Literary reviews by Tim Love.
Warning: Rather than reviews, these are often notes in preparation for reviews that were never finished, or pleas for help with understanding pieces. See Litref Reviews - a rationale for details.

Tuesday, 5 October 2004

"Beyond the Blue Mountains" by Penelope Lively (Penguin, 1998)

After reading the first (title) story I wasn't sure whether it was worth carrying on. I didn't predict the 2nd story's twist, but when it came it was like meeting an old friend rather than an interesting stranger. The 3rd story was according to the blurb "a condensed masterpiece" but I found too long, leisurely and predictable. These "polished", "deceptively simple", "understated" stories with "subtle but significant events" are too subtle for me, the character development miserly and short-storyish.

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