“The Siege Of Krishnapur”, by J. G. Farrell. I may have mentioned that I can’t get enough of novels set during the English occupation of India. Yes, even though we lost. Perhaps especially because we lost. Writers tend to use extreme cases to bring out their characters’ most secretly held views, and this is no Continue reading

“G.” by John Berger. Oh thank god. This tale of a repressed young man who becomes what you might call a crap Casanova is at least interesting and has some history going on in it, specifically the whole business of Trieste getting annexed to Italy in 1921. No, shut up, it’s interesting. There’s also an Continue reading

“In A Free State” by V. S. Naipaul Once again, not my kind of book. This is a long novella, two short stories, and a framing sequence, about the state of being in another country, and slowly letting go of your obligations to where you came from – being in a ‘free’ state, you see. Continue reading

“The Elected Member”, by Bernice Rubens. Well, I didn’t like this at all. We are confronted with our first family novel, and again, it’s all talk and no sense. Sigh. This is why Gil Hates Literature I will attempt to summarize. A Jewish family in the East End has a problem son, who has gone Continue reading