Monthly Archives: October 2013

Jo Baker, “Longbourn”

Posted on October 22, 2013 by carolwallace

So how do you feel about all of these Jane Austen knockoffs? I was underwhelmed by Death Comes to Pemberley and won’t have anything to do with mashups and vampires. I  have been anticipating Joanna Trollope’s update on Sense and Sensibility with … Continue reading →

Posted in anglophilia, historical fiction | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

Edith Wharton, “The Custom of the Country”

Posted on October 18, 2013 by carolwallace

Yes, I read & discussed this last spring. But The Custom of the Country is 100 years old and The Mount (Edith Wharton’s Lenox, MA home, open now to the public) is doing a year-long blog on it. They invited … Continue reading →

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Phillip Rock, “The Passing Bells”

Posted on October 11, 2013 by carolwallace

Here’s a book I’ve had on my shelves for thirty years. It’s survived purge after purge because I remembered enjoying it so much the first time I read it. But it wasn’t until I saw that Phillip Rock’s The Passing … Continue reading →

Posted in anglophilia, best seller, historical fiction | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

We Knew This Already

Posted on October 3, 2013 by carolwallace

You know those scientific studies that prove something you figured out long ago? News flash here is that reading literary fiction promotes empathy. Yes — you understand people better if you read novels that include complex characters and emotional dilemmas … Continue reading →

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John Le Carre, “The Constant Gardener”

Posted on October 1, 2013 by carolwallace

I don’t go looking for bleakness, at least not these days. So I finished The Constant Gardener with some puzzlement. What is it that periodically draws me back to John Le Carré? He’s like that bad boyfriend who makes you feel … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, best seller, contemporary fiction | Tagged | 2 Comments