into the literature of the Drug War. Continue reading The Sound of Things Falling, by Juan Gabriel Vasquez @ NYJB
Over at NYJB, I review the March on Washington, about a lesser known leader of the Civil Rights movement, A. Philip Randolph. Continue reading The March on Washington, by William P. Jones @ NYRB
Richard Melo is the author of the new novel, Happy Talk, about gun-toting nursing students and farcical nation-building efforts in Haiti. We discuss nation-building, literary form, and the publishing website Red Lemonade. Continue reading The Richard Melo Interview
At the New York Journal of Books, I review On the Noodle Road, by Jen Lin-Liu, which is “. . . a fascinating exploration of some lesser-known corners of the Asian continent and a portrait of a marriage under extreme circumstances . . .” Continue reading On the Noodle Road, by Jen Lin-Liu @ NYJB
This week Karl Wolff reviews “The Book of Times,” by Lesley Alderman, a fun and informative look at how we use time in everything from household chores to gadget longevity to digestion time. Continue reading CCLaP Fridays: The Book of Times, by Lesley Alderman
This week Karl Wolff reviews Fed Chairman Ben S. Bernanke’s book, “The Federal Reserve and the Financial Crisis,” a collection of lectures he had at George Washington University, where he talks about the history of the Fed and its missteps in dealing with the Great Recession. Continue reading CCLaP Fridays: The Federal Reserve and the Financial Crisis, Lectures by Ben S. Bernanke
This week, Karl Wolff returns to the NSFW Files to investigate “Naked Lunch,” by William S. Burroughs, the 1959 sensation that marked a watershed for free expression in literature and included Mugwumps, heroin, and lots and lots of sex. Continue reading The NSFW Files: Naked Lunch, by William S. Burroughs
This week at CCLaP, I review “Happy Talk” by Richard Melo, a novel set in 1950s Haiti about gun-toting student nurses, Baron Samedi, and UNESCO filmmakers. Continue reading CCLaP Fridays: Happy Talk, by Richard Melo
“Capital” by John Lanchester is “. . . a meaty slab of literary realism in the tradition of Charles Dickens, Honoré de Balzac, and Émile Zola . . .” Continue reading Capital, by John Lanchester @ NYJB
The Driftless Area Review 