Monthly Archives: August 2011

Emile Zola, “La Curee/The Kill”

Posted on August 30, 2011 by carolwallace

Oh. My. Goodness. This novel is so much fun. For a certain reader, that is. If you require subtlety in your fiction, La Curée (translated as The Kill) will not be your cup of tea. Emile Zola was heavy-handed. But golly, … Continue reading →

Posted in classic, French | Tagged | 13 Comments

Walt Longmire on the Small Screen

Posted on August 29, 2011 by carolwallace

Apparently A&E has agreed to produce a series based on Craig Johnson’s Western-themed mysteries. Of course you want to know who will star as Walt, the wise and somewhat battered narrator — answer is Robert Taylor, and I couldn’t find … Continue reading →

Posted in mystery | Tagged | 4 Comments

Jacqueline Winspear, “An Incomplete Revenge”

Posted on August 28, 2011 by carolwallace

Oh, well. Sometimes we finish books against our own better judgment, and I’m going to chalk this one up to Hurricane Irene. I read the first of Jacqueline Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs books some time ago and didn’t like it. First, … Continue reading →

Posted in mystery | Tagged | 11 Comments

Ellen Feldman, “Next to Love”

Posted on August 22, 2011 by carolwallace

Well, what was it like? The generation that fought in World War II is dying out. As we confront the horrors brought back from Iraq and Afghanistan, we have to look back. Especially those of us whose fathers fought between 1942 … Continue reading →

Posted in historical fiction | Tagged | 2 Comments

Susan Hill, “The Vows of Silence”

Posted on August 21, 2011 by carolwallace

I hate when I do this, but I bet you’ve done it, too. You’re on vacation, in an unfamiliar book store. You see a book by a favorite writer but gosh! can’t remember if you’ve read it or not. You … Continue reading →

Posted in mystery | Tagged , , | 9 Comments

Creepy! — “The Woman in Black” with Daniel Radcliffe

Posted on August 18, 2011 by carolwallace

I suspected there was some movie action by the occasional burst of clicks on my post about Susan Hill’s The Woman in Black. I just clicked on the trailer  for the film with Mr. Radcliffe (tentative February release) and was too rattled … Continue reading →

Posted in ghost story | Tagged | 13 Comments

Guy de Maupassant, “Bel-Ami”

Posted on August 18, 2011 by carolwallace

Bel-Ami has been a favorite of mine for some time, and I picked it up again recently because I’d heard about the film version starring Robert Pattinson. Be still, my heart! I’m not sure Pattinson is a fabulous actor but … Continue reading →

Posted in classic, French | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Elly Griffiths, “The House at Sea’s End”

Posted on August 17, 2011 by carolwallace

I’ve been wondering how Elly Griffiths would manage expanding the Ruth Galloway series. I really liked her two earlier books, The Crossing Places and The Janus Stone but as I’ve written over and over again here, maintaining the momentum in … Continue reading →

Posted in mystery | Tagged | 7 Comments

April Smith, “Judas Horse”

Posted on August 14, 2011 by carolwallace

It’s very clear from April Smith’s White Shotgun that she’s a talented writer with a gift for plot, setting, and character. It was thus interesting – and a little disappointing – to learn from her preceding novel Judas Horse that … Continue reading →

Posted in mystery, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Book into Movie: “The Help”

Posted on August 11, 2011 by carolwallace

Just got back from a 12 noon showing of “The Help” in Southern California and it’s taking me some time to blink my way back to reality. Yes, it’s sentimental, but so was the book. In fact the movie, a … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments