Kafka on the Shore is the work of an acknowledged master. So why does this book seem so full of pointless – and pedantic – fancy?
One of the pleasures of writing for the Reading group is that it’s a place I can safely get things wrong. Generally, when you write a review, your opinion is pretty final and you don’t get much chance to recant later. I’ve recently been doing some research about HG Wells and there are a good handful of critics whose sole remaining claim on immortality is having written completely wrong-headed reviews about the appeal and longevity of The War of the Worlds.
“What a splendid opportunity is lost in the description of the exodus from London!” wrote the otherwise forgotten Basil Williams. “One thinks what a writer with a great eye for poetical effect like Mr Meredith would have made of such an idea; whereas Mr Wells is content with describing the cheap emotions of a few bank clerks and newspaper touts.”
0 comments:
Post a Comment