Monthly Archives: June 2013

George R. R. Martin, “A Song of Ice and Fire” Game of Thrones Book I

Posted on June 18, 2013 by carolwallace

No. I’m not really a fantasy fan. Yes, it’s true, I’m quite squeamish. No, I never did make it through the entire Lord of the Rings. So….? Here I am on a cloudy afternoon in New York, shaking my head … Continue reading →

Posted in best seller | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

Anthony Trollope, “Phineas Finn”

Posted on June 12, 2013 by carolwallace

I’m not gonna lie to you: Phineas Finn is not my favorite of the Palliser novels. Just too much of it focuses on politics, specifically on the great Victorian battle to reform the parliamentary system. I know there are people … Continue reading →

Posted in anglophilia, classic | Tagged | 3 Comments

Jane Gardam, “Last Friends”

Posted on June 3, 2013 by carolwallace

If you’re a fan of Jane Gardam’s brilliant Old Filth, you’ll need no further urging to read Last Friends, the final novel in a trilogy (the second being The Man in the Wooden Hat) concerning Sir Edward Feathers, Sir Terence Veneering, … Continue reading →

Posted in anglophilia | Tagged | 1 Comment

Barbara Trapido, “Sex and Stravinsky”

Posted on June 1, 2013 by carolwallace

Maybe there’s a pattern here. Maybe Barbara Trapido’s books are mostly based on fairy tales or theater pieces. I’ve been puzzling over her idiosyncratic blend of fantasy and realism. She has a remarkable way of enticing the reader into narratives … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, anglophilia, contemporary fiction | Tagged | 2 Comments