Review: The Empty Family – Colm Tóibín

I am writing this review early in the morning in the strange half-light reflecting into the house from the eight inches of snow which fell overnight down here on the South Coast of England.

I often find short-story collections disappointing, mainly because so many writers try to create impact by giving their work an unwarranted [...]

December 2nd, 2010 | Tags: , | Category: fiction, short stories | 9 comments

Review: The Infinities: John Banville

I was pleased to receive The Infinities through the post, having been impressed with John Banville’s recent novels, particularly his last book, The Sea, which won the 2005 Man Booker prize.  Banville has become well-known for the sheer quality of his writing, which is perhaps not surprising in view of his statement that he only [...]

August 28th, 2009 | Tags: | Category: fiction | 2 comments