Damian Kelleher

New Review - Chingiz Aïtmatov - Jamilia

damian — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 11:16:01 +0000

The latest addition to the website is my review of Kyrgyz author Chingiz Aïtmatov's novel, Jamilia.

Jamilia is a love story, though it's one of those odd love stories that are better at describing social status and village issues than it is love. I wanted less love and desirous glances, and more Soviet life! Curious, but not all that bad.

You can read the review here.

Aflame Books

damian — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 06:37:30 +0000

Courtesy of The Literary Saloon at The Complete Review comes the story of Aflame Books and their current financial woes.

I am not familiar with Aflame Books, but a quick glance over their excellent catalogue suggests I should be. Aflame Books' mission is:

to provide you with the finest English translations of literature from across the world hitherto hidden by barriers of culture and language.

Which is an entirely admirable goal. So, in an effort to support what looks to be an interesting publisher, I purchased the following titles -

- The Rich Man of Pietermaritzburg - Sibusiso Nyembezi (Book Depository; Amazon)
- The Whistler - Ondjaki (Book Depository; Amazon)
- Fear of Animals - Enrique Serna (Book Depository; Amazon)
- Stealth - Sonallah Ibrahim (Book Depository; Amazon)

Reviews shall be forthcoming once I have received the books. If there is anything that interests you in Aflame Books' catalogue, by all means - purchase them! Help out an independent publisher trying something different.

New Review - Hermann Hesse - Knulp

damian — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 06:28:04 +0000

The latest addition to the website is my review of German Nobel Laureate Hermann Hesse's novel, Knulp.

Knulp is the story of a vagabond philosopher, a wanderer who loves his life as a youth, and loves life as an older man, when it is leaving him. He is one of Hesse's great characters, and the novel itself marks an important development in Hesse's philosophical thought.

You can read the review here.

New Review - François Mauriac - The Desert of Love

damian — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 06:52:14 +0000

The latest addition to the website is my review of French Nobel Laureate François Mauriac's novel, The Desert of Love.

The Desert of Love is a stifling and at time claustrophobic tale of love and jealousy. It's a love triangle, with the base of the triangle composed of a father and his son, and the uppermost point the beautiful, misunderstood Maria Cross. Well worth a read, this novel oozes with repressed sexuality and revels in the darkness of jealousy and sin.

You can read the review here.

New Review - Gerald Murnane - Tamarisk Row

damian — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 01:28:02 +0000

The latest addition to the website is my review of Australian author Gerald Murnane's novel, Tamarisk Row.

Tamarisk Row is another of those forgotten gems of Australian literature, again from the 1970s. Giramondo Publishing have recently reissued a number of Murnane's works, all of which are worth seeking out. Tamarisk Row is Murnane's first novel, set in the 1940s. It revolves around a young boy's lonely childhood with a horse-racing obsessed father. It is also, certainly, one of the great Australian works of literature from that period.

You can read the review here.

New Review - Dal Stivens - A Horse of Air

damian — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 12:14:19 +0000

The latest addition to the website is my review of Australian author Dal Stivens's novel, A Horse of Air.

A Horse of Air is a phenomenal novel by a very talented Australian author who is, unfortunately, forgotten by the Australian literary establishment, Australia's booksellers and, I suspect, its libraries. This is a shamefully unappreciated novel. It is, clearly and plainly told, a wonderful book, reminiscent of Saul Bellow at his exuberant best, and distinctly Australian to boot. Stivens is an early experimenter, and a great comic as well. If you can find this novel, treasure it.

You can read the review here.

New Review - Miyuki Miyabe - The Devil's Whisper

damian — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:01:51 +0000

The latest addition to the website is my review of Japanese author Miyuki Miyabe's novel, The Devil's Whisper.

The Devil's Whisper is a standard murder thriller with some uniquely Japanese elements. Miyabe makes as much of Tokyo as she does of the murders, and the more bizarre touches - hypnotism, subliminal messages, etc - are deftly handled. A good example of the genre.

You can read the review here.

New Review - Ludovic Halévy - Parisian Points of View

damian — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 06:45:53 +0000

The latest addition to the website is my review of French author Ludovic Halévy's novel, Parisian Points of View.

Parisian Points of View is a minor work by an author not particularly well remembered now. It is a collection of romances concerning Paris, essentially, though the odd story raises itself above and becomes interesting and worthwhile. That said, it's a small collection, and easily read, so if you enjoy French literature and love Paris - well, read it, certainly.

You can read the review here.

New Review - Antal Szerb - The Queen's Necklace

damian — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 05:26:37 +0000

The latest addition to the website is my review of Hungarian author Antal Szerb's novel, The Queen's Necklace.

The Queen's Necklace is one of those very rare works that are utterly original and fascinating because of it. It is a history, detailing a scandal concerning Queen Marie-Antoinette in the years before the French Revolution. Szerb is anything but dry, however - he is a playful and witty author and is immensely well-read without ever becoming tiresome. Absolutely worth reading for history buffs of that period, but also as an introduction to an exceptional literary talent.

You can read the review here.

New Review - Henryk Sienkiewicz - Sielanka

damian — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 06:15:23 +0000

The latest addition to the website is my review of Polish Nobel Laureate Henryk Sienkiewicz's novel, Sielanka.

Sielanka is a very minor work by Sienkiewicz, one that seems put together largely for Christian readers. That is not meant as a slight - the two stories surely work well as religious pieces - but as a showcase for Sienkiewicz's talent they fall short. A curious, and very short, collection, but not really all that worthwhile.

Works by Henryk Sienkiewicz under review include:
---So Runs the World
---Stories by Foreign Authors: Polish, Greek, Belgian, Hungarian

You can read the review here.