Lives of the Saints
If you think of the themes of a novel like a complex spiderweb, most of the time an overzealous use of repetition is akin to the author shoving the reader into the centre of it.
All Book Reviews
Hargrave reads voraciously and diversely — mostly antiquarian and classic books in translation. These are her book reviews.
While she reads more books than she could possibly write about, she does consistently post weekly reviews. New reviews are posted on Mondays.
Looking for one of the books that have been reviewed? Want to find some vintage treasures of your own? Second-hand and used books are unique and eco-friendly, and can be found at your local independent bookseller. If you’re looking for an American bookseller, you can check here. UK booksellers can be found here.
If you’d prefer to buy books online, many vintage and rare editions can be found at ThriftBooks.
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All Book Reviews
The Metamorphosis
There’s something really nice about having a classic novel or collection of short stories gathered into a pretty little book. It’s perfect for travel.
Cool For You
While their stories are funny tales of minimum-wage teenage drudgery, they are also stories of chafing at the world one inherits from their parents.
Fair Play
When you hear the name Tove Jansson, you probably automatically think of Moomin, but Jansson was much more than the exploits of everyone in Moomin Valley.
Weight of the Earth
In these tapes, Wojnarowicz discusses a vast variety of topics but mostly settles on art, dreams, and death as he processes his HIV diagnosis and impending end of life.
Grace Period
Leaving Lisbon and revisiting the small town he remembers only vaguely, he is accosted both with the familiarity and strangeness of locations he left so long ago.
The Suicides
Di Benedetto’s style is stark and precise. There are no extraneous words here. No time spared on unnecessary details.
My Prizes
Reading My Prizes is comforting, because even though Bernhard has reached that pinnacle of success and the goal of being recognized as a writer, he still has problems.
Lulu in Hollywood
One of the things I need more of in this time of much overtime? I need more films — even if I don’t have the time for them.
The Devil in the Flesh
It’s a story mostly told in clandestine meetings, burning letters, and obvious consequences that lead to a predictable end.