“When Women Were Dragons” and the Shortfalls of Pop Feminism

"When Women Were Dragons" by Kelly Barnhill is one of those novels you generally agree with because of their good intentions... And then you discover that your agreement is indeed more in general than in detail. Thus, this post will be more like a short analysis than a review, because in artistic terms, it's a … Continue reading “When Women Were Dragons” and the Shortfalls of Pop Feminism →

My Problems with “The Witching Hour” by Anne Rice

Anne Rice is one of those authors who, as for her genre, operated with exquisite style. She is also one of those authors who raised creepy and problematic topics without engaging herself in anything creepy or, worse, criminal. Why do I frame it like this? Because it happens to many authors and because those "creepy … Continue reading My Problems with “The Witching Hour” by Anne Rice →

“To Paradise” by Hanya Yanagihara

It's a big novel—a big novel on so many levels. It doesn't meet all the expectations I've had about it, but it doesn't have to. It is, just like “People in the Trees” and “A Little Life”, complicated, bold, and original. And I think that we need such stories. “To Paradise”, though having three very … Continue reading “To Paradise” by Hanya Yanagihara →

“An Invincible Memory” and Demythologization

'An Invincible Memory' is a 1980s novel by the Brazilian writer João Ubaldo Ribeiro. Spanning over 150 years in its main action, it tells a story of several families from the region of Bahía. As many Latin-American novels, it isn't only a 'moving family saga' with 'epic scenes', for it is more thought-provoking than just … Continue reading “An Invincible Memory” and Demythologization →

‘The Night Circus’ by Erin Morgenstern

I really liked 'The Starless Sea' by this author. Maybe the pacing and the execution weren't perfect, but many elements there drew me in. But once I've read 'The Night Circus', the first book by Morgenstern, I think that it's a proof of certain thing. She's become a better writer, why not. However, it's hard … Continue reading ‘The Night Circus’ by Erin Morgenstern →

When Magical Realism Works: “The Last Warner Woman”

Once I've written about 'The Inheritance of Orquidea Divina', concluding that copying the Marquez/Allende-like style in a magical realism novel isn't enough to make it good. Now I'm going to write about a 2010 novel by the Jamaican writer Kei Miller, 'The Last Warner Woman'. If someone asked me how to do magical realism, I'd … Continue reading When Magical Realism Works: “The Last Warner Woman” →

‘Utopia Avenue’

Out of four novels of David Mitchell I've read so far, this is the best one. It's witty and touching, and, unlike his other novels, it never gets boring in the middle. It's a story about the 1960s and a fictional British band, Utopia Avenue. Elizabeth 'Elf' Holloway, Dean Moss, Jasper de Zoet, and Griff, … Continue reading ‘Utopia Avenue’ →

When Magical Realism Doesn’t Work: ‘The Inheritance of Orquidea Divina’

There are subgenres known not only for their tropes, but for their style too. When 'One Hundred Years of Solitude' became the most famous novel of magical realism, certain expectations appeared as well. A magical realism novel was to have a rich, clear style that still gave the reader a space to judge the characters … Continue reading When Magical Realism Doesn’t Work: ‘The Inheritance of Orquidea Divina’ →

‘Ruth’ by Elizabeth Gaskell

There are novels which make you grow and expand your understanding of other people in ways you wouldn't have predicted. I've recently read such a book. It's 'Ruth' by Elizabeth Gaskell, an early Victorian story of a young mother, Ruth Hilton, and her illegitimate son, Leonard. Ruth leaves her hometown with Mr Bellingham, a spoiled … Continue reading ‘Ruth’ by Elizabeth Gaskell →

The Uncanny Cornwall of Daphne du Maurier

So far, I've read only three novels by Daphne du Maurier: 'Rebecca', 'Jamaica', and 'My cousin Rachel'. Each of them was gripping in its own way, and each of them depicted its characters and settings very vividly. I can see now why they are classics. And I can see why so many people see them … Continue reading The Uncanny Cornwall of Daphne du Maurier →