Books: A Separation, Novel by Katie Kitamura, 2017
A highly enjoyable read. With its tight psychological narrative and simple plot, the novel leaves the reader unsettled and brooding long after the final page. The narrator is sent by her mother-in-law—against her will—to search for her husband, who appears to have disappeared during a research trip in Greece. Her reluctance stems from the fact…
Books: The Casual Vacancy. A Novel by J.K. Rowling, 2012
A nice flow of classical prose reminiscent of Dickens (less brilliant though). A tale of two cities divided by class and race. Characters are introduced with their physical characteristics, usually suggestive of their class and moral potential. The action unfolds slowly, tugged forward by small, mundane events that define the everyday life of a community…
Books: The Names, A Novel by Florence Knapp, 2025
The novel is celebrated as a remarkable debut… How is the quality of a book relevant to whether it is a first or a last one? It is also praised for being “original” – precisely the quality that it lacks. One can easily detect how it was planned and designed (or rather concocted) to achieve…
A Marriage at Sea: A True Story of Love, Obsession, and Shipwreck, Nonfiction by Sophie Elmhirst
A fascinating book, based on a true story about a failed ocean trip. On their way to New Zealand and approaching the Galapagos, the British seafarers Maurice and Maralyn get shipwrecked and spend 174 days on a life raft drifting in the Pacific. Their story is told so well by journalist Sophie Elmhirst that it…
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No lipstick! Book & Film Reviews 