charles barrow's writing

Once in a while I read a book which has a big impact on me. It might be the storyline hits home, it may be that a specific character appeals hugely, or it could be all about the timing - it chimes with my current mood. I've just found such a book in The Wall by John Lanchester, (currently long listed for the Booker prize 2019). In this case, I really liked spending time with the characters, and I really enjoyed the tension and the humour in story; it was a gripping read that I kept returning to, to the exclusion of all else. But what I really admired was the craft of the novel, the writing itself. It is a slim book (274 pages), so a concise story. The writing is direct, sparse, no flowery description, and the narrative voice, of Kavanagh the main character, is clear and compulsive. It drives the plot forward relentlessly, as he slowly reveals the story to us. We only ever know what he tells us, and we root for him, and fear for him and those he cares for. Hats off to John Lanches...

Recently I sat down to watch a Sci-fi film called The Wall. That's all the info that the TV listings magazine gave me. It gave the film three stars. Perfect, I thought, and hoped for a brainless romp with aliens and big explosions. What I got was a subtitled, Austrian-German mood piece called Die Wand (dir Julian Polsler). It wasn't at all what I thought I was buying into. Twice in the first 15 minutes I reached for the remote control and twice I put it down again. The film drew me in slowly, and held me, and it's stayed with me since. I've just opened A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway, a book that has been gathering dust on my shelf. I chose it over a detective novel that would have been a familiar and easy read. I'm assuming the Hemingway will be more of a challenge, or at least take more of my focus, but I'm certain it'll live longer in my memory. I'm not the first to realise that indulging in quality creative works by top draw exponents is v...