Tag Archives: novels

Why Vonnegut Matters

Posted on December 10, 2018 by

Like many Kurt Vonnegut fans I became a devoted reader during my early adolescence. If memory serves, the first of his novels that I read was Sirens of Titan, but it could have just as well been Cat’s Cradle. Of course they weren’t teaching … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Film, USA, Writing | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Pierre; or, The Ambiguities

Posted on August 19, 2018 by

To be perfectly honest, I have always been ambivalent about Herman Melville. When I read Moby-Dick in high school, I found it to be an uneven slog. However, his iconic short story Bartleby the Scrivener provided me with a role model for life. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Books, USA, Writing | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

When You Walk Through A Storm

Posted on July 15, 2018 by

“And you really will have to make it through that violent, metaphysical, symbolic storm. No matter how metaphysical or symbolic it might be, make no mistake about it: it will cut through flesh like a thousand razor blades. People will … Continue reading →

Posted in Asia, Books, Writing | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Modern Novelist

Posted on June 30, 2018 by

Tom Gauld  

Posted in Animation, Books, Tech, Writing | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The Good Kind of Hangover

Posted on May 27, 2018 by
Image | Posted on May 27, 2018 by | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Dance Macabre

Posted on October 31, 2017 by

 La portentosa vida de la muerte (The Prodigious Life of Death) by Joaquín Bolaños, is a late 18th century Mexican novel that stars Death as a female protagonist ( la muerte in Spanish is a feminine noun).  The story begins in the Garden … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, History, South America, Writing | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

It was a dark and stormy night

Posted on August 8, 2017 by

Each year, the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest receives hundreds of entrants all competing to craft the worst opening sentence for an imaginary novel. The annual event celebrates English author and politician Edward Bulwer-Lytton, who once penned the infamous line “It was … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Europe, Writing | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Summer Reads Pt 2

Posted on July 8, 2017 by

Here’s another quick list from my recent reading pile. Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh : If you are a fan of the inimitable Shirley Jackson, run, don’t walk, to your nearest bookstore for a copy of this mesmerizing, disturbing, and hilarious novel. … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, ebooks, Europe, USA, Writing | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Summer Reads Pt 1

Posted on July 7, 2017 by

For some reason, I receive requests for reading recommendations from followers of TBTP. It may be because I’m in the book trade, who knows why. Anyway, I thought that I would share a short list of books that I have … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, ebooks, Europe, History, USA, Writing | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Pulp Fictions

Posted on June 8, 2017 by

Imagine your favorite iconic novels such as Robinson Crusoe or Wuthering Heights with a pulp fiction makeover. Well, there’s a publisher reworking the classic in a pulp style. Pulp! The Classics is a new imprint from the UK publisher Old Castle Books, which is reissuing … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Books, Writing | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment