Customer Reviews

My Tango with Barbara Strozzi

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Not well-known here, expatriate American Hoban is a somebody to the Brits. This novel is very well-written. Interesting characters, witty exchanges, literature that wastes no punches.

Any novel by Russell Hoban is to be treasured.
He died 13 December 2011!
Although in the USA he may be best known, deservedly, to some extent, for children's picture-story books such as "Bedtime for Frances", starting with his first full-length novel "The Mouse and His Child" (faithfully filmed as a cartoon, and distressingly undervalued as a cartoon -- it ought to be rediscovered as a cult favourite by adults!), Hoban turned into a major adult writer, albeit often wildly eccentric.
The fact that he lived most of his last 30+ years in Britain, and was initially published by British publishers is no excuse for him not being highly valued in the USA.
His post-nuclear-apocalypse "Riddley Walker", written entirely in a striking invented post-bomb dialect -- the Huck-Finn-like Riddley's own speaking voice (!), was highly reviewed in "Time" magazine.
Maybe since then Hoban has slipped below USA radar.

GREATNESS ALERT! -- read Hoban!

John Gough -- Deakin University -- jagough49@gmail.com