Author Archives: Houyhnhnm

“Unapologetic” by Francis Spufford

Posted on January 20, 2013 by Houyhnhnm

This book was greeted with huge triumph and relief by Christians, mainly fading Anglicans, as a new candidate for the project of doing-religion-without-actually-believing-it’s-true-in-the-way-that-we-think-people-in-the-past-did. Like Don Cupitt and Karen Armstrong, Quakers and Unitarians. So does it pass muster? Yes, in that … Continue reading →

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“Need to Know” by Timothy Good

Posted on January 8, 2013 by Houyhnhnm

Convincing, against my expectations. It’s impossible to accept what must otherwise be the case: that the vast range and amount of direct eye-witness evidence is all either faked or imagined. And it’s even more clear that the US authorities believe … Continue reading →

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“The Song of Achilles” by Madeline Miller

Posted on January 3, 2013 by Houyhnhnm

A fascinating attempt to novelise the Iliad, taking the material beyond the confines of Homer’s poem, both before and after, but not falling into the trap of having to tell the whole bloody story in detail, wooden horse and all … Continue reading →

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The Life Of Pi (film)

Posted on December 31, 2012 by Houyhnhnm

[Megaspoiler alert: reading this really will spoil your enjoyment of the film] The story which Pi tells to the writer in this film is one which will apparently give the hearer faith in God. But after t-10 minutes I was … Continue reading →

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The Hobbit

Posted on December 30, 2012 by Houyhnhnm

In brief, it’s The Hobbit made into what it was after LOTR. In the appendices to LOTR JRR manages to fit the two novels together, sorting out the role and nature of Gollum’s ring, and making the Necromancer in Mirkwood, … Continue reading →

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“Mariana” by Monica Dickens

Posted on December 29, 2012 by Houyhnhnm

Normally I get annoyed with the first few pages of a novel, and have to be coaxed into the author’s world; with this book I was hooked at the start, raving about the prologue of Mary in her Essex cottage … Continue reading →

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“In Defence of History” by Richard Evans

Posted on November 25, 2012 by Houyhnhnm

Evans seems at first to imply he’s replacing, and steering midway between, E.H. Carr and Sir Geoffrey Elton, and defending History against all things post-modern, but ends up steering midway between post-modernism and ‘traditional’ history. The Afterword, added for this … Continue reading →

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“Cargo of Eagles” by Marjorie Allingham

Posted on October 30, 2012 by Houyhnhnm

Another great Albert Campion whodunit: there’s something about Allingham’s writing which I really really like. It’s a kind of knowing, yet sympathetic distance, a strong narrative voice, but always stopping before it gets too playful and you lose connection with … Continue reading →

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Wendy Shutler, Ivor Game and Ben Richardson at the Poetry Café

Posted on October 30, 2012 by Houyhnhnm

A randomly-chosen and wonderful evening, a mixture of poems and songs. Wendy Shutler’s poems were perfect for readings like this: clearly written and delivered, funny, personal (mainly auto- or pseudoauto-biographical), with many a clever and/or poignant twist. Ivor Game’s songs … Continue reading →

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Ginger and Rosa

Posted on October 29, 2012 by Houyhnhnm

Advance reviews not good: poor script, poor Rotten-Tomatoes score. Luckily I don’t often read reviews, and when I do often ignore them, as I really enjoyed the film. Sure enough, once warned of poor script you’re on the look out, … Continue reading →

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