I'm reading The Weekend, the new (or newly translated and published) novel by Bernhard Schlink, "the bestselling author of The Reader". My overwhelming reaction is one of relief. Let me explain.
I didn't share the universal enthusiasm for The Reader. And I probably wouldn't have paid any attention to this new work had it not been for Andrew Marr starting the week from the Cheltenham Literary Festival with the good professor as a guest. As I listened, it appeared that Schlink was writing - no, worse still, had written - a novel addressing the same issues and with similar subject matter to a work-in-not-very-much-progress by Max Smith.
Ignore it? Or go out immediately and buy it? Of course, I bought it and started reading with some apprehension.
It's not bad at all, actually; though the characters are little more than spokespersons for particular points of view. They've been created to represent specific ideas rather than as credible people with opinions.
And the story itself, you will be as relieved as am I to learn, is completely different from the magnum opus which currently resides, incomplete, on my hard drive. Phew.
Today's listening: Grateful Dead, 1970-06-24, Port Chester NY - the late show. With NRPS. A wonderfully exhilarating show from before they got too good.
I didn't share the universal enthusiasm for The Reader. And I probably wouldn't have paid any attention to this new work had it not been for Andrew Marr starting the week from the Cheltenham Literary Festival with the good professor as a guest. As I listened, it appeared that Schlink was writing - no, worse still, had written - a novel addressing the same issues and with similar subject matter to a work-in-not-very-much-progress by Max Smith.
Ignore it? Or go out immediately and buy it? Of course, I bought it and started reading with some apprehension.
It's not bad at all, actually; though the characters are little more than spokespersons for particular points of view. They've been created to represent specific ideas rather than as credible people with opinions.
And the story itself, you will be as relieved as am I to learn, is completely different from the magnum opus which currently resides, incomplete, on my hard drive. Phew.
Today's listening: Grateful Dead, 1970-06-24, Port Chester NY - the late show. With NRPS. A wonderfully exhilarating show from before they got too good.
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