L.S. Popovich's Blog, page 22

Review of The Eyelid by S.D. Chrostowska

While slow-paced, this book offers much food for thought. In its dream-centric pseudo dystopian world, a hazy view of political and philosophical implications can be gleaned around the jewel-like edges. Yet, I hoped for more startling imagery. There are a few striking moments, but not enough intense focus on the atmosphere to capture my attention […]

Review of North Station by Bae Suah

Bae Suah in experimental mode. The 7 stories in North Station display many aspects of this author’s formidable powers. Unlike the novels of hers I’ve read, this collection depicts similar characters in a greater variety of situations, while not relying on dramatic plotting. They are very slow, and will not be to everyone’s taste. Pre-eminent […]

Review of The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling

“The Jungle book” is a fun collection of timeless stories worthy of their fame. The movie brethren of this tale resemble the source material in only superficial ways. Mowgli only features in less than half of the book’s stories for one thing. However every story is interesting and connected in theme and tone. All of […]

Review of I Wonder What Human Flesh Tastes Like by Justin Isis, Quentin S. Crisp

The struggle of young people to understand their place in the world, within society’s context, or outside of its proscribed categories, considered from a multitude of perspectives, at differing stages of fatalistic contempt, solipsism, wanderlust, and obsession. The Japanese setting, conjured with sublime authenticity, was absolutely convincing. Equal parts startling nostalgia and enigmatic yearning. With […]

Review of Aberration of Starlight by Gilbert Sorrentino

Flashes of brilliance. A highly unpleasant reading experience, but nonetheless rewarding.  My first step into Sorrentino’s version of the world. It interested me enough that I know I will have to read his other novels. Aside from Mulligan Stew, they are relatively short, therefore his ceaseless experimentation is digestible. The characters in this novel are […]

Review of The Devil in a Forest by Gene Wolfe

I enjoy a good fantastical forest novel as much as the next guy. Gene Wolfe’s dependably polished writing delivers thrills and chills in this relatively early work. Set alongside Fifth Head of Cerberus, and Peace, The Devil in a Forest reads almost like children’s literature. That is not to say that it is not well-conceived […]

Review of The Bridegroom Was a Dog by Yōko Tawada

Only valuable as a distraction from dry Realism or for those interested in surreal imagery. If you are looking for an easy read, there are worse choices than Tawada. This small edition is curiously random, which is one of the trademarks of her style, but unlike her other books, it does not resolve into much […]

Review of Seduction of the Golden Pheasant by Damian Murphy

I suspect the author has spent some time abroad. Such were my impressions while reading this novella, steeped as it is in the aura of its locales. Seduction of the Golden Pheasant provides us a brief glimpse at Damian Murphy’s implementation of oodles of subtext. Several of his stories function on the level of a […]

Review of The Opposing Shore by Julien Gracq

While the descriptive passages are gorgeous, I tired of the narrative and the narrator about 2/3 of the way through. My reading was hindered by some inconsistencies in the prose, which tended to ebb and flow, ranging from excellent evocation of dense imageries, conjured with immaculate confidence, to forced, teetering, cobbled-together dialogue sections between characters […]

Review of 2020 on Goodreads by Various

My reading status and accompanying thoughts at the end of 2020 are as follows: Some mixed reading experiences this year. In the pursuit of a better reading year in 2021 I am not going to follow trends as much, or read as many reviews. My backlog of TBR grows as the future diminishes. Therefore, it […]