A Perfect Spy, published in 1986, has been lauded by fans and critics alike as John Le Carre‘s magnum opus. The plot centers around the life of the main character, Magnus Pym, a British intelligence agent. The novel covers much of his life, from early childhood, and a little before that; to his adolescent days … Continue reading »
There’s nothing like a good spy novel to take you out of your reading slump, and nobody does spy novels quite like John Le Carre. The Spy Who Came in From the Cold was the very first spy novel I’ve ever read, as well as my first John Le Carre novel. It’s a short novel … Continue reading »
Looks like I’m still in a reading slump, so I chose a book that is short, and supposedly funny. Douglas Adams‘ Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency and its sequel, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul is probably not as famous as his The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Trilogy, but I heard that it … Continue reading »
When I hear the name Michael Ondaatje, the first thing that comes to mind is The English Patient, which won the Booker Prize back in 1992. In 1996 it was made into a film which won several Academy Awards, including Best Picture. I really liked the film version of The English Patient. Strangely, I did … Continue reading »
Revenge, by Yoko Ogawa, is a collection of 11 disturbing short stories about seemingly ordinary people with ordinary lives. Though each story seems mundane, there lies beneath the surface the deeper, darker side of the human mind filled with strange desires and unspeakable emotions. The 11 short stories, though each one distinct and independent, are … Continue reading »
I know, this book is so 5 years ago…ok, more like 8 years ago, but I’m only getting around to reading it now. Kafka on the Shore is only my second Murakami book, 1Q84 being the first. I’m thinking I probably should have read this before 1Q84. Then again, if I read this first and … Continue reading »
Mo Yan was the Nobel Laureate for Literature in 2012, beating a host of literary giants including Milan Kundera, Salman Rushdie, Haruki Murakami, Thomas Pynchon, Philip Roth, just to name a few. Mo Yan, which means “don’t speak,” is the pen name of Chinese writer, Guan Moye, born in the ‘mid 50′s in Gaomi Province, … Continue reading »
Books I bought in January – some brand new, some second-hand: 1. The Art of Fielding (Chad Harbach) – I have an idea that this is a book about sports, baseball in particular, so I never really paid much attention to it. However, I’ve heard a lot of good things about it, so there must … Continue reading »
What better way to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Pride and Prejudice than by posting my review of P.D. James’ 2011 novel, Death Comes to Pemberley. People can’t resist reading, not to mention, writing, about Elizabeth Bennett and Fitzwilliam Darcy and what their life together might have been like after the events in Jane Austen’s Pride … Continue reading »
Gone Girl is…how can I describe it? To say that it’s a 2012 suspense/mystery/thriller by Gillian Flynn about a married couple would make it sound a bit boring and might turn people off from reading it. But to say any more might spoil it for them…. The story in a nutshell: Amy and Nick Dunne … Continue reading »
