↓
 

Late Last Night Books

because so much reading, writing, and living happens after-hours

Late Last
Night Books
because so much reading, writing, and living happens after-hours
Since 2013
Gary Garth McCann, founder and managing editor
an ad-free magazine about fiction by authors Terra Ziporyn * Sally Whitney * Eileen Haavik McIntire * Gary Garth McCann * Peter G. Pollak * Garry Craig Powell * Jenny Yacovissi * Lily Iona MacKenzie * Todd S. Garth * Daniel Oliver
Menu
  • Home
  • Book Reviews
  • Insights
  • Interviews
  • Authors
  • Guest Bloggers
  • About
  • Tag Cloud

Tag Archives: A N Wilson

Excellent Women

Late Last Night Books
Avatar photo
GARRY CRAIG POWELL

Author of  Stoning the Devil

26 FEBRUARY 2018 Excellent Women

Excellent Women

Just over a week ago I was reading a column in the magazine of the Expresso, a Portuguese newspaper, by Ana Cristina Leonardo, whom I appreciate for her ironic wit and culture. It was called ‘Curses and Poor Diction’ (in Portuguese, the title was the far more euphonic ‘Maldições e Más Dicções’) in which, as a relief from what she called ‘interesting matters’ (which I took to mean idiotically fashionable or politically correct terminology), she recommended the novel Excellent Women by Barbara Pym. As I happened to have a copy unread on my shelves, in English, I plunged into it, and am glad I did.

Barbara Pym’s name is not well-known in the States these days, if indeed it is even in England, her home country.

(Continue Reading)

EVAN S. CONNELL, A. N. WILSON, WILLA CATHER: NOVEL BEGINNINGS

Late Last Night Books
Avatar photo
GARY GARTH MCCANN

Author of Young and in Love , The Shape of the Earth , The Man Who Asked To Be Killed and six stories, three online at “A House Where We Both Could Live,” Chelsea Station,  “Incorrigible,” Erotic Review and “The Yearbook,” Mobius

1 FEBRUARY 2018 EVAN S. CONNELL, A. N. WILSON, WILLA CATHER: NOVEL BEGINNINGS

Thinking about how novels begin, I recently pulled many books off my shelves and was surprised by how unspectacular the beginnings of most seemed to me. There were exceptions, however. Consider:

Her first name was India–she was never able to get used to it. It seemed to her that her parents must have been thinking of someone else when they named her. Or were they hoping for another sort of daughter? As a child she was often on the point of inquiring, but time passed, and she never did. 

Thus begins Evan S. Connell’s Mrs. Bridge published in 1959. (One wonders if today’s editors would let the passive voice of the second sentence stand.)

(Continue Reading)

Except where otherwise noted, content on this site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
banner photo copyright Dervish_design - Fotolia.com
Log in
©2023 - Late Last Night Books - Weaver Xtreme Theme Privacy Policy
↑