Short Notes: Life Cycle by Harry Carmichael (1978)

I discovered author Harry Carmichael last year and he immediately went on that list of authors whose books I pick up without thinking twice. Dr Andrew Wingate finished his evening surgery on an overcast Monday in June and after having asked his receptionist to go home too as she was unwell, proceeded to make home-calls …

Forgotten Book: The Human Factor by Graham Greene

The popular image of a spy is a James Bond like figure - handsome, dashing, a man of the world who can get any number of dames into bed (and earn bonus points when the villain's moll too falls under his charm). Extremely quick to draw his gun, he can also put away enormous amount …

Forgotten Book: One of Us Must Die by Anna Clarke

After a tiring day at the hospital, Dr. Dorothy Laver reaches home only to find a note from her husband stating that he is taking his own life. Does Dr. Laver react hysterically? No. She merely goes searching for him and after having found him up in the bathroom with a few superficial cuts on …

Three German Novellas: Lenz, A Runaway Horse, The Sunday I became World Champion

One of the best parts of reading literature of a particular country dealing with a particular moment of its history is that one gets to know about that time not as a dry report but as a vibrant, lived reality. Recently I read three German novellas, two of which dealt with a specific situation in …