Category Archives: contemporary fiction

Donna Tartt, “The Goldfinch”

Posted on November 14, 2013 by carolwallace

One of my favorite things to see in a painting is a passage where the artist straddles a divide. On the one hand, your conscious mind knows you are looking at marks on canvas, yet you also see the simulation … Continue reading →

Posted in best seller, contemporary fiction | Tagged | 12 Comments

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

Lee Child, “Never Go Back”

Posted on September 7, 2013 by carolwallace

A lot of people were disappointed by the filmed version of Lee Child’s Reacher novels, probably right down to the improbably-cast Tom Cruise. If I remember correctly, the premise was that Reacher on film needed to be a blockbuster that … Continue reading →

Posted in best seller, contemporary fiction, thriller | Tagged | 7 Comments

George R.R. Martin, “A Dance with Dragons” Game of Thrones Book 5

Posted on August 9, 2013 by carolwallace

That’s that, then. I have now completed all five existing volumes of George R.R. Martin’s immense Game of Thrones series. It’s an achievement that needs to be punctuated somehow, with an exclamation or perhaps the thud of a very heavy … Continue reading →

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George R.R. Martin, “A Feast for Crows”, Game of Thrones Book 4

Posted on July 26, 2013 by carolwallace

Hmph. That was dull. And dullness is not what we expect from George R.R. Martin. But because I am a methodical creature I plowed through many many pages of A Feast for Crows. The problem is that I am far … Continue reading →

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Robert Galbraith a/k/a J.K. Rowling, “The Cuckoo’s Calling”

Posted on July 18, 2013 by carolwallace

You heard about this, right? Obscure first novel by an author nobody’s ever heard of. Gets good reviews; a few of the reviewers are struck by the assurance, confidence, competence of the writing. Nevertheless, the sales are dismal, and The … Continue reading →

Posted in anglophilia, contemporary fiction, mystery | Tagged , , | 9 Comments

George R.R. Martin, “A Storm of Swords” Game of Thrones Book 3

Posted on July 17, 2013 by carolwallace

Yes, I said, yes. I have succumbed utterly. Long line at the DMV? It’s OK, I’ve got Game of Thrones. Two-hour layover in Las Vegas? More time in Westeros. Phone rings, deadline looms, spouse wants to talk? Now we’ve got … Continue reading →

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George R. R. Martin, “A Clash of Kings” Game of Thrones Book 2

Posted on July 8, 2013 by carolwallace

I think it’s a good sign when the book you’re reading follows you around, don’t you? That means it’s got such a grip on your imagination that you see everything through the fictional scrim the author has created. And, OK, … Continue reading →

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Colum McCann, “TransAtlantic”

Posted on July 3, 2013 by carolwallace

Once again I’m struck by how I’m reading as well as what I’m reading. Game of Thrones fans won’t be surprised to know that I’m well into the second book of that series — but I interrupted the Westeros action with … Continue reading →

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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