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December 10, 2003

BLOOM ON BANVILLE

I've made myself a promise not to run any posts about "Best of the Year" lists since they're being so thoroughly covered elsewhere. But The Scotsman runs a small item of note (third listing) on Harold Bloom and TEV demigod John Banville.

Not all. There are some I trust - and, surprise, surprise, they tend to be the ones who talk about books the average reader has actually heard of and might consider buying. Then there is Harold Bloom in the Guardian: "Shroud is John Banville’s best novel to date, more engrossing even than Ghosts and Athena. Lucidly fusing elements of the lives and works of Louis Althusser and Paul de Man, Banville gives us the small miracle of a Nietzschean narrative."

It's actually a near-perfect description of a fine book, and the author of the column is clearly a dipshit. (Although I'd argue with Mr. Bloom - if he'd allow a word edgewise - that Athena is the superior work. It's probably my favorite of the Banville oeuvre. Today.)

Posted by TEV at 10:32 AM |

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I think this is going to inspire me to give Banville another try

Posted by: Paul Terwelp | December 10, 2003 at 03:56 PM

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