Capital, by John Lanchester @ NYJB
“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
“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
An eccentric publisher from Wisconsin and a bizarro lit novel about a rampaging pig in Green Bay, Wisconsin are showcased in these two book reviews. Continue reading Man from Mars by Fred Nadis @ NYJB & The After-Life Story of Pork Knuckles Malone by MP Johnson @ CCLaP
This week at CCLaP, I review Wheatyard by Peter Anderson, a wonderful character study and a finely wrought coming-of-age novel, that one can also see it as a piece of pop culture archeology. Continue reading CCLaP Fridays: Wheatyard, by Peter Anderson
I interviewed Arthur J. Magida, author of the Nazi Seance, about a Jewish clairvoyant active in Nazi Germany. We discuss serendipity, critical reading, and sensationalism in the media. Continue reading The Arthur J. Magida Interview
Today at CCLaP, Karl Wolff reviews the “Nebula Awards Showcase 2013,” edited by Catherine Asaro, a solid anthology of mainstream science fiction and fantasy writing from Nebula winners and nominees; also “Sauerkraut Station” totally rocks and there’s some bathypunk. Continue reading CCLaP Fridays: Nebula Awards Showcase 2013, edited by Catherine Asaro
This week at the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography, I review Our Lady of the Flowers, by Jean Genet, about a drag queen hanging around with criminals and murderers in pre-World War 2 Paris, along with being a classic of the Western Canon. Continue reading The NSFW Files: Our Lady of the Flowers, by Jean Genet
Today’s book review: Dennis Lehane and others edit “Boston Noir 2: the Classics,” bringing together a collection of Boston’s dark side, ranging from hard-boiled whodunits, out of print classics, and an excerpt from “Infinite Jest.” Says reviewer Karl Wolff: “For those unfamiliar with Greater Boston and its literary heritage, [this book] is a great place to start.” Continue reading CCLaP Fridays: Boston Noir 2: the Classics, edited by Dennis Lehane, Mary Cotton, and Jaime Clarke
In this week’s installment of CCLaP’s “The NSFW Files,” Karl Wolff investigates the 1928 Georges Bataille shocker, “Story of the Eye,” a very early precursor to bizarro fiction. Continue reading The NSFW Files: The Story of the Eye, by Georges Bataille
My recent interview with author Joao Cerqueira has been translated in Italian for the arts website Fucinemute. Continue reading Joao Cerqueira interview … in Italian!
Jacques Barzun on the art of reviewing. Continue reading Commonplace Book: Jacques Barzun on Criticism