EYE ON THE CITY
It’s worth reading...
MATTHEW PERREN RECOMMENDS
Tobias Wolff is one of my favourite writers of short stories.
This volume is the proof. Not only does it feature ten new
stories but it also serves as a Selected Stories and fillets the
best from his previous three collections. Oddly, whilst the new
stories have been a treat, I’ve really enjoyed revisiting the
older ones. From the horribly bleak Desert Breakdown 1968
to the curiously heart-warming Bullet in the Brain (about the
last-second flash memory of a gunshot victim) every story is
a crystal clear vignette that leaves one briefly lost in thought
before hungrily diving into the next.
Friends have been banging on at me to read this for years. And
they haven’t been wrong. This new edition from Canongate
features a preface by Ian Rankin but the real meat is in the
story. It‘s a chilling puzzle of a book – the plot is laid out plainly
in the first half. But in the second half the plainness is picked
to shreds until one is left with more questions than answers.
You’ll either be so captivated by this book that you’ll read it
time and again; or so frustrated that you cast it aside halfway
through.
From the sublime to the ridiculous. The Japanese have a
long tradition of careful, beautiful food preparation. Some
Japanese mothers are so devoted to their kids that they
get up early every day and prepare healthy lunches that are
also gorgeously detailed pictures of favourite TV and Manga
characters or simply made up scenes. The reasons? Brief
interviews with the mothers reveal they’re as wide ranging as
the designs: from simple delight to early social advancement.
I found this tiny book utterly astounding. I’m almost tempted
to try out some of the ideas at the back…
This is terrific! A big colourful children’s alphabet book
featuring everything that’s great about Britain - all the way
from ‘Arthur’ to ‘Zero Degrees Longitude’. The last few pages
feature a glossary explaining why each thing is specifically
British. Stylish and with witty illustration and interesting
choices for each letter, it’s informative to boot. This would
make the perfect gift for the homesick ex-pat or for an
inquisitive child who’s starting to become aware of the
differences between countries. Worth seeking out.
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