Synopsis: Having escaped from a childhood in which his mother adopted him out to her cult leader/psychologist, was repeatedly raped by a fellow patient/cult member and developed a passion for hairdressing, Burroughs’ autobiography continues in Dry with the tale of his adult descent into a life as a high paid, alcoholic advertising executive. Who would [...]
Entries Tagged as 'Literature'
"The Crazed", Ha Jin
May 30th, 2009 · No Comments · Asian, Chinese, Literature
Synopsis: Set against the backdrop of the Tianamen Square uprising, a Chinese literature professor suffers a stroke and relives his suffering in the Cultural Revolution through his dementia. His star pupil and future son in law is tasked with caring for him but is disturbed at what he learns from the old man’s ravings.
My Take: [...]
Tags:Ha Jin
"Confessions of a Mask", Yukio Mishima
May 26th, 2009 · No Comments · Asian, Japanese, Literature
Synopsis: The (presumably auto-biographical) story of a young gay boy trying to fit into Japanese society.
My Take: Mishima is one of those authors (like Solzenitzen or Hemmingway) whose work is made even richer by their his extraordinary personal life. A militant Japanese ultra-conservative (fascist really) martial arts aficionado, Mishima isn’t your usual suspect for a [...]
Tags:Yukio Mishima
"The Year of Living Dangerously", Christopher Koch
May 24th, 2009 · No Comments · Asian, Australian, History, Literature, Politics
Synopsis: A dashing ABC foreign correspondent based in Indonesia, an earnest Chinese-Australian dwarf cameraman and a beautiful British embassy staffer become entangled in a Communist insurrection against President Sukarno. Ambiguous loyalties – romantic and political – proliferate.
My Take: This book deserves to be a classic of Australian literature. Tense plotting, an exotic setting and some [...]
Tags:Christopher Koch