Nutshell, Ian McEwan

Some books need more of an exercise in imagination than others. A bigger suspension of disbelief. An unborn narrator, for example, is one such. And not just unborn in a metaphorical sense but literally foetal. The narrator of McEwan's most recent book - recently serialised on Radio 4 - is a third-trimester Hamlet, set in modern London, recounting… Continue reading Nutshell, Ian McEwan

The Ghost Of Shakespeare

It's surprising how coincidences happen sometimes. I mean, it's no surprise that there's been a lot of crime and detective fiction in my reading list recently: it's basically research! But there's also been a lot of Shakespeare in it! Ali Shaw's The Trees isn't - I don't think - based on Shakespeare but there are… Continue reading The Ghost Of Shakespeare