novella
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Review of Beasts by Joyce Carol Oates
A more succinct example of Dark Academia than The Secret History, and in my opinion, better. Better yet, it can be read in one sitting. The only criteria I require a book to fulfill to earn a five-star rating from me is that I can’t stop reading. And this book…
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Review of Seduction of the Golden Pheasant by Damian Murphy
I suspect the author has spent some time abroad. Such were my impressions while reading this novella, steeped as it is in the aura of its locales. Seduction of the Golden Pheasant provides us a brief glimpse at Damian Murphy’s implementation of oodles of subtext. Several of his stories function…
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Review of The Hole by Hiroko Oyamada
This book is a prime example of the commercial bent of recent Japanese translations. It is a case study in how to underestimate your readers. It is a case study in how to underestimate your readers. It was well-marketed to adults by a very reputable publisher. Of course it is…
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Review of The Narcissus Variations by Damian Murphy
Another unsettling and atmospheric novella from Damian Murphy, who has concocted an aesthetic all his own comprised of dense subtext, dark, elaborate interiors, and esoteric rites, woven into an ongoing meditation on the mortal soul and the responsibility of the artist. This one centers around the Kin and an enigmatic…
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Review of Old Floating Cloud: Two Novellas by Can Xue
A rare scatological mosaic elevated to the highest levels of artistic expression. Can Xue is my favorite contender for the Nobel Prize. Rising out of humble beginnings in China to become in the space of a decade, a force to be reckoned with in world literature. A titan of disjointed,…
L. S. Popovich 