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fiction

EntertainmentOctober 26

Blend of fantasy, convention in 'flawed but wonderful masterpiece'

David Mitchell's latest novel, The Bone Clocks, longlisted for the Man Booker prize, is a flawed but wonderful masterpiece that falls halfway between the fantastical experiments of his early novels and the more conventional later books.
Blend of fantasy, convention in 'flawed but wonderful masterpiece'
Blend of fantasy, convention in 'flawed but wonderful masterpiece'
EntertainmentOctober 23

Typical fast-paced adventure

In his sixth Fargo adventure, The Eye of Heaven, Clive Cussler has teamed up with another best-selling author, Russell Blake.
Typical fast-paced adventure
Typical fast-paced adventure
EntertainmentOctober 22

Unconventional but absorbing read

The Narito disappearances: eight people, older men and women, disappear from their homes in the villages surrounding Sakai, Japan, 1977. Their houses are undisturbed, left as if they simply walked out. Only a playing card, nailed to each person's door, suggests that these disappearances are linked and provides an impenetrable clue.
Unconventional but absorbing read
Unconventional but absorbing read
EntertainmentOctober 19

Poetic novel delivers far more than promised

This little book is like a dusty treasure discovered in a Port Chalmers antique shop.
Poetic novel delivers far more than promised
Poetic novel delivers far more than promised
EntertainmentSeptember 28

Another rollicking ride

There will be many readers who, like me, have been hoping they had not heard the first and last from Rosie Jarman and Don Tillman, the central protagonists in the quirky 2013 novel, The Rosie Project.
Another rollicking ride
Another rollicking ride
EntertainmentSeptember 22

No genre or author unscathed

This book is a collection of Guardian feature writer John Crace's ''Digested Read'' parodies, the column in which he summarises in 700-800 words the latest books by many of the most popular names in literature.
No genre or author unscathed
No genre or author unscathed
EntertainmentSeptember 22

Unexpected treat gives plenty to think about

One of the difficulties facing any author, particularly of genre fiction, is how to find new ways of addressing old and familiar themes. Similarly, as a reader it is a pleasure to stumble across a novel that manages it.
Unexpected treat gives plenty to think about
Unexpected treat gives plenty to think about
EntertainmentSeptember 22

Novel approach to literary prize business

I once tried to read The Bone People, but gave up after 100 pages or so.
Novel approach to literary prize business
Novel approach to literary prize business
EntertainmentAugust 29

Memorable tale of eerie dislocation

It has been a long, suffocating summer in London, and although John Cole, the protagonist of After Me Comes The Flood, leaves the capital with the intention of visiting his brother in Norfolk, his principal goal is to escape its suffocation.
Memorable tale of eerie dislocation
Memorable tale of eerie dislocation
EntertainmentAugust 29

Characters take their turn around the dance floor

In this, his very substantial 10th book, Philip Hensher introduces the reader to four apparently very different characters in four different periods of history. 
Characters take their turn around the dance floor
Characters take their turn around the dance floor
EntertainmentAugust 22

Absorbing tale of secrets

Jessie Burton's first novel, The Miniaturist, is set in 17th-century Amsterdam and tells of the obsessive relationships of several members of the Brandt household.
Absorbing tale of secrets
Absorbing tale of secrets
EntertainmentAugust 22

Daft and enjoyable story

This is a daft story, immensely readable and enjoyable.
Daft and enjoyable story
Daft and enjoyable story
EntertainmentAugust 8

Tale enterertainingly surreal

Eric Lundgren's debut novel is a curious and entertaining amalgam of mystery story, farce and suburban angst that reads like a co-production between David Lynch and Jonathan Franzen.
Tale enterertainingly surreal
Tale enterertainingly surreal
EntertainmentJuly 25

Gen Xers summon demons

The cover of my copy of Demons says it is ''social satire'', but I didn't notice this until I'd finished the book. It didn't seem all that satirical to me, more like a call for help and a call to arms.
Gen Xers summon demons
Gen Xers summon demons
EntertainmentJuly 25

Art, mystery and war shape well-written novel

There is a particular style of novel writing which places the story in two timeframes. Sometimes this can be irritating but in this case Barbara Erskine makes it work very well.
Art, mystery and war shape well-written novel
Art, mystery and war shape well-written novel
EntertainmentJuly 25

Tale to break your heart

This beautifully told tale in small-format novella form has been translated from the Italian by Stephen Twilley.
Tale to break your heart
Tale to break your heart
EntertainmentJuly 18

Doctor's narrative amuses and appals

The target of the black humour and satire in The Dinner, by Herman Koch, was the modern family.
Doctor's narrative amuses and appals
Doctor's narrative amuses and appals
EntertainmentJuly 18

Fictional climbing tale engrossing

This venture into the mountains illustrates why versatile and able author Philip Temple is among Dunedin and New Zealand's elite literati.
Fictional climbing tale engrossing
Fictional climbing tale engrossing
EntertainmentJuly 18

Quirky literature-laden read

The best thing about being a book reviewer, is getting acquainted with authors I wouldn't normally read, especially those whose names begin with ''Z''.
Quirky literature-laden read
Quirky literature-laden read
EntertainmentJuly 18

Intriguing exploration of afterlife

Young John Finnegan considers ''it is easier to be dead at night''. He, his mother and two brothers are spirits still with an attachment to the soil in which their dead bodies lie, without benefit of the blessing that might sever that attachment.
Intriguing exploration of afterlife
Intriguing exploration of afterlife
EntertainmentJuly 11

Tale surely too bad to be true

It had been a long, long time since I last ''confronted'' a book by Irvine Welsh, the ultimate in-your-face author.
Tale surely too bad to be true
Tale surely too bad to be true
EntertainmentJuly 11

Complex novel reminiscent of 'The English Patient'

Pakistan-born English-based author Kamila Shamsie has created a sweeping and detailed historical epic, that contains several intertwined personal stories.
Complex novel reminiscent of 'The English Patient'
Complex novel reminiscent of 'The English Patient'
EntertainmentJuly 11

Writing polarising

Lorrie Moore is probably best known for her short story compilations Self Help and Birds of America, works that have led to her being described as the leading light in the ''new wave'' of short fiction that has proliferated through the many creative writing courses that have sprung up over the past two decades.
Writing polarising
Writing polarising
EntertainmentJuly 11

Insightful analysis of human dilemmas

On the Connemara coast, Kitty Conneely sees the girl in her ways of seeing things behind her eyes and knows she is needed.
EntertainmentJuly 11

Interesting tale of tragedy

Ronan's Echo is Australian Joanne van Os's fifth novel, and while it slips convincingly enough between three main settings, the characterisation is weak and the situation entirely implausible.
Interesting tale of tragedy
Interesting tale of tragedy