REVIEW The Art of Time in Fiction

writerinthenorth

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The subtitle of Joan Silber's book The Art of Time in Fiction is 'As Long As It Takes', and in this case the answer is not very long; not much over 100 pages, about novella size. Not that I weigh my books to see if I'm getting my full dollar (or £8 in my money), but it's a consideration. Much more importantly, how much value is there in those 100-odd pages? How much insight? How much originality? How many times did I nod my head and smile; or take a note? Well, here and there, but less than I would have liked. The writing is excellent when she gets to the observational stuff, but for me it was over-leavened by too many prosaic synopses, too often of books I haven't read (and I recognise that's my lack, not Ms Silber's). However, the book really came to life for me with the superb chapter on Slowed Time, with a couple of fabulous examples and crackling commentary. That section alone is worth my hard-earned cash.

Writer in the North (blog)