If you’re a mystery fan looking for a quick, fun, plot-twist-filled read, you’ll l likely enjoy Herman Koch’s The Dinner, a Dutch sensation and worldwide bestseller recently translated into English. Just don’t expect much more from the novel. Like the dinner it describes, it’s predominantly show and lacking in substance — most seriously in the [...]
Book reviews and articles
Over the coming weeks, I’ll be building a book section.
All the news about Richard III has reminded me of Josephine Tey’s great 1951 detective novel, The Daughter of Time. The book began the most recent rehabilitation of Richard III, who until its publication was known in modern times mostly by his evil Shakespearian reputation. Tey’s hero, Inspector Alan Grant of Scotland Yard, recuperating from a [...]
File this under: This is a terrible book, but for some reason (clue: read the acknowledgements), the critics won’t just come out and tell you it sucks. So here’s why it’s bad (Spoiler alert!): Cardboard, lifeless characters. It’s impossible to believe in them and their relationships. They appear to have sprung fully formed from a [...]
By Ann Brocklehurst Originally published Saturday Post, 28 February 2004, National Post I’m one of the small minority (or so it seems) of people who didn’t like Lost in Translation. Or let me rephrase that. While I was entertained by the film and enjoyed eating my red licorice while feasting on the eye candy of [...]
