The Turn Of The Screw – Henry James, 1898 ★

Screwing with Your Head

Paranormally corrupted, or just emotionally twisted? Diabolical brats, or misunderstood innocents? Emotionally/sexually unbalanced governess, or trusting victim of cruelty, earthbound or otherwise?

With a build-up like that, you might understand why The Turn Of The Screw has such a solid literary reputation, above and beyond what its illustrious author otherwise enjoys. This is touted as a classic example of creative ambiguity in fiction, even something of an Ur-text for recontextualizing literature beyond the strict confines of author’s intent.

Naturally, I hate it.

Six Days Of The Condor – James Grady, 1974 ★★★

Just Because You're Paranoid...

Published in the darkest days of Watergate, saturated with period malaise and the spirit of “don’t-trust-anyone-over-30,” Six Days Of The Condor is as much a zeitgeist marker as a spy novel, worth a read for anyone old enough to remember the 1970s.

It certainly took me back.

Autobiography Of Benvenuto Cellini – Translated by John Addington Symonds, 1558-63 ★★

Portrait of an Artist as a Raging Bull

Autobiography Of Benvenuto Cellini is a book drenched in war, sex, intrigue, and murder. Its writer was one of the leading artists of his time, a figure steeped in controversy and mystery. He also had a fierce temper and an appetite for killing when his blood was up, which it often was.

Given all that, why do I find his book a chore to read?

All The Words, Vol. One – Monty Python's Flying Circus, 1989 ★★★★

Python... Before the Big Screen

Loving good old Monty Python comes easy, but it’s a sign of age when you hear what it is about Python people love. For many, debate centers around cinema. Arthur? Brian? Perhaps some wafer-thin love for Mr. Creosote?

Rivers West – Louis L'Amour, 1975 ★½

Throwing in the Towel, or Something

Rivers West is what happens when an author loses interest in a novel halfway into writing it. The craziest part is I can’t understand why, as this atypical offering from western-fiction legend Louis L’Amour starts out with much promise.