Archive for the ‘Book Reviews’ Category
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- Laurie Foos’ “Ex Utero” • June 7, 1995
Laurie Foos is hardly Sigmund Freud, and her debut novel "Ex Utero" is a purely pop creation. But far be it from me to deny anyone the pleasure of reading this lightning-quick, chuckle-inducing mite of a book. - Jane Smiley’s “Moo” • June 5, 1995
In "Moo," a brilliant, good-natured, sprawling satire set in a fictional Iowa state university known as Moo U., Smiley might let you down in the end by refusing to give certain members of her pigheaded cast of characters their just desserts, but it's a hell of a ride along the way. - Mark Helprin’s “Memoir from Antproof Case” • May 24, 1995
"Memoir from Antproof Case" aspires to be something we don't see much of anymore: a comprehensive satire and send-up of the American century. But after 514 pages of non-chronological tall tales, you're left with one of the more unsettling questions a reader can have about a book — what was that all about? - Jeff Noon’s “Vurt” • April 12, 1995
British writer Jeff Noon's debut novel "Vurt" takes pulp science fiction to a new level. It's not necessarily a better level, mind you, but it's certainly a more twisted, doped-up, glazed-over, trip-inducing place than sci-fi has been in a long while. - Joseph Heller’s “Closing Time” • March 21, 1995
This book review was originally published on Critics’ Choice on March 21, 1995. World War II bombardier John Yossarian wants to know if he can be exempt from flying any more missions because he’s insane. Of course, comes the reply, but in order to be declared insane you have to consult a doctor, and only someone [...] - Po Bronson’s “Bombardiers” • March 3, 1995
Po Bronson's "Bombardiers" is, in a word, brilliant. In a few more words, it's devastatingly funny, as wise as any Wall Street guru, and bitter as a cup of jet-black coffee. - James Finney Boylan’s “The Constellations” • December 21, 1994
I'll wager that Johns Hopkins alumnus James Finney Boylan has at least one important novel inside him bursting to come out into the light of day. Unfortunately, witticisms and wisecracks do not a story make, and his second novel "The Constellations" comes off as — well, a little spacey. - Paul Auster’s “City of Glass” and “Mr. Vertigo” • November 30, 1994
This book review was originally published in The Baltimore City Paper on November 30, 1994. Paul Auster’s oeuvre stacks up to that of just about any living writer in his generation for pure imaginative hubris. Through the course of eight novels, three works of non-fiction and four collections of poetry, the reclusive Auster has proven himself [...] - Tom Robbins’ “Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas” • November 9, 1994
The inside sleeve of "Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas," Tom Robbins' new novel, promises all manner of goofiness. Once you've made it halfway through the book, however, you realize that this is really the same book Robbins has been writing for years. - John Irving’s “A Son of the Circus” • October 3, 1994
"A Son of the Circus" definitely qualifies as one of John Irving's oddest creations, but for most of the way it's among his most satisfying. Like most Irving novels, it's a sprawling book that swoops around the globe and through multiple generations of history. And it includes a grab bag of typical Irving topics: perverse sexuality, Christianity, unusual families, and untimely death.