Elif Shafak I have read four of Elif’s books and, for me, There are Rivers in the Sky is the finest so far. Previously, it was The Island of Missing Trees, a tale told around a divided Cyprus as observed by a fig tree. Yes, you read that right. Elif writes with passion in all her books, exploring subjects that matter deeply to her—cultural, political and for silenced people,…
Yes, I thought a photo of the front cover would grab your attention. A Curious History of Sex by Dr. Kate Lister is an interesting and witty journey through the, well, history of sex. Not the whole history of course, as Kate says that would be a mighty tome indeed. It is a book about how cultural attitudes have changed over the centuries towards various aspects of sex and…
Lanny is one of the most original books I have ever read, up there with Milkman by Anna Burns — winner of the Booker in 2018 — although as stories go they are chalk and cheese. Milkman tells the story of ‘middle-sister’, a woman who lives in an unnamed city, although clearly Belfast during the troubles. She’s currently going out with ‘maybe-boyfriend’, but life for her is never that…
A film review: Aniara (2018) Aniara, based on the 1956 epic poem by Swedish Nobel laureate Harry Martinson, is a thought provoking, clever and well produced Swedish science fiction film and winner of numerous independent film awards. And unique. According to Cinema Paradiso, who stock over 80,000 films, there are no other Swedish science fiction films. Set, I believe, in the not too distant future, the Earth is a…
A film review: An American Pickle (2020) An American Pickle is a quirky and witty film starring Seth Rogan. Herschel Greenbaum is an Eastern European Jew who has been accidentally pickled in a large wooden tub for 100 years and then ‘wakes up’ in present day Brooklyn. I did say ‘quirky’. In Brooklyn he’s introduced to his only surviving relative, his great-grandson Ben Greenbaum, also played by Seth Rogan,…
A film review: Proxima (2019) Despite being billed as Eva Green’s best screen role Proxima is an unsatisfying and didactic film that attempts to illustrate the conflict between career and family. A commonplace issue for many people, men and women; however, in this case, we’re not talking 9-5, five days a week. Eva plays an astronaut vying to spend a year on the international space station. She’s Sarah Loreau,…
A book review of After the End by Clare Mackintosh After the End by Clare Mackintosh is a heart wrenching tale of a parent’s worst nightmare; having to make the decision whether your child lives a severely disabled and shortened life or dies peacefully. A decision that Clare, herself, has had to face. That fact makes this novel not only well researched and well written, but also very brave….
A book review of The Dutch House by Ann Patchett. A beautiful, beautiful book. Read it. Danny and Maeve are brother and sister growing up in Pennsylvania in a plush and grand three storey country house built at the beginning of the 20th century by the VanHoebeeks. Just after Danny was born their mother, who came from a very poor background and struggled to live with such overwhelming grandeur,…
A film review: The Gentleman (2019) The Gentleman is a slick, darkly amusing gangster film set in London. Michael Pearson is the marijuana king, with a business worth £400 million built up over decades. And he’s had enough, he wants out, and is in negotiations with the wonderfully effete Matthew, played by Jeremy Strong. However word gets out and a turf war begins between other interested parties, including the…
A film review: Misbehaviour (2020) Misbehaviour is a film about a group of feminists who pitch a stage invasion of the 1970 Miss World competition in London. Whilst the protest itself is a significant moment in the equality movement, making front page headlines in most the world’s press, the film itself is a chocolate Aero bar; it appears solid and interesting on the outside, and despite being a easy…
