The Impressionist by Hari Kunzru

The Impressionist by Hari Kunzru


At once fascinating and disturbing. One person is traced through several personages but no matter how hard he tries to integrate into his new world, he remains an outsider. This is a gripping study of mixed race set in colonial India and class-drenched England where acceptance is tantalizingly near yet never actually achieved. The characters are finely drawn and eminently believable with echoes of Kipling, Waugh and Conrad. It is the Conradian ending that is the most disturbing and, to an extent, inspiring. Fortunately. the story never quite descends into magic realism but this reader frequently worried that it might. Well worth reading in spite of its density.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carre

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by John le Carré

A masterpiece of the genre, one of the great espionage thrillers of all time, and a compelling portrait of the characters of spymasters with all their flaws and vanities. Having seen the BBC TV adaptation and listened to the BBC radio one, I can now face viewing the recent film version and hope I'm not disappointed. It is the detailed portrayal of character here that raises the book above a genre novel and allows it to be classified as literary. Superb in so many ways.

Theodora by Stell Duffy

Theodora Actress, Empress, Whore by Stella Duffy

An intricate, historical novel that grows in stature with the political advancement of its subject. A fictional biography that is both entertaining and plausible and is clearly the result of painstaking research. Being a huge fan of Robert Graves' Count Belisarius, I was heartened to find a novel in which he is a relatively minor character and one much admired, and this sets the reader up for the sequel and the continuation of this compelling tale. If, like me, the late Roman Empire is an interest of yours, you'll enjoy this novel immensely - I did.

The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood

The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood

An ingenious retelling of the nostos of Odysseus from a feminist point of view. Myth wouldn't be myth unless there are many versions of the same story and this one is as valid as any other. Like all good myths it is both entertaining and thought-provoking and well worth engaging with. Above all it is told by a master storyteller with a clever and subtle use of a chorus in a nod to classical Greek tragedy, and a fine appreciation of the nuances of Homer's original. Very good indeed.

The Looking Glass War by John le Carre

The Looking Glass War by John le Carré


A story that explores vanity and an awkward nostalgia for war time glory during the height of the Cold War. Control seems to be embroiled in some dirty business and is abetted by Smiley, a minor character in this volume. Deep psychological angst on several sides yet there is a kind of honour among spooks in spite of 'war rules'. There's no glamour here, just men behaving badly and engaging in subtle betrayal, a peculiarly English past-time. A gradual build-up of suspense and a very grim picture of life in the DDR, nevertheless, it makes a compelling read.

The Broken Road by Patrick Leigh Fermor

The Broken Road: Travels from Bulgaria to Mount Athos by Patrick Leigh Fermor



Like many others I'm sure, I've waited a long time to read of the completion of the journey and am grateful to Artemis Cooper and Colin Thubron for editing this, the final part of this wonderful journal. PLF's descriptive prose is a delight and his boyish enthusiasm for people and place shines through. A glimpse of a now, long-forgotten world of Balkan and Central European kingdoms recovering from one disastrous war yet anticipating another, this account of a wandering on foot with all its range of varied emotions, embodies both youthful optimism and hints of a kind of world-weariness that belies the author's relative youth and inexperience. It is a fascinating account of a journey from the Iron Gates, through Bulgaria, Romania and back through Bulgaria again to the iconic Constantinople. PLF's subsequent wandering through the monastries of Mount Athos complete the adventure. Travel writing at its very best.

Desert by J. M. G. Le Clezio

Desert by J.M.G. Le Clézio



A moving story of colonial barbarity against an uncomprehending people, a true clash of civilizations in the name of greed and power. Within it are incredibly striking portraits of children: Nour, Lalla and Radicz, victims of circumstance and possessors of an indomitable spirit who negotiate a cruel, callous and brutal adult world with courage and equanimity. It is at once a story of great sadness, of humiliating defeat, yet at the same time it is a story of triumph, of humanity, and determination. It is both uplifting and tragic, a true epic. Its overwhelming message is that steadfastness and hope will conquer adversity, eventually. A book to be savoured and then reflected upon, time and time again. Thoroughly recommended, but not for the faint-hearted.