The Wars
We’ve settled into late spring, early summer without any of the in-between gradual changes. This is the kind of year that I think of as distinctly Canadian. This a review of Timothy Findley’s The Wars.
Contemporary
The 20th century contains a lot of small movements, categorized by modern history. Some are more prominent than others, and some are very difficult to define. That’s where the contemporary label comes in.
Post-modernism, structuralism, post-structuralism, post-post-modernism, deconstructionism, post-colonialism, hypertexts, and modern genre fiction can all be found here. Books that don’t fall into a broader movement can also be found here, including many topics of interest that are still current for readers.
Contemporary works were written mostly in the last 100 years. These books are usually a bit easier to find on shelf (though not always) in a bookstore.
You are viewing Contemporary reviews.
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The Bluest Eye
There is no singular process that recommends a book to me or by which I choose what to read when. My reading tastes can change with a given day or even a given hour — which is why I tend to read about eight to ten books at once. This is a review of The Bluest Eye.
Star
I was in high school and The Ring was a horror movie like none that I had ever seen before. From that moment to this, I’ve actively studied literature and film from Japan – with a particular emphasis on horror or psychological thriller. This is a review of Yukio Mishima’s Star.
The Judge and His Hangman
I can go ahead and admit that I have a problem. I collect kitty-cat knickknacks. This is a review of Friedrich Dürrenmatt’s The Judge and His Hangman.
Five Noir Novels of the 1940s & 1950s
I found noir as a genre relatively late. I’ve always been interested in true crime, but for some reason, my younger self just wasn’t drawn to the black and white grit of classic movies until it was included in our cable package. This is a review of five collected noir novels by David Goodis.
The Tin Drum
December was busy. Far, far busier than even the holiday season had a right to be and more disturbingly, there was the feeling of endings in the air. This is a review of Günter Grass’ The Tin Drum.