Category Archives: Reading

“Sweet Tooth” by Ian McEwan

Posted on April 18, 2014 by Houyhnhnm

So far my McEwan reading has been: –The Comfort of Strangers (many years ago, at a friend’s house). A chilling novella with a gruesomely violent ending, but whose motivations are implausible –Saturday. Again tension, but this time much better handled … Continue reading →

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“Homecoming” by Michael Morpurgo

Posted on April 17, 2014 by Houyhnhnm

A moving tale by the great man about his own childhood in Bradwell, Essex, and how the building of a nuclear power station destroyed a paradise, in particular the caravan-home of Miss Pettigrew. Much is made of the fact that … Continue reading →

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Plato’s Symposium

Posted on April 17, 2014 by Houyhnhnm

As often with Plato there’s a layered entry: the party being related is remembered at second hand. This is important as it sets up doubt, makes us wonder what’s really going on here. The game the men decide to play … Continue reading →

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“Notes in Advance” by William Glock

Posted on April 17, 2014 by Houyhnhnm

Born in 1908, William Glock became one of the most important and powerful people in British music[^1] in the second half of the 20th century. This autobiography was published in 1991; he died in 2000. In summary: – Christ’s Hospital … Continue reading →

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“Deep Field” by Philip Gross

Posted on April 17, 2014 by Houyhnhnm

[See update, below] Philip Gross’ contribution to a Quaker discussion on ‘non—theism’ is amazing: he speaks fast, weaving his own poems into what he says (sometimes breaking into one with no pause), and succeeds in deepening any listener’s thoughts about that word … Continue reading →

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“Philip of Macedon” by George Cawkwell

Posted on April 13, 2014 by Houyhnhnm

A standard—looking textbook, first published in 1978. I didn’t read it all, just plundered it for background after reading The Fire from Heaven; this showed how close Mary Renault’s account was to the sources (almost diminishing her imagination). I particularly … Continue reading →

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“The Fire from Heaven” by Mary Renault

Posted on April 13, 2014 by Houyhnhnm

From the start I was hooked, in a way: beautifully, intricately written, researched, and imagined, so at every turn I felt in the hands of a writer of the very top class. I knew she would be taking me on … Continue reading →

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“Diamond Street” by Rachel Lichtenstein

Posted on April 13, 2014 by Houyhnhnm

An excellent London book, focusing on Hatton Garden, but ranging pretty widely around, and combining the author’s personal reminiscences with deep research. You learn a lot from this book, painlessly. It’s pushed me now several times to the area, listening … Continue reading →

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“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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