Tag Archives: book reviews

Book Reviews: Serendipitous Pulp Fiction – Richard Stark vs. Elmore Leonard

Posted on April 24, 2013 by

I fell into both of these authors of decent pulp fiction completely by accident, thus the serendipity idea in the title. I learned about one of my favorite shows Justified from my NSFCCDP friend m.poulet and I told you about how … Continue reading →

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Theatre Review: “L’importance d’être sérieux” at the Théâtre Montparnasse

Posted on April 21, 2013 by

Don’t be put off by the poor translation of the title of the Oscar Wilde classic “The Importance of Being Earnest” (I would have used the word “sincère” rather than “sérieux” personally), this new translation by Jean-Marie Besset with direction … Continue reading →

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Book Review: American Pastoral by Philip Roth (1997)

Posted on March 9, 2013 by

It is getting exceedingly rare to find books that are well-written and yet hard-hitting and surprising at nearly every turn. Usually, you get just one (like the nearly unreadable Infinite Jest that I can still not get through) or the … Continue reading →

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Book Reviews: Mario Vargas Llosa’s Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter – funny and quirky enough to make me want to read more Llosa

Posted on September 24, 2012 by

Also during my Beijing trip, I was able to read and finish 2010 Nobel Prize for Literature winner Mario Vargas Llosa’s Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter. I am familiar with other writers from South America, but this is my first … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Moby-Dick, or the Whale by Herman Melville – Ahab and the Will to Power

Posted on September 12, 2012 by

I finished Moby-Dick for the third time last night at midnight-thirty. It was a breathless ending as one would expect, but there was also a feeling of anti-climax. I think that despite the excitement of the chase and the apocalyptic … Continue reading →

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Book Reviews: Moby-Dick, Part 1 – Suspense Before the Hunt

Posted on September 9, 2012 by

I am reading and loving Moby-Dick at the moment following my research trips to the whaling museums of Nantucket and New Bedford. This particular edition I am reading from University of California Press is HIGHLY recommended as the typeface is extremely … Continue reading →

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Book and Movie Review: Charlie (and Willy Wonka) and the Chocolate Factory

Posted on August 25, 2012 by

Over the summer holiday in Italy a few weeks ago, I was in a bookstore looking for a few books for the family and I stumbled upon Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. I had never actually read … Continue reading →

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TV Series: Sherlock S02 (2012) and my Studies of the World’s Only Consulting Detective

Posted on August 19, 2012 by

I wrote recently about S01 of the BBC One series Sherlock and raved about it. Season 2 was just as good and just as frustratingly short. This time around, we got treated to three of the classic Holmes episodes, A … Continue reading →

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Book Review: The Pale King by David Foster Wallace – A Posthumous Incomplete Masterpiece

Posted on June 17, 2012 by

I have been a little fascinated with David Foster Wallace since learning of his suicide on the blogosphere several years back. I have already written a little bit about my reading of some of his work and just happened upon … Continue reading →

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More opening lines (or more of my favorite literary classics)

Posted on March 6, 2012 by

Continuing on last night’s theme, I thought I’d share a few more opening lines with you. Actually, two are reminders from a friend that said I skipped two good ones – and he was right because they are probably two … Continue reading →

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