Time Travel
Evening uses several styles of narration to show different experiences of time. The chapter entitled A Pale Bay begins: She kept the...
Alan Bray
3 days ago4 min read
Evening
This week, dear friends, we begin an exploration of a new book, Susan Minot’s 1998 novel, Evening . If one reads back of the book blurbs...
Alan Bray
Apr 45 min read
Masks
As we read and re-read Frederick Busch’s The Night Inspector , we may ask ourselves, what is the book’s major theme, my bro? (This is...
Alan Bray
Mar 284 min read
Hunt for the Implied Author
So, best beloved, who and/or where is the implied author in Frederick Busch’s The Night Inspector ? The who? Long time readers of this...
Alan Bray
Mar 214 min read
Stylin'
Before we go further in our explorations of Frederick Busch’s The Night Inspector , let’s comment on the structure of the book. If we...
Alan Bray
Mar 144 min read
Strike Through the Mask
Frederick Busch’s novel “The Night Inspector” begins with the protagonist, Billy Bartholomew, directing a craftsman in the construction of a
Alan Bray
Mar 73 min read
In Which the Author Postpones Discussing Herman Melville
The present time of “The Night Inspector” occurs in the period after the American Civil War, 1867, although it also covers the time of...
Alan Bray
Feb 274 min read
Shipmate
It has been a long break, best beloved. A long time since I’ve set forth on a voyage toward a book. Over a year ago, I signed off, vowing...
Alan Bray
Feb 204 min read
Winter Break
Last week, we began taking a look at Lorrie Moore's Who Will Run The Frog Hospital? I had intended to continue with that fine story this...
Alan Bray
Dec 14, 20231 min read
Who Will Run The Frog Hospital?
This week, ladies and gentlemen, a new one…drumroll…Lorrie Moore’s 1994 novel, Who Will Run the Frog Hospital? What? ‘Kay, I’m not sure...
Alan Bray
Dec 7, 20235 min read
Dog - My Lord You
We have to talk about the dog. A central part of James Salter’s My Lord You concerns a large dog who appears in many scenes, shadowing...
Alan Bray
Nov 30, 20235 min read
Time For Rascals - My Lord You
One of the characteristics of James Salter’s writing style is the way time makes big leaps, a feature that is especially evident in his...
Alan Bray
Nov 23, 20234 min read
My Lord You
Today, a new one, James Salter’s 1994 short story My Lord You. The story was originally published in the September, 1994 issue of Esquire...
Alan Bray
Nov 16, 20235 min read
You Looking At Me?
Last time, we looked at the (long) opening scene of William Trevor’s A Bit On the Side. Let’s continue. Onward! A key element to the...
Alan Bray
Nov 9, 20234 min read
A Bit On The Side
This week, the adventure continues with William Trevor’s 2004 short story A Bit On the Side, published as part of the story collection of...
Alan Bray
Nov 2, 20236 min read
The Abyss - Anything Is Posiible
First, here's a no doubt surprising but at the same time evident deviation. My usual habit is to publish a new installment of this blog...
Alan Bray
Oct 17, 20234 min read
Is That A Polyphony I Hear? - Anything Is Possible
‘Kay, during our time discussing Elizabeth’s Strout’s Anything Is Possible, I know that you’ve been itching to suggest that the structure...
Alan Bray
Oct 12, 20235 min read
The Hit-Thumb Theory - Anything Is Possible
Let’s continue our exploration of Elizabeth Strout’s Anything Is Possible. Last time, we began looking at a prime structural feature of...
Alan Bray
Oct 5, 20234 min read
Transformative Hunt
Last time, we began discussing Elizabeth Strout’s Anything Is Possible, focusing on how the nine stories are linked by theme and...
Alan Bray
Sep 28, 20235 min read
Anything Is Possible
This week, a new one, Elizabeth Strout’s 2017 book Anything Is Possible. Dena recommended Elizabeth Strout to me; I’ve read Olive...
Alan Bray
Sep 21, 20234 min read