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 Mad and the Bad


Contemporary

You know just enough about the characters — no more, no less. You are provided with just enough background information. It keeps the story tight and moves things along in ways that longer works often struggle with. Perhaps if you look closely you can see the traces of a formula, but it is applied so skillfully that it doesn’t detract from the enjoyment or impact of the narrative.