Steve's recent posts

Recent public posts (showing 21-32 of 32).

Oscar And Lucinda is definitely a masterfully constructed book but there is something about the shambolic and slightly surreal nature of Illywhacker that appeals to me. It's all a little off-kilter.

But, yes, Oscar And Lucinda has one of the most satisfying and excellently executed narratives of anything I've ever read.

Love this book and love Peter Carey in general. I think Illywhacker is my favourite, though.

If you liked this then I can also recommend Tibor Fischer's "The Collector Collector", a novel narrated by a five thousand year-old pot.

Well said, Jackie. It makes absolutely no sense to say "I could care less" when the writer/speaker actually means "I couldn't care less". And yet supposedly literate intelligent people say it all the time.

I can't deny its significance in the history of science fiction and horror but even its fascinating ideas are not enough to save it from being downright awful for me. I'd rather watch James Wales' film adaptation.

How can I call "Frankenstein" overrated, you mean? Ha! I could go on for hours! I'll bore you with it on Friday if you like.

OK, I cannot deny the impact of Mary Shelley's novel on the whole science fiction and horror genres but - man alive - what an atrociously written and constructed novel.

Was the phrase "deus ex machina" invented for this book? I suspect it was.

Oh, um, sorry, I loved the book and I'm also really looking forward to the Coen Brothers' film adaptation.

D'frent strokes, eh?

Nah, Alisdair Gray's "Lanark: A Life In Four Books" is the Scottish "Ulysses" (but "1982, Janine" is great too).

After a couple of months of dedicating myself to no other texts I am finally about to embark on Molly Bloom's unpunctuated monologue that concludes "Ulysses". It's been hard work and swathes of the novel have flown right over my head but, somehow, I've enjoyed it and found it thought-provoking, funny and highly rewarding.

Dogged persistence: it's the only way to tackle "Ulysses"; and also accepting that you are simply not going to understand it all will help. Just go with the flow and let "Ulysses" happen.

Hell, if an uneducated numpty like me can get through it then anyone can.

‘A good reason to write reflectively is that you will become more real to yourself as a writer’ = pretentious psycho-babble, nothing more.

I love Peter Carey and I think "Illywhacker" is my favourite of his novels. I must read it again soon.