Recent books

[peterbirks]

I recently finished Life of Pi, by Yann Martel, and at the moment I am working through Andrea Levy's Small Island. Life of Pi is a bit of a curate's egg that I have to admit I found to be ultimately unsatisfying. I can't fault the writing, which more than once reminded me of the late, great, Richard Brautigan. But as the book developed Martel seemed to fall in love with magical realism, a style that I had (clearly forlornly) hoped would be little more than a short-term fad beloved by Ben Okri, a few reviewers in Granta and Time Out, and no-one else. That said, the books sheer style carries the reader through to the end (ehich, like I said, I wasn't that keen on). And about three-quarters of the way through there is a section of sheer imaginitive wonder that would not be out of place in an Arthur C Clarke novel (except, of course, that Yann Martel is a better writer). Half recommended.