The Wildelings by Lisa Harding was on a ‘dark academia’ reading list I came across. I don’t know if it fits into that category. Still, it takes place at a fictional Dublin university (named after Oscar Wilde) and deals with some dark elements of human nature, so sure. The story…
Category: Fiction
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The Q Review | The Pilgrimage | John Broderick
I’m going to start this review by saying: READ THIS BOOK. The Pilgrimage by John Broderick is a riveting soap opera of a story about a wealthy couple living in a midcentury Irish town. The story is told from the perspective of the wife, Julia, who begins the novel having…
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The Q Review | Will and Testament | Vigdis Hjorth
Will & Testament by Vigdis Hjorth deals with the painful topics of incest and family dysfunction. The book is (at least partially) taken from events in the author’s own life, which means she writes in great detail about these dynamics, aptly capturing the pain and frustration of dealing with a…
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The Q Review | The Moon is Down | John Steinbeck
The first thing you should know about “The Moon Is Down” by John Steinbeck is that it was written in March 1942 as Allied propaganda. It tells a story of the invasion and occupation of a small northern European village. The parties are not named, but it’s a clear depiction…
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The Q Review | Admiring Silence | Abdulrazak Gurnah
There is very little that happens in this Nobel Prize-winning novel, and yet, it’s one of the most impactful books I’ve read this year. I’m married to an immigrant who came to the West, seeking opportunity and security. I’ve witnessed firsthand the emotional and psychological challenges that befall anyone who…
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The Q Review | The Pisces | Melissa Broder
Now this is a story! I’d reserved a copy of Melissa Broder’s book The Pisces at the library, but since it wasn’t immediately available, I opted to start with her most recent release, Death Valley. I wasn’t impressed, but The Pisces came so highly recommended that I was still looking…
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The Q Review | One Hundred Years of Solitude | Gabriel García Márquez
I’m not sure why I chose to pick up One Hundred Years of Solitude this year. I’ve got a running list of classic literature that I incorporate into my regular reading. Primarily to compensate for my lack of education, but also because I enjoy understanding references on art that have…
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The Q Review | Death Valley | Melissa Broder
This is my first encounter with Melissa Broder. I really want to read The Pisces, but it wasn’t available yet, so I put it on hold and opted for this one instead. I love surrealism, magical realism, unlikable characters, and the desert, so I figured I’d love this. It was…
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The Q Review | The Odyssey | Lara Williams
This book grabbed me by the lapels, shoved me up against the wall, and held me there for 36 hours until I finished it. Then, it let me go and I fell in a heap on the floor and spend the next day wondering what the fuck just happened. After…
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The Q Review | The St. Zita Society | Ruth Rendell
I watch a lot of murder-y shows, but I don’t read a lot of murder-y books. Ruth Rendell was unknown to me before I read The St. Zita Society. Apparently, she’s a beloved novelist of almost a hundred murder-y books, so it appears to be bad luck that introduced me…