Books reviewed by Sally Guttierez Diaz
|
The Collected Stories of Lydia Davis by Lydia Davis |
Davis prefers to call these stories, rather than poems. With her understanding of our underlying senses and feelings, she addresses life from all angles - death, marriage, children, the home, anecdotes, thoughts, objects, authors. All feel close to life but with a twist to make you think, smile, grimace, each one mind blowing and thought provoking. She was new to me but I am hooked, though I had to stop for a while. Keep them on your bedside table and read a few each day.
(bwl 97 Summer 2020 - Fiction) |
|
|
The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong |
Vuong’s second novel (read his first one before this one if you haven’t!). There are some familiar themes, but this wonderful, intense book is mostly about the diverse forms that love, family and friendship can take under the brutal conditions of late capitalism, and specifically for the working class in the USA. Addiction, pain, exhaustion and illness are the normal in these lives, told in a refreshing style as a reminder that there is no "normal" anymore. If there ever was...
(bwl 119 Spring 2026 - Fiction) |
|
|
The Memory of Running by Ron McLarty |
I picked this up for €1 in Dublin and read it on the flight home. The narrative is two-fold, I won't spoil it, but what is important is how things learnt as a child become physical, imprinted memories which can help heal wounded areas of the adult self. More about cycling than running, a story of love and frustration, loss and deception, courage and second chances.
(bwl 90 Autumn 2018 - Fiction) |
|
|
