Author Archives: Houyhnhnm

“What we did on our holidays”

Posted on October 21, 2014 by Houyhnhnm

[Spoiler alert – this is really meant for people who’ve seen the film] Official trailer line “Explores the meaning of life and suggests how best to live and love.” Fair enough. A brilliantly made, written and acted comedy based on … Continue reading →

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Donna Leon: “Through a glass darkly”

Posted on October 20, 2014 by Houyhnhnm

Another Donna. Madonna of the laguna, of sumptuous meals with named wines, of the affection of Paola and Elettra, the two women fusing to channel the author’s love for her hero, as Sayers’ for Wimsey and Allingham’s for Campion. Madonna of … Continue reading →

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Leon Uris: “Exodus”

Posted on September 22, 2014 by Houyhnhnm

Fascinating. Published in 1959, not long after the events it describes, this self-proclaimed epic novel tells the story of the foundation of the state of Israel in 1948. It claims all the ‘events’ are true, but the characters are fictional, and … Continue reading →

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Ben Aaronovitch: “The Rivers of London”

Posted on September 1, 2014 by Houyhnhnm

A standard and fun modern tongue-in-cheek crime/mystery story, uplifted by being set in a magical-realist London where the eponymous (a word never to be used in serious writing) rivers of the eponymous capital city have deities who are alive and active. … Continue reading →

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Gary L. Francione: “An Introduction to Animal Rights”

Posted on August 25, 2014 by Houyhnhnm

A powerfully argued, technical and persuasive book: if you think it’s OK to eat animals and wear their skins then best not to read it. Francione’s argument is in two stages. First he reiterates Bentham’s view that animals suffer, so … Continue reading →

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“The Rings of Saturn” by W.G. Sebald

Posted on August 22, 2014 by Houyhnhnm

A chance find on the bookshelves of a holiday cottage in Staithes. Ten short chapters. I’d heard of the author, but that only: I didn’t even know he was German. If I had I might have been put off, as … Continue reading →

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Karen Armstrong: “Compassion”

Posted on August 22, 2014 by Houyhnhnm

Another book I read so long ago I can’t really remember the details. Hey ho. I read this as part of a discussion group with the Quakers – a chapter a week. Armstrong’s impressive – a muscular thinker and speaker … Continue reading →

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“Anabase” by St-John Perse

Posted on August 10, 2014 by Houyhnhnm

The book in question is T.S. Eliot’s translation of this 1920 French poem, with the original text on facing pages. Also included are several prefaces and forewords from other editions, all translated into English. I bought it many years ago … Continue reading →

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Herodotus’ Histories

Posted on July 31, 2014 by Houyhnhnm

My previous experience of Herodotus had been, as for many classicists, that of reading isolated episodes, either as set texts for teaching Greek GCSE, or as passages for unseen translation. I’d also read some of his stories in secondary literature, … Continue reading →

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Poetry Review 104:2 Summer 2014

Posted on July 28, 2014 by Houyhnhnm

Philip Gross is always very interesting (e.g. Deep Field), so I was pleased that the first three poems in this edition were his. The first, “The Players” is a brilliantly subtle evocation of the causes and ramifications of the First … Continue reading →

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