Book Reviews

Redefining the mother in Saba Sams’s Gunk
Redefining the mother in Saba Sams’s Gunk
words by Jocelyn Howarth   The traditional nuclear family consists of an adult man and woman who are married, and who have at least one child between them. Over the... Read more...
Finding Resilience amidst the Ruins of World War II: A Review of Kristin Hannah's The Nightingale
Finding Resilience amidst the Ruins of World War II: A Review of Kristin Hannah's The Nightingale
words by Katerina Ouzoni | photo courtesy of The British Library   Much has been said about the new literary masterpiece by acclaimed American author Kristin Hannah—the historical novel The... Read more...
Devotion, denial and the devastation of dying in Hanne Ørstavik’s Ti Amo
Devotion, denial and the devastation of dying in Hanne Ørstavik’s Ti Amo
words by Ellie johnson | photo by Leonardo Cendamo   Despite its brevity, Ti Amo (2020) by Hanne Ørstavik is a work that finds a thousand different ways to say ‘I... Read more...
What would you go to Hell for? Review of R.F. Kuang's Katabasis
What would you go to Hell for? Review of R.F. Kuang's Katabasis
words by Jocelyn Howarth - What is Hell? Or, more specifically, where is Hell? Last week, I realised that Hell for me is the waiting room at the local walk-in... Read more...
What Happens When People Open their Hearts? A Review of Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami
What Happens When People Open their Hearts? A Review of Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami
words by Katerina Ouzouni   Haruki Murakami, a writer celebrated for his surreal and critically acclaimed fiction, crafted Norwegian Wood (1987) as a departure — a deeply realistic and poignant... Read more...
The Marmite Effect - Review of Clarice Lispector's The Hour of the Star
The Marmite Effect - Review of Clarice Lispector's The Hour of the Star
Ellie Johnson explores the use of metafiction in Clarice Lispector's The Hour of the Star (1977) to conclude this is a novella that won't leave anyone indifferent. Readers will either... Read more...
Yōko Ogawa's 'The Memory Police' is atmosphere over substance
Yōko Ogawa's 'The Memory Police' is atmosphere over substance
words by Millie Harris   Objects vanish one by one on a nameless island — perfume bottles, calendars, even body parts, and with them fades every trace of their existence,... Read more...
"In the end, all they have is a handful of dust": A Review of Evelyn Waugh’s Masterfully Satirical Novel
"In the end, all they have is a handful of dust": A Review of Evelyn Waugh’s Masterfully Satirical Novel
Evelyn Waugh's satirical novel A Handful of Dust tackles the no uncommon topic of failing marriage and separation with an approach not as often seen as the theme. The story is... Read more...
Thoughts and Feelings: Memories and Portraits
Thoughts and Feelings: Memories and Portraits
What might we gain from reading this unusual work of Victorian non-fiction. Can it stand the test of time or will it be just another memory? Read more...
How fragile are the boundaries between nature, equality and justice?
How fragile are the boundaries between nature, equality and justice?
How long can a character cling onto their morality in the face of injustice and inequality? What happens when humanity contributes to ecological destruction disrupting the balance of nature? Can... Read more...