Ian Gouge's Blog, page 2

“Tough without a Gun”

Is it fanciful to assume that one only reads biographies about people you are interested in? And if that is the case, does it mean we turn to page 1 predisposed to suppose we are going to enjoy the book? Whether that is true or not, Stefan Kanfer’s biography of Humphrey Bogart, “Tough without a … Continue reading “Tough without a Gun” →

July’s Substack highlights

“when you see anything of mine that you don’t like remember that I’m sincere in doing it and that I’m working toward something.” – Ernest Hemingway  A selection of recent posts from my Substack site.

“Table for Two”

Although Amor Towles’ “Table for Two” sells itself as a collection of short stories, the second half (over 200 pages in my ‘Independent Bookshop Exclusive Edition’) is a single story – at least a novella if not a small novel in its own right. ‘Eve in Hollywood’ is a forties throwback to the kind of … Continue reading “Table for Two” →

“Homer’s Odyssey”

Just because this interpretation of Homer’s epic has been written by Simon Armitage, the British Poet Laureate, it would be understandable for you to assume “Homer’s Odyssey” is going to be a poetic epic. But it is not. Written specifically as a radio play, Armitage succeeds in delivering a very readable and accessible version of … Continue reading “Homer’s Odyssey” →

“The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao”

‘Exotic, original and spirited, it’s written with huge energy and heart’ – so says the Guardian’s endorsement on the front cover of my paperback copy of Junot Díaz’s “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao”. And the Guardian isn’t wrong. The novel is fizzing and effervescent – so much so that it didn’t matter that … Continue reading “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao” →

June’s Substack highlights

“when you see anything of mine that you don’t like remember that I’m sincere in doing it and that I’m working toward something.” – Ernest Hemingway  A selection of recent posts from my Substack site. My in-person reading event next week:

My public reading event on 8th July

Here are two links for info: https://www.facebook.com/WordFestLinc... https://www.instagram.com/wordfestlin...

“No Longer Human”

There was more than a touch of Haruki Murakami about Osamu Dazai’s “No Longer Human”. Indeed, I ended up wondering how much better a book it might have been had Murakami tackled the narrative. This was because I was never entirely comfortable with my understanding of what was going on – indeed at one point … Continue reading “No Longer Human” →

“What Will Survive of Us”

I really like the way Jacobson writes – which makes it strange that I haven’t read more of him. I think that’s an error I need to be correcting. “What Will Survive of Us” is no different i.e. it’s written very well: not over-blown or harsh, suitably pacy, accessible. [The title, by the way, comes … Continue reading “What Will Survive of Us” →

Reading event in July!