Jason's Blog

Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane

A true master of modern crime fiction. A great novel set in the 70s, with the usual Boston grit, a serious subject underneath and told in a simpler style than Michael Chabon's crime novel (see previous Some books I've read). 

The Drop by Dennis Lehane

Actually, after the death of Elmore Leonard, is Lehane the best crime writer around? I'm no expert. I've gotten hooked. I had already read a couple of his books. His writing is very appealing. It's almost a bit... Bukowski? Doesn't use five words if one is enough. And then the occasional sentence you just have to read out loud. Great story, too. I haven't seen the film version, but based on the trailer it's quite faithful.

All About Me! by Mel Brooks

Disappointingly superficial autobiography by Mel, but maybe I expected too much. First wife is barely mentioned, death of his wife Anne Bancroft gets a paragraph. Lots of anecdotes where he says or does something funny that makes people around him howl with laughter. But often it is not that funny, really. You had to be there, I guess. Or maybe something is lost in writing it down on paper. Like his great Cary Grant story that he also told on Johnny Carson.

Faces in the Crowd by Valeria Luiselli 

A married woman in Mexico looks back at her younger life living in New York as an editor, trying to learn more about the poet Gilberto Owen, and going back and forth in perspective and in time. Who is the ghost?

The Last Chairlift by John Irving

Gave up on page 335, with still over 550 pages to go. Never got hooked on the story or the characters. We're a long way from Owen Meany. Most of Irving's books after that have been different levels of disappointing. Avenue of Mysteries I also gave up. Not promising for his new novel, Queen Esther.

Les Indomptés by Blutch

Blutch does Lucky Luke, raising his (cowboy) hat in salute to Morris. The book also exists in English, under the title Untamed. Beautifully drawn, of course, and with a witty script as well. I prefer his work in black and white, but the colours here are okay.  

Fantastic Four: It Started on Yancy Street by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

Volume 3 of the FF Mighty Marvel Masterworks paperbacks, that they now have stopped publishing. Which is a shame. Quite inexpensive, 16 bucks. And with a bit of patience you could buy it used on abe books. I already have Kirby's FF in the Essential books, but something is lost in black and white. Stan Lee's scripts can be a bit tiresome, at some point you skip the narration and just read the word balloons. And even then it can be a bit too much. But... the art! Even though it's not peak Kirby yet.

https://www.tcj.com/reviews/death-in-...

Sweet Dreams: The Story of the New Romantics by Dylan Jones

The story of the Blitz club in London in the early 80s, and all the artists, singers and fashion people who came from that place, including Spandau Ballet, Boy George and Sade.

Wolves of Eternity by Karl Ove Knausgaard

The Third Realm by Karl Ove Knausgaard

The School of Night by Karl Ove Knausgaard

Arendal by Karl Ove Knausgaard

Wolves and Realm were pretty good, School was kind of unpleasant and Arendal (Norwegian edition) was the weakest. I guess there is one more book coming in the series? I'll read it!

The English Assassin by Michael Moorcock

The Condition of Muzak by Michael Moorcock

I was able to finish these books, Moorcock's writing is strong, but also not really going anywhere. A plot would be nice. 

The Velvet Underground by Chris Roberts

Okay biography, but short. Loaded by Dylan Jones might be better.

The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon

Chabon goes Raymond Chandler. I read this many years ago, but felt like it was time for a re-read, since, spoiler!, the plot is now actually happening for real, with red cows brought to Jerusalem for the second coming of Jesus, and the Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson is apparently involved.