Tag Archives: novels

Pierre; or, The Ambiguities

Posted on August 19, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

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 →

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When You Walk Through A Storm

Posted on July 15, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

“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 →

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The Modern Novelist

Posted on June 30, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

Tom Gauld  

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The Good Kind of Hangover

Posted on May 27, 2018 by Brian D. Butler
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Dance Macabre

Posted on October 31, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

 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 →

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It was a dark and stormy night

Posted on August 8, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

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 →

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Summer Reads Pt 2

Posted on July 8, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

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 →

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Summer Reads Pt 1

Posted on July 7, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

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 →

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Pulp Fictions

Posted on June 8, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

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 →

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The Handmaid’s Tale

Posted on March 30, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

The Folio Society has reissued its exceptional 2012 edition of Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel The Handmaid’s Tale. This volume contains a set of powerful illustrations by Anna and Elena Balbusso. Influenced by Soviet propaganda posters and constructivist art, the Italian twin artists … Continue reading →

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