This slim book, winner of the Prix Goncourt, and translated from French by Polly McLean, is extraordinary on every level. It is poetic, lyrical, moving, crude, tragic, sometimes funny in an earthy way, and absolutely engrossing. The plot is simple, the action confined to one room, the characters very few, and as a result there [click here to read more]
May 152012
“The Devotion of Suspect X,” the cult Japanese thriller by Keigo Higashino has at long last been translated into English. This story of murder and its consequences, set in modern-day suburban Tokyo, is (in the words of all good book reviews) a gripping page-turner. Seriously, however clichéd that description might sound, this novel really and [click here to read more]
Apr 202012
Before I even start writing the review – disclosure time. I am in book club in Delhi with the author’s wife, Theo. So I am not totally impartial, especially since we were all privy to some of the labour pains involved in the final stages of this fascinating book. I cyber-followed Jim’s book tour earlier [click here to read more]
Reading this funny, clever book about Venice and Varanasi, the two ultimate water-based dramatic, atmospheric, crumbling cities, sitting in Varanasi made the whole experience that much more fun. If not a little bizarre. Well, to be honest, I read the Venice section in Varanasi, and the Varanasi section once I was back home in Delhi, [click here to read more]
Mar 162012
Before reviewing Ursula Graham Bower’s “Naga Path”, let me put a couple of things in context, so that I don’t seem to be unfairly partial towards this wonderful book. The author’s daughter, Catriona, is a friend, and indeed we are in book club together in Delhi. So, yes, I knew a little from Catriona about [click here to read more]
Alaa Al Aswany’s novel, “The Yacoubian Building” is an endearing tale of life in Cairo, in the period of political and religious turmoil during the first Gulf War. The famous, formerly elegant Yacoubian Building is now a tad run down, and home to a host of characters, some of whom live in the elegant apartmens, [click here to read more]
