father-son relationship produces a legacy that has
consequences. Nadler’s prose is finely crafted, the
characters are well drawn, and the story
entertaining.
The End of
Power: From
Boardrooms to
Battlefields and
Churches to
States, Why
Being In Charge
Isn’t What It
Used to Be
Between Father
and Son: Family
Letters
Paul Theroux and others have called Naipaul the
finest living writer in the English language. Here’s a
chance to read some early letters and glimpse at his
relationship with his father, also a writer.
Identity. Character from earlier novel reprised to
join communist revolutionaries in India, become
arrested and jailed, and return to England, still
searching for who he is and his place in the world.
Surprises. Interspersed among the pages of things
already known are one or more surprises for
readers that may have a profound impact. Read and
be surprised by that discovery.
Pickpocket. I was intrigued by Fuminori
Nakamura’s novel, The Thief. Translated from
Japanese, the novel presents an image of
contemporary society from the perspective of a
pickpocket. I kept thinking about skill as I enjoyed
the ease with which the thief carries out his work.