Again with the weekend update
(ed. note: the original edition got mysteriously lost in transit, so if this seems rushed, well, that’s because it kind of is.)
NYTBR: Art Spiegelman’s 9⁄11-centric graphic novel is the cover review here, along with getting a ton of ink elswhere. The complete stories of Isaac Bashevis Singer meets with enthusiastic approval. There’s a previously undiscovered short story by the young Truman Capote, and who other than Ana Marie Cox would be better suited to review Kristin Gore’s debut novel? Surely Ms. Gore will return the favor for a certain Washingtonienne next year….
WaPo Book World: Jonathan Yardley examines the new Library of America edition of selected plays by George S. Kaufman (a favorite of mine) while Michael Dirda waxes eloquent about Francesco Goldman’s Marquez-esque new novel. Neil Gordon has issues with Christopher Dickey’s spy novel SLEEPERS, and we’re confused about Dennis Drabelle’s review of the latest Westlake–a review six months post-publication? Wha?
G&M: Andrew Pyper finds the seams are showing in Alan Furst’s new espionage tale; Frances Itani returns with a collection of short stories; and Todd Gitlin examines books on evil and violence on the 3rd anniversary of the 9⁄11 attacks.
Guardian Review: This incredibly chewy profile of Philip Roth definitely makes me want to revisit his work, as does the opening chapter of his new book THE PLOT AGAINST AMERICA. Otherwise, Ian Merchant is enthralled with Andrew Martin’s second historical train mystery (which, alas, didn’t yield the same reaction over here) and it seems the Booker Prize brings out the bitchiness in some people.
Observer: Robert McCrum seems crankier than usual this week, taking shots at the Booker judges, publishers and their tendency to jump on bandwagons and copy original ideas. Otherwise, David Lodge is held up against Colm Toibin and loses (aren’t you not supposed to do that in a review?) and V.S. Naipaul wants a quiet life–while he publishes more novels like his latest, THE MAGIC SEEDS.
Scotsman: What bug crawled up Andrew Crumey’s butt? You think McCrum’s cranky this week, check out the Sunday edition’s book editor as he rants about the hype surrounding Susanna Clarke’s new book. Otherwise, Roddy Doyle’s meditation on 1920s America exhausts John Freeman (who, if it’s the same guy, seems to freelance for every major paper in every English-speaking country) and Graydon Carter claims in this interview that he’ll “never write another book, never never never” after finishing WHAT WE LOST, which is out now. We’re tempted to tell our “two degrees of Graydon” story, but it’s kind of pointless and so we won’t.
Rest of the Best:
Looks like the Olympics returning to Athens has had one benefit–a revival of interest in the Greek classics of old.
Frederick Forsyth is on his 16th book and as Jason Steger finds out for the Age, the venerated author’s still very much in the game.
James Hime, whose second novel SCARED MONEY is just out (and as seen in last week’s PotW, we dug it) explains how 9⁄11 profoundly impacted him as a person and turned him into a crime writer.
[
David Montgomery’s latest installment of his mystery column]25 over at the Sun-Times features new releases by James O. Born, Dylan Schaffer, Joseph Garber, Gregg Hurwitz and Jeff Lindsay.
Roddy Doyle gets the interview treatment at the Glasgow Sunday Herald, as his new novel, OH PLAY THAT THING! is reviewed pretty much everywhere in the UK this week.
Linwood Barclay’s BAD MOVE, which we liked a hell of a lot when we read it a few months ago, is similarly treated at the Flint Journal Review.
Tom Walker, the Denver Post books editor, looks at two big thrillers by Christopher Dickey and Allan Folsom which address 9⁄11 in some form or another.
Oh, goody–another clueless, whiny “where are the 9⁄11 novels” article. I guess in some circles ABSENT FRIENDS just isn’t “literary enough.” Ugh.
Chitra Banerjee is the latest interview subject over at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
The Kellermans–Faye and Jonathan–have teamed up to write books together after years of people likely asking if they’d ever do it. They speak to The Book Place Magazine about how their writing partnership begun after almost 30 years of marriage.
Although our knee-jerk reaction to anything remotely involving Maureen Dowd is to make an Aaron Sorkin joke, we admit that’s not exactly being fair–and that this interview with the SF Chronicle actually made us like her a little more.
Paris Hilton as Daisy Buchanan in a Gatsby remake? You know, that kind of makes sense, if you re-imagine Daisy as a coke-snorting, partying-all-night heiress, which is what I assume rich girls in the 1920s were basically doing anyway. Oh yeah, and her book’s made the NYT bestseller list. Yeah.
And finally, The Sydney Morning Herald examines the difficult lot of breaking into children’s fiction. We like the advice at the end, although the whole “Marry a Rich Benefactor” pretty much works in any discipline, not just children’s lit. Oh, and if anyone wants to apply for the honor, well, we might entertain applications….