The List: 18 Oct 2012 (53/132)

list.co.uk/books COMIC

COLLECTED ILLUSTRATIONS ADRIAN TOMINE New York Drawings (Faber) ●●●●●

As a subway train passes another, a girl’s eyes meets a boy’s gaze across the electrified tracks. A clichéd moment is thankfully avoided as they just so happen to be reading the exact same book. Could an image get any more ‘Adrian Tomine’ than that? Actually, yes, and there are plenty more where that came from in New York Drawings. These lavish pages feature Tomine’s

collected illustrations, drawings and sketches which have adorned the covers and inside pages of The New Yorker since his published debut there in 1999. Resplendent with cool, literature-loving women and geeky, awkward men, his collection platforms a fondness for capturing life on the NYC underground in all its oddness and irritations: what do you do when you can’t escape a nauseating macho conversation and should a guy help a woman struggling with a pushchair when his train is about to leave? Out on the hectic street, which businesswoman, if any, will back down with good grace as they hurtle towards a vacant cab and what can you say to the owner of a small bookshop next door when he catches you signing for an Amazon package? Tomine’s love of film culture is rampant here, featuring subtle images of Sean Penn, Orson Welles and James Gandolfini while there’s a tricky encounter between Kate Winslet and Jennifer Connelly. But ultimately the artist’s own doubts and neuroses have the greatest impact as he worries about whether he should even be at a party thrown by (postmodern alert) The New Yorker and his loathing of eBooks is undermined by both the younger and older generations. A beautiful and thought-nudging collection. (Brian Donaldson)

ALSO PUBLISHED PAPERBACKS

With the recession still biting hard, a hardback option is still not open to everyone, so thank the heavens that some quality softer reads (in form rather than content) are about to hit the shelves. Aimee Bender (pictured) certainly knows how to name a book with The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake being an obvious classic. Out shortly in paperback is her first book, The Girl in the Flammable Skirt (Windmill), a collection of wistful and surreal tales.

For those who love a bit of British eccentricity floating around a crown court, all bets will be off when they get their mitts on Forever Rumpole (Penguin), John Mortimer’s selection of personal favourites as well as a fragment of an unfinished Rumpole novel from just prior to the popular author’s death in 2009. Probably still best known for her Chocolat, Joanne Harris has also offered readers a taste of her fantasy work, such as Runelight (Black Swan), the tale of how our world would have looked had it been shaped by the Vikings rather than the Romans.

Over in the world of science, William Hartson brings us The Things that Nobody Knows (Atlantic) featuring the great mysteries of lobsters, the abominable snowman, cannibals and gay giraffes, while Kitty Ferguson’s Stephen Hawking (Bantam) delivers a tome of the life and work of the boffin who is now, remarkably, 70 years young. The 2011 Booker winner Julian Barnes offers us a chance to peer Through the Window (Vintage) and into a collection of essays about the writers who have meant the most to him, while in sports news, Patrick Chaplin’s 180! (The History Press) celebrates the things you might not know about the humble game of darts. (Brian Donaldson)

EVENTS Books

EVENTS

Monday 22

Events are listed by date, then city. Submit listings at least 14 days before publication to books@list.co.uk. Listings are compiled by Charlotte Runcie. ✽ Indicates Hitlist entry

Thursday 18

Glasgow FREE GiftED: The Edinburgh Book Sculptures on Tour 2012 Mitchell Library, North Street, 287 2999. Times vary. The mysterious and beautiful Edinburgh book sculptures tour the country, stopping at Glasgow until Sat 27 Oct. FREE Elizabeth Reeder Waterstones, 153–157 Sauchiehall Street, 332 9105. 6.30–8pm. The author talks about her new book and signs copies. Booking essential. Edinburgh FREE Grimms’ Fairy Tales National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge, 556 9579. Mon–Fri 10am–8pm; Sat 10am–5pm; Sun 2-5pm, until Sun 18 Nov. An exhibition of different translations and illustrations of the beloved fairy tales. Nothing But the Poem Scottish Poetry Library, 5 Crichton’s Close, Canongate, 557 2876. 6–7.30pm. £5 (£3). This week: the poems of Anne Stevenson. FREE Red Food Of Ghosts Blackwells, 53–59 South Bridge, 622 8222. 6.30pm. Launch of Marianne Wheelaghan’s latest crime novel. FREE Wordy Thursdays Presents Soapbox The Pleasance, 60 Pleasance, 650 4673. 8pm. Spoken word and music open mic night.

Friday 19

Edinburgh ✽ Scottish International Storytelling Festival Various venues, 556 9579. Times and prices vary (free–£12). Until Sun 28 Oct. The 2012 festival features examinations of storytelling traditions from around the world, as well as sessions on the Brothers Grimm, a Fairy Tale Conference and some Hallowe'en offerings. See list.co.uk for full listings. Rally & Broad Counting House, West Nicolson Street, 667 7533. 7.30pm. £5. Literary-flavoured cabaret launch night.

Saturday 20

Glasgow ✽ FREE Alasdair Gray: Short Stories Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, Argyle Street, 668 8066. 2pm. The author reads some of his stories about ageing. Part of Luminate. Booking essential.