War and Turpentine
by Stefan Hertmans
Spanning multiple war-ridden decades of the 20th century, Hertmans’ lovingly layered reconstruction of his grandfather's life is an ambitious undertaking, flawlessly executed.
Spanning multiple war-ridden decades of the 20th century, Hertmans’ lovingly layered reconstruction of his grandfather's life is an ambitious undertaking, flawlessly executed.
Open City is a novel that reads like a great essay might, pulling in references to art, music, literature and history, weaving in facts and stories, building a collage that invites further discovery beyond its pages.
The perfect balance between humour and heartbreak: a vivid portrait of childhood innocence set against a backdrop of a family's quiet collapse.
I finished reading this book more than a week ago and it keeps running loops inside my mind, its eyes glazed over, its arms outstretched before it.
A cleverly composed family novel about care and climate.
Recounting his years as a fighter pilot and writer, Salter's nostalgic and melancholic memoir drips with a Don Draper-esque masculinity.
“My first love was poetry, my second love was fiction and my third and lasting love was the essay.”
A cinematic glimpse into Armageddon.
Perfectly composed: a brilliant essay on care, grief, love and death.