Holiday is always a space to get some reading done – some recommendations from the sun in Italy - The Discomfort Zone by Jonathan Franzen – a personal, yet universal story of
how Jonathan has coped with existing in the outside world by writing what
happens within his internal world – wonderful, life affirming. Umbrella by Will Self – my most accessible yet challenging
Self book so far – I loved the seemingly stream-of-consciousness multiple, time
and narrative. It feels and reads like today – allowing information to seep
into the consciousness of the page, connecting ideas that are both relevant and
initially mad and ‘wrong’. Nemesis by Philiph Roth – such a force of writing –
you just believe in the world he creates – it’s of a different time, focused on
the brutal self analysis through fear, love and loss. Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan
– a real page turning spy thriller that makes you want to know what happens
next and just marvel at the craft of writing – how does he do that? The Good
Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ by Philiph Pullman – what if............ it
makes a wonderful sense and makes one want to go back and reread the ‘original’.
Meanwhile an example of ‘covered stuff in the street’.
