by Scott W Clemens | Aug 27, 2022 | Uncategorized
Evocative of another time, The Go-Between explores the mores of the late Victorian Age at an English country manor, as seen through the eyes of a visitor about to turn 13 years old, or rather it is told by an old man who, upon finding his old diary, remembers what it was like to be turning 13 in the summer of 1900, not quite fitting into the adult world, ignorant of so much, yet keenly observant. Looking back from a distance of 50 years, separated by two World Wars and the breakdown of the class system, he can see that “The past is a foreign country: They do things differently there.” It’s a graceful, beautifully written novel, reminiscent of Dodie Smith’s I Capture the Castle. Highly recommended.
by Scott W Clemens | Aug 25, 2022 | Uncategorized
I’ve read a lot of good books this year, but none as captivating as A Gentleman in Moscow, by Amor. Towles. I’m in awe of Towles’ facility with language. It’s like watching a one-man stage show, where you lose yourself in a character at once more inventive and more fluent than anyone you’ve ever met, but wish you had. I didn’t want it to end. At first, I thought this was a throwback to Henry James, but A Gentleman in Moscow is so much more. It’s full of humor and heart and erudition. For those of us who scribble for a living, this is a humbling experience.
Most of us try to write the most succinct sentence, but a great author can achieve the sublime through embellishment. As highlighted by another reviewer, the following two sentences beautifully illustrate Towles’ power of observation, his deft use of language, his playfulness, and unhurried pace. Instead of writing “It was a long sentence,” Towles writes:
“Here, indeed, was a formidable sentence–one that was on intimate terms with a comma, and that held the period in healthy disregard.”
And while he could have written succinctly that “His troubles kept him awake,” Towles displays an effortless inventiveness by writing instead:
“But, alas, sleep did not come so easily to our weary friend. Like in a reel in which the dancers form two rows, so that one of their number can come skipping brightly down the aisle, a concern of the Count’s would present itself for his consideration, bow with a flourish, and then take its place at the end of the line so that the next concern could come dancing to the fore.”
I’ve read the hardcover and listened to the audio edition, and I’d like to give a shoutout to the narrator of the audio edition, Nicholas Guy Smith. His upper-crust English accent perfectly portrays this upper-crust Russian. Smith handles all of the characters’ accents (including an American) with aplomb.
by Scott W Clemens | Aug 25, 2022 | Uncategorized
My review of the audio edition of BearTown, by Fredrik Backman:
Ingmar Bergman Meets The Mighty Ducks
How depressing! I would have given up on this downer at the midpoint, but for the fact that I didn’t feel I could review it without actually listening all the way to the bitter end. I wanted to review it to give readers a warning. This is the story of a dirty little town populated by despicable people with parochial views. Of the more than twenty characters, I found only three that were somewhat sympathetic, and even then I found it hard to care what happened to them. Backman’s writing style is hampered here by his choice of the present tense, which makes it read more like a synopsis than a novel; you’ll find no description here. On the positive side, Backman details the entwining relationships in this stultifying small town. It’s only made bearable by the excellent narration of Marin Ireland.
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