Category: Book Review

Review: The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain

With each new encounter, Twain proves himself to me to be both brilliant and complicated. The Prince and the Pauper is a tale of cautious optimism; unlike later works (Huck Finn, The Mysterious Stranger), in The Prince and the Pauper, Twain seems to still… Continue Reading “Review: The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain”

Review: The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie

Where to begin with this novel? First, the prose & style: While I find Rushdie to be a supreme story-teller and master of language, it is sometimes difficult for me to enjoy reading his particular Indian-dialect English. The mix of cultural Indian-English grammar and… Continue Reading “Review: The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie”

Review: How I Paid for College by Marc Acito

Acito’s first novel, How I Paid for College: A Novel of Sex, Theft, Friendship & Musical Theater is an hilarious, honest in an “I don’t believe this” sorta way re-telling of a coming-of-age story. Of particular praise is Acito’s way of making a gay… Continue Reading “Review: How I Paid for College by Marc Acito”

Review: A Boy’s Own Story by Edmund White

A refreshingly realistic tale of a gay boy’s “coming of age.” White makes a point of expressing his distaste for fanciful boy’s tales in which all boarding schools are brothels of young sex and violence, then proceeds to tell a painfully true story (autobiographic)… Continue Reading “Review: A Boy’s Own Story by Edmund White”

>Review: Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut

>My first thought, when preparing to sit down and review this book, was that this just was not one of my favorite Vonnegut books. I wanted to say that I was actually quite disappointed, having read three or four other Vonnegut books, and having… Continue Reading “>Review: Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut”