man, a jOb, a kitten and a computer studies night class - the novel ends With her having reassessed these priorities and moving on This as essentially the autobiographical d'ary 0* Bridget lones’s poor cousan, a world where strategies for bagging blokes are crucial and breaking a heel 2S a ITldJOT disaster iCB~
MAGIC REALISM Juan Rulfo Pedro Paramo (Serpent's Tail £6.99)
31‘) 1"
A man sets out to ‘ind the f tther he has never met, one Pedro Paran‘o Our protagonist :s gently sv.'ept along on a tide of magic real:_sn". and the (lusty road to the village of Contala It iS there that an elderly woman ott’ers hospitality and l:tt’t.l dreams are had
This short novel by Mexican ureter Juan Rulfo, \KDO ded an I986, is reckoned by Susan Sontag to be one or the masterpreces of 20th century orld‘ literature Undoubtedly lyricn and quietly haunting, the nove: snares t"e beguilrng aesthetic of other Latin American writers such as Gabriei Gama Marque/T and Mario \argas Llosa
One is always av-.'are o" the heat, the dust, the swirl o‘ a cotton dress o" the humming Quietness ot a touts." sgaar‘e II‘. ind-afternoOn Yet Rulto does"'t quite manage to charge has =.‘."':ting \‘.'llll sufficient tens'on Th > pace .s app'Opriately measured, (ill‘i()St sedate but to the porr‘t of sturtityng the magic SBl
MYTHICAL ANALYSIS Marina Warner
No Go The Bogeyman (Vintage £10.99) t
No Go The Bogeyman talks about monsters arid ‘.'.o‘,\.'es that gobnie as up Films about beast men, ‘.:()!e"t cartoons and 'nor‘str‘oas c‘tr (:ren's books are al; part of an anc lent chlCIII‘OIT that
enerr‘y
'.e use to def he the \‘y’hen hate our oxan cn-iclrert, our fears t'or them are compounded ‘\.'.re use the stores to teat h then '.-.r‘o not to trust Scar ng ourselves, laugnng and learnil‘g, ‘-.'.'e pay tl‘ T'ea's " order to allay them l(‘l""l)l(‘ ‘ar‘tasres exrst through (alt-are, shaping soc eties and their hrstory, aitl‘roug'“ son‘etrtnes the laughter can fail to bung relief and razses the very dewls that .t magteeci needed holding at bay
Martr‘a \"v'arner's new. t)()()l< .s "‘-(‘-a.y gomg in the academic sense It d'a‘.‘.s on myths and irriages that .'.e all knc)‘.'., from all nan-cs of We Only read it ‘ yoa have a purpose and it you I"a‘~.ren't, then don't torture yourself AH
SOCIAL FICTION Andrew O'Hagan Our Fathers (Faber £6.99)
Hugh Batu": is coughing ar‘d s'~.'.ear'r\g h.s \.'.«ay through has final days H s grandson jarriie vis'ts from England to confront annroac hing mortality and a tar‘gled '-.‘t.eb ot rr:ernor.es "'orr t‘. s Scotts" (h dhood, a drur‘ke". fatlrer, a t'orlorn ri‘other, a blue cagotiie, s noes that I)l.'l(ll(‘(l and a ll((’ll1.( us priest Andre‘s; O Hagan's first novel is
supremely elegant Shortlisted for the 1999 Booker Prize, the Glasgow-born writer brilliantly navigates Jamie through hrs recollections and observations, he hates tea because of its 'prprne bran n neutrality' while Tuenock’s teacakes have ‘an intense spot-txrelding of cnocolate.’
Yet, more than Jamie's domestic txorid is tackled Hugh Bayrn was once a Glasgox'. councillor charged vath overseeing the post-tzar housing programme He talked of Le Corbusier and social retorn: through the clearance of tenements He talked of ideals ‘~.'.hlc h have smce been repealed. As I-t’e seeps out of Hugh's body, Jarnre considers the passing of not only a gr'ttindt'ather but a dream <SBl
FICTIONAL MEMOIR Helena McEwen The Big House (Bloomsbury £12.99)
.' a t t;"-.
‘I
Helena l\.'l( F\.‘.'e:‘.'s debut novel doesn't exactly usher il‘. a new age of insightfu' rzting The Big House starts off with promise, as upper class "arr‘ator F.‘ xanet': "("u'iSflS sad ocat'or‘ where she grey. up, to ponder the S1.l( :de of 'ie" broth-e" l<‘:.'l‘(‘S and accdental death o‘ "‘er s-ster Kitty \‘r'hat l()il()\‘.‘S conssts ()4 ‘.'.r‘.rrlslca' snapshots of little lax/res (l‘il(lli()()(l, at! o" which merely sewe to tate
Son:et.n‘es E .zapetn and James are naughty and get told of? by the se."\.ar‘ts, so"‘etvrnes she |.'tt<l()i"(‘$ ghosts, some-tunes he" aloof inother does”? notce her It's (it! traghttully ll‘:(()IlS(‘(It.(‘!‘:Zl<li and boring All this rr‘ight possin‘y have been t'orgwen ii the .'.'.ting managed to evoke some sympathy ‘or the characters or develop some the'n =, but the ltik wvarm desc ripti‘. e style Teaves the reader cashing that the i.'.rhoie posh lot of tlten‘ l‘ad' bee" sent (l()\.‘.lt the mines instead rDJ'
REVIEWERS THIS ISSUE
Susanna Beaumont, (,atherine tro'nley, Paul Dale, luliles Fielder, Ally Hardy, l‘.l()iI(3 ,lett'rey, Doug Johnstone, Denyse Presic‘y
STAR RATINGS Outstanding Recornntcvtdeo Worth a try So-so Poor
BOOKS
MARCH HIGHLIGHTS
6.30PM FRI 3RD MARCH
JOAN JARA
will be disr_ussirlg lieu book
AN UNFINISHED SONG
celebrating the life of her husband, legendary lolk singer VICTOR JARA.
7PM SAT llTH MARCH
BORDERS QUIZ
monthly quiz in the cole, with free entry, great prizes and teams ol up to lour.
7PM TUES I4TH MARCH
JANET MCBAIN
will be discussing the wark ol the
SCOTTISH FILM AND ELEVISION ARCHIVE
preserving Scotland's rich lilrn heritage.
5PM FRI I7TH MARCH
HOWARD MARKS
will be signing copies ol his bestselling book
Where are the ashes of Boris Karloff scattered? Want to retrace the steps of Edward Woodward on The Wicker Man trail?
ALLAN FOSTER
author of
THE MOVIE TRAVELLER
presents inlo for all movie lons.
7PM WED 22 MARCH
ANDREW O’HAGAN
joins us for the exclusive Scottish launch ol his Booker shortlisted debut novel
OUR FATHERS
r 8PM SAT ’2er MARCH CABARET IN THE CAFE WITH
ROBERT KNOX
Discover thebest new local talent in music, perlormonce poetry, spoken word pedormcnce and stand up comedy.
Plus our regular programme ol children’s events (every Saturday at l lam), creative writing and poetry classes, disc.rssion groups, Jazz music with Bobby Wishort (every Friday at 7.30pm) and much, much more . . .
BORDERS"
98 Buchanan Street, Glasgow GI 3BA 8am to 10pm, Monday to Wednesday, 8am to 1 1pm Thursday to Saturday, lOam to 9pm Sunday
.T 3:35 THE lIST 97