Monthly Archives: August 2013

“The Big Over Easy” by Jasper Fforde

Posted on August 26, 2013 by Houyhnhnm

A clever, funny and surreal whodunnit, part of a series of novels; in fact after I’d finished reading it I found out that in an earlier novel one of his characters decided to lie low for a while by hiding out … Continue reading →

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“The Aeneid” by Virgil

Posted on August 24, 2013 by Houyhnhnm

Strange to confess, but this is the first time I’ve read the entire poem cover to cover (in English, quickly – several decades ago I’d read it all in Latin over a number of weeks). It came out other than … Continue reading →

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“A Maggot” by John Fowles

Posted on August 24, 2013 by Houyhnhnm

I’d no idea what to expect: I knew he’d written The French Lieutenant’s Woman, but had neither read nor seen that. I (still) don’t even know if he’s British or American. But this book is long-lasting in its effects for … Continue reading →

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“Jesus” by Humphrey Carpenter

Posted on August 7, 2013 by Houyhnhnm

One of Carpenter’s most well-known biographies, part of the “Past Masters” series of short books on influential thinkers. Overall Carpenter seems to go as far as he can in sympathising and admiring Jesus, stopping short just at the point beyond … Continue reading →

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“A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian” by Marina Lewycka

Posted on August 6, 2013 by Houyhnhnm

Fun. It’s written in the person of a Ukrainian-British woman, telling the story of her father’s disastrous marriage in widowerhood to a more recent Ukrainian immigrant, the well-named and warhead-breasted Valentina. It’s very funny, but succeeds mostly I think because … Continue reading →

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“If on a winter’s night a traveller” by Italo Calvino

Posted on August 2, 2013 by Houyhnhnm

Unique (in my limited experience). A contorted and jerky tale which successfully breaks down the ‘fourth wall’: the protagonist is “you”, “the Reader”, who begins by beginning reading “If on a winter’s night a traveller” by Italo Calvino, and ends by … Continue reading →

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