One of the ten greatest novels in the French language?
That was Gide’s view of Émile Zola’s 1885 novel, Germinal. And what a stupendous work it is. I read the Penguin edition in an excellent translation by Roger Pearson. (Alas my French couldn’t cope with this 532 page novel with its complex – though always accessible – descriptions of mining technology). It tells the story of […]
Hermione Lee’s biography of Penelope Fitzgerald
This is the first biography I have read of someone that I’ve actually known. Penelope Fitzgerald was an active member of the William Morris Society of which I was curator, and later vice-chair and then chair in the late 1980s and the 1990s. My memories of her include standing with her on a bitterly cold […]
Ethel Lina White: underrated GA writer?
I am often alerted to a book I might enjoy by my good blogfriend, Moira, over at Clothesinbooks.com and that was the case with Ethel Lina White’s Fear Stalks the Village. You can see her review here: http://bit.ly/1JrsBCs. As I happened I already had a ‘box set’ of White’s novels on my e-reader and this […]
Stories of amazing courage
Matthew Cobb’s book, The Resistance: The French Fight against the Nazis (2009) seemed a good choice of reading for my French holiday. Although I read some of it with tears in my eyes, I was glad I had taken it. I had known, of course, that the French had suffered during the Occupation, but I […]
The Starlings and Other Stories
I got back from my holiday in France to find a treat waiting for me: a copy of The Starlings & Other Stories, edited by Ann Cleeves. A while ago I wrote about writing short stories to a brief and mentioned this anthology, to be published by Graffeg, an excellent small Welsh Press: http://bit.ly/1WGllMk. The stories are all […]
Helen McCloy’s Through a Glass, Darkly
I hadn’t heard of Helen McCloy before her novel, Cue for Murder, was discussed on one of my favourite blogs, Clothesinbooks.com. It’s set in a theatre and sounded right up my street. I did enjoy it, and but not nearly as much as I enjoyed Through a Glass, Darkly, regarded by many as her […]
A magical exhibition: Joseph Cornell
It has been a year of marvellous exhibitions – Sargent, Ravilious, the Impressionists at the National Gallery – but there isn’t one I’ve enjoyed more than Joseph Cornell at the RA. Cornell (1903-1972) was a textile salesman living in Queens when he encountered the Surrealists in a Manhattan Gallery during his lunch hour. He started […]
Classic thriller: Wait Until Dark
Susy, played by Audrey Hepburn, is still adjusting to the loss of her sight in an accident. Her husband is away. She doesn’t know that there is a doll stuffed with heroine hidden in her flat. Three villains, one of whom is a violent psychopath, played by Alan Arkin, know it’s there. They just don’t […]
Writer Amanda Jennings is my guest
I met Amanda Jennings for the first time at Crimefest this year and I am hoping that our paths will cross again soon. For me one of the pleasures of moderating a panel is when I get to read the work of authors new to me. Once I’d started reading Amanda’s novel, The Judas Scar, I couldn’t put it down. […]
Eric Ravilious
There is a hugely enjoyable exhibition of the work of Eric Ravilious at Dulwich Art Gallery. It’s on until August (and the gallery itself is well worth a visit). As I looked at the pictures some lines from Gerard Manley Hopkins’ poem, ‘Pied Beauty’ came to mind. They so much seem to sum up the […]