Once More to Brooklyn with Betty by Kevin R. Kosar, November 17, 2007 I actually did not especially enjoy the first 100 pages of this novel from 1943. The central character, Francie Nolan, a child from a hardscrabble Irish-Austrian family in Brooklyn, came off as a bit idealized and saccharine. Then, though, the book really […]
George Pelecanos, Hell to Pay (Boston: L...
The Gritty Streets of… Washington, DC? by Kevin R. Kosar, November 16, 2007 The national news usually only shows America the piece of DC occupied by the White House and Congress. Ah, but there is so much more, from the leafy, lovely Northwest to the god-awful slums. George Pelecanos; interests lie with the latter. This […]
F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Pat Hobby Stori...
Tales of a Has-Been, by Kevin R. Kosar, March 7, 2008 This is an enjoyable collection of short stories that Fitzgerald wrote for Esquire near the end of his short life (44 years). These stories read quickly — I enjoyed reading 2 to 4 each night, which meant I finished it in five nights. Pat […]
Mohsin Hamid, The Reluctant Fundamentali...
A Gatsby for the Post 9-11 World? by Kevin R. Kosar, April 21, 2008 This book shows how a Gatsby-eqsue guy can go from young star in the U.S. to brooding hater of the West. Interestingly, the fault for this bad turn lies both with the U.S. and with the protagonist. The U.S., he notes, […]
Ian McEwan, Amsterdam (NY: Anchor, 1999)
Amsterdam — Wicked Fun, by Kevin R. Kosar, October 17, 2008 The plot of this very short novel is a touch con. Nonetheless, it is a very good read. One can almost hear McEwan giggling as he wrecks the two main characters, both of whom are moral cretins.
Mark Haddon, A Spot of Bother (NY: Rando...
Madcap, 21st Century Brit Fiction, by Kevin R. Kosar, August 20, 2008 Awfully funny, shockingly bawdy, and frequently quite touching. Haddon has a very good eye for people. If you like looney English fiction, you’ll probably enjoy this.