ACCENT: THE TIME REGULATION INSTITUTE by Ahmet Hamdi Tanpinar

Those of us who are only fluent in English are so fortunate to have had this book translated from the original Turkish. The book incisively mocks bureaucracy from the point of view of clocks.  The main hero is Hayri Irdal, who guides us through the strange world of the Time Regulation Institute.  In this Turkey,…

REVIEW: APPOINTMENT IN SAMARRA by John O’Hara

Flavorwire named it one of the ten books to read “While You’re Waiting for The Great Gatsby to Come Out.”  Fran Lebowitz said John O’Hara is the “real F. Scott Fitzgerald.”  So what’s with all the praise?  This was O’Hara’s first novel (published in 1934), but he also wrote BUtterfield 8 (made into a film…

WINNER: MEMOIRS OF SHERLOCK HOLMES

And we have a winner!  Terry’s comment was chosen on random.org. Of Sherlock, Terry said: “As to why I love Mr. Holmes, he’s the original, brilliant misanthrope. Before there was Gregory House, almost before there was even Allan Quatermain, there was Sherlock Holmes.” Thanks to everyone who entered and to the folks at Penguin Classics…

GIVEAWAY: THE MEMOIRS OF SHERLOCK HOLMES by Sir A.C. Doyle

I don’t suppose it’s entirely fair for me to be reviewing a classic.  It’s fairly certain that the tales of Sherlock and Watson are good.  As one who grew up on them and the Granada series (Jeremy Brett IS Sherlock), it’s hard to imagine my literary memory without them.   Rereading them was a joy.…