Category Archives: British Literature

Tapestry of Love by Rosy Thornton

British Literature November 9, 2010 Superfast Reader 1 Comment

Synopsis: After a divorce, Englishwoman Catherine moves to a cottage in the rural Cevennes mountains in France, facing challenges as an outsider at a crossroads in her life. Review: Tapestry of Love is a charming novel that makes you ache to visit the Cevennes mountains. The descriptions of the landscapes and the food and the culture are just so evocative. It’s a near-perfect example of this kind of book. Rosy Thornton’s storytelling is languid and endearing, making this a most relaxing read of the best…

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

British Literature June 25, 2010 Superfast Reader 6 Comments

Synopsis: A professional “carer” recalls her idyllic school days, which mask a horror that she and her friends “know but don’t know.” Review: Never Let Me Go is one of my favorite all-time books, and this is the third time I’ve read it. Big life upheavals, like having a baby, always send me back to books I know I’ll enjoy, as a way to comfort myself through a major life transition. If you’ve read it, you’ll know that it’s a strange one to read while…

The Children of Men by PD James

British Literature June 24, 2010 Superfast Reader 6 Comments

Synopsis: It’s 2020, and no babies have been born since 1995. Review: I really thought I had read The Children of Men before, but must have just really loved the movie or something. I certainly approved of all the changes made for the screen version, because I was bored silly by this book. Oh well.

Winged Wonders: A Celebration of Birds in Human History

British Literature May 31, 2010 Superfast Reader 1 Comment

Synopsis: A compendium of trivia, history, biology, and references to art, mythology, poetry, and literature for 19 different birds. Review: Winged Wonders is a real rara avis of a book. Basically, it’s a collection of all sorts of information related to a bunch of different birds, like the raven, the heron, the cuckoo, the falcon, and many more. There are poems, myths, historical references, and basic biological facts, all of them really compelling and quirky and fun. What I really love about this book is…

The Whole World by Emily Winslow

British Literature May 25, 2010 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: Three Cambridge students working with the blind daughter of a famous novelist have their lives disrupted when one of them disappears. Review: In her other life, Emily Winslow is a well-respected crafter of puzzles, and that expertise shines through in the intricate plotting of The Whole World. Through the use of multiple points-of-view, Winslow creates a layered mystery where it’s nearly impossible to figure out what really happened–but when you learn the truth, it all makes perfect sense. I loved the Cambridge setting and…

The Wheel of Fortune by Susan Howatch

British Literature May 17, 2010 Superfast Reader 5 Comments

Synopsis: The saga of a Welsh family haunted by submerged passions and unfulfilled desire. Review: I was hooked on The Wheel of Fortune from the first pages. It’s juicy, lush, psychologically complex, and keenly observed. The story opens with Robert, scion of the Godwin family, heir to Oxmoon, lusting after his second cousin Ginevra, on the night that she elopes with an Irish rake, Connor Kinsella. When, in pure tragic form, Robert is able to consummate his desire, a chain of events unfolds that scars…

Longbourn’s Unexpected Matchmaker by Emma Hox

British Literature April 15, 2010 Superfast Reader 3 Comments

Synopsis: A retelling of Pride and Prejudice with a crucial plot element changed. Review: I tried to read Longbourn’s Unexpected Matchmaker, I really did, but from the first sentence the writing was so clumsy and prosaic that I just couldn’t go on past the first few pages. And I admire Pride and Prejudice as much as the next person, but it’s not such a beloved of mine that I feel like I need some fan fiction. Come to think of it, fan fiction isn’t really…

Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien

British Literature April 13, 2010 Superfast Reader 1 Comment

Synopsis: One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them. Review: This is my third time reading JRR Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, and I can’t say I’ve ever enjoyed it more. I’ve been following along with The Tolkien Professor’s podcasted course, and the background I got from finally reading and actually comprehending The Silmarillion really enhanced the depth of pleasure I received once diving back into Frodo’s familiar world.…

The Children of HÃºrin by JRR Tolkien

British Literature March 18, 2010 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: The tragic tale of TÃºrin TÃºrambar, master of doom by doom mastered, who sought to fight evil but was undone by his own impetuousness and self-aggrandizement. Review: The Children of HÃºrin is a retelling in novel form of the chapter in Tolkien’s Silmarillion called TÃºrin TÃºrambar. I should’ve waited to read this for a year or two, because about halfway through I burned out on all the epic language and tragic plotting. My experience aside, it’s a fantastic story, one of the best ever…

The Silmarillion by JRR Tolkien

British Literature March 15, 2010 Superfast Reader 6 Comments

Synopsis: An account of the history of the origins of Middle Earth during the First Age. Review: I have tried and failed to read The Silmarillion on several occasions, and I can only credit my success this go-round to the podcast lecture series given by The Tolkien Professor. The early chapters are so dense with information that his interpretation and analysis helped lay the groundwork for me to be able to enjoy later chapters such as “Beren and Luthien” and “Turin Turambar,” to name two…

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