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A comedy with not a single laugh
Our roving correspondent, Bob Moyer, takes a look at a 1947 novel by a German Jew. The book was translated into English in 2010. This novel travels some of the same territory as Anne Frank’s famous diary, but from very different perspectives. By Robert Moyer COMEDY IN A MINOR KEY. By Hans Keilson. Farrar Straus…
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Life, love and respectability
When I was in school, my history classes rarely made it beyond the first few years of the 20th century. I learned about the Great Depression, World War II and the other formative events of my parents’ generation mostly by hearing their conversations and stories. Maybe that’s why I’m fascinated by recent historical fiction that…
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Different worlds
Some time back I enjoyed listening to A Cup of Friendship, Deborah Rodriguez’ novel centered on a coffee shop in Kabul, since reissued as The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul. Part of the pleasure stemmed from the good story, well presented, but another important factor was the glimpse into life in a world about which…
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On the latest from Anne Tyler
On June 24, my review of Anne Tyler’s latest novel, The Beginner’s Goodbye (Knopf, $24.95), ran in the Greensboro News & Record’s book section. I appreciate the News & Record’s dedication to running locally written reviews when so many newspapers have abandoned that effort, and I urge those who can to check the review out.…
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Of Ireland, and the importance of stories
Fittingly for the first day of summer – and a scorcher – here’s a warm welcome to Tom Dillon, whose first contribution to Briar Patch Books is posted here. Tom is a veteran journalist and all-around good guy. By Tom Dillon THE LAST STORYTELLER: A NOVEL OF IRELAND. By Frank Delaney. Random House. 385 pages.…
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Gems of insight, writing
It’s summer – almost – so Bob Moyer is off on a road trip on his Harley. But, fortunately, he’s had time to send us a review of a book that offers a more sedentary way to sample what America has to offer. By Robert Moyer PULPHEAD. By John Jeremiah Sullivan. Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.…
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At home in America
Got a long driving trip ahead of you? Just like to relax and let somebody tell you stories? Briar Patch Books looks at an audio book that’s a marvelous, poignant family saga that will tug at your emotions and enrich your life. By Linda C. Brinson A GOOD AMERICAN. By Alex George. Read by Gibson…
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Love vs. justice
It’s spring break, and I’m sure my students are hard at work on the articles they have due soon after we reconvene in Chapel Hill. My assignment to myself was to try to get caught up on some book reviews. There are some that are more belated than this one, but Defending Jacob is on…
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Alexander McCall Smith: He’s not just about the Ladies’ Detective Agency
Like many readers, I fell in love with Precious Ramotswe when Alexander McCall Smith’s first No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency novel arrived on the scene in the United States in 2001 (a few years after it was published in the United Kingdom). I eagerly awaited the next installments in the series, and I was gratified…
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All aboard for a magical ride
Because I listen to audio books when I drive, I’ve developed a rating system that involves how far extra I’ll drive to keep listening to a book if I reach my destination in mid-chapter – or even mid-book. This one cost me a lot of extra miles and gas. But that investment paid off handsomely…