I beg pardon, once and for all, of those readers who take up novels merely for amusement, for plaguing them so long with old-fashioned politics, and Whig and Tory, and Hanoverians and Jacobites. The truth is, I cannot promise them that this story shall be intelligible, not to say probable, without it. My plan requires [...]
Filed under: Literary Classic, Literature, Publishing, Writing Style, Writing tips | Tagged: Sir Walter Scott, Waverley | Leave a Comment »
I have a confession, I am an Asterix tragic. Thankfully, the kids have just started to get into them, too. All kids deserve to have Asterix in their life! I bought my lot (read, bought myself) the first ten, which they really love (as do I). When buying more (for the kids, of course), I [...]
Filed under: Adventure, Children's Fiction, Fiction | Tagged: Albert Uderzo, Asterix, Obelix | Leave a Comment »
In that classic of modern film, Wayne’s World Two, Wayne and Garth go to London in search of celebrated roadie, Del Preston – they find him hanging up-side down, apparently asleep: Garth: How can you sleep like that? Del Preston: Listen, sonny Jim. Sleeping like this will add ten years to your life. I learned [...]
Filed under: Biography/Memoir, Review, Rock'n'Roll | Tagged: Keith Richards | 4 Comments »
From The Man Booker Prize website: The judges for the 2010 Man Booker Prize for Fiction have announced the longlist for the prize, the leading literary award in the English speaking world. A total of 138 books were considered for the ‘Man Booker Dozen’ longlist of 13 books. The longlist includes: Peter Carey Parrot and [...]
Filed under: Literary Prizes, Literature | Tagged: David Mitchell, Man Booker Prize, Peter Carey | 1 Comment »
Jane Austen has suffered unnumbered assaults, this last, however leaves her well equipped to repulse any further attempts to sully her good name. What does Chuck Palahniuk’s modern boy’s own story – Fight Club have in common with the novels of Jane Austen? Well, nothing… until now. A group of girls in the US decided [...]
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You don’t need me to tell you that Wolf Hall, by British novelist Hilary Mantel, is good. It won the 2009 Man Booker prize, and was also shortlisted for the 2009 Costa Novel award and 2010 Orange Prize for fiction. That sort of success speaks for itself. Clearly, the novel is good. What I can [...]
Filed under: Fiction, Literary Prizes, Literature, Review | Tagged: Hilary Mantel, Kylie Ladd, Man Booker, Wolf Hall | Leave a Comment »
Thirteen years ago, Moab is my Washpot, Stephen Fry’s autobiography of his early years, was published to rave reviews and was a huge bestseller. In those thirteen years since, Stephen Fry has moved into a completely new stratosphere, both as a public figure, and a private man. Now he is not just a multi-award-winning comedian [...]
Filed under: Biography/Memoir | Tagged: Stephen Fry, The Fry Chronicles | 2 Comments »
Look Back in Anger By: John Osborne This is a play which is perfect for that ‘angry young man’ in your life – you know the fellow – he’s bit of an intellectual whose natural habitat is the café (he’d smoke but his mother won’t let him, so he has double espressos instead), he is [...]
Filed under: Fiction, Literature, Review | Tagged: John Osborne, Look Back in Anger | Leave a Comment »
