Tag Archives: the goldfinch

“A Little Life” by Hanya Yanagihara (2015) – taking repeated deep breaths

Be warned, this book comes with a general health warning. It is an absolutely visceral read. It tears at your heartstrings, rips at your emotions, at times plucks at your eyes like one of the vultures from ‘The Jungle Book’. … Continue reading

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Literary Trail III – books based in and on the Big Apple

Simone de Beauvoir is apparently often quoted for maintaining that “There is something in the New York air that makes sleep useless“, while Groucho Marx infamously declared that “Practically everybody in New York has half a mind to write a book – … Continue reading

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Literary Trail II : or “10 reasons to want to instantly decamp to New York”…

 10 reasons – there could be a hundred…. 1: The Strand Bookstore – 828 Broadway, on the corner of 12th. Arguably the biggest bookshop in the world, and certainly one of the best have ever set foot into, The Strand … Continue reading

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“All the Light We Cannot See” by Anthony Doerr (2014) – book review

“No two persons ever read the same book.” Emily St. John Mandel quoted Edmund Wilson at the recent book reading at Shakespeare and Company, in reference to her “Station Eleven” narration, and this book is perhaps the perfect example of … Continue reading

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“How To Be Both” by Ali Smith (2014) – book review

Ali Smith is a genius. She is undoubtedly a contender for ‘author of the year’. And this is quite possibly the write-up of the times (hers, not mine, goes without saying), although the jacket cover, while being very alluring, is … Continue reading

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Pulitzer Prize 2015 – announced today 20th April

Last year the goose with the genuinely golden egg was “The Goldfinch”; just today the American prize has gone to Anthony Doerr for the greatly acclaimed “All The Light We Cannot See”, set in World War II and moving from … Continue reading

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“The Goldfinch” by Donna Tartt (2013) – book review

What to say about “The Goldfinch” that hasn’t already been said before? This has got to be one of the most talked-about and hyped up launches of last year : Donna Tartt, infamous for being somewhat reclusive and producing a … Continue reading

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The Pulitzer Prizes for Fiction

These awards, unbelievably, have been on the go for almost a century and are coming up to celebrating their 100th birthday. A book lover’s paradise. And a fine excuse for another list to work through:   Winners for Fiction (2000 – … Continue reading

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