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‘ I . i. -§ . 1;. ‘ . .g, x she ‘. ,i L . e . fi
THE CITY E FE
' brings climate, scene and incident into sharp focus, developing
H character and theme until the old
tale and the new meet and climax in
the unnerving season ofthe
The Blue Gate at Babylon Paul khamsin- (Sally Macphcrson) Pickering (Chatto £12.95) Diplomat “‘"‘ ““ '—' ' “M “'- ' ' - with a taste for the Classics entangles S H 0
himself shamefully in a Cold '
War-time Berlin brothel to ‘convert‘ 3‘0 . h's ma“ T souhds corny? 1‘ '5’ b‘“ “"5 Trespasslng and Other Stories Valerie
is Paul Pickering and another black Miner (Methucn £11.99)
comedy. It is indeed very funny, teetering dangerously on the brink of
‘Trespassing‘ is an ambitious collection of short stories focusing on
tame and "ever failing to raise a the lives and different experiences of g‘flilt%crj‘°:tl)e' h _n, I women from around the world. The ' N c H 0 Y 11 it e unw‘ "‘8 egem volume is separated into three main prOtagon'St/malc madam “"1 divisions- ‘Home'. ‘Transfer, A Monday satu rd ay
numerous hang-ups has, amongst
, , , Novella‘ and ‘Away' — which other things, a passron for King
reinforce the underlying theme of
Noon-2.30pm
Darius of Babylon. Serial murder travel. and mythical mYSteTieS ensue » With The stories are as diverse as their the suspense Carried Over to the locations. Two lesbians visiting their N N E R Rgeseht dlaY- {in :hte Losthe terrile weekend cottage find their ‘solitary N Y TeSO ve~ t e “Us eeret bliss‘ violated b red-neck hunters. Service are reduced to a farce, so A daughter travycls across Europe to Monday-Thu rsday behetis barely suspended the snow-covered Mexican desert to 5 30_ I I m Babylon‘s ‘Blue Gate’ PYOVideS the see her father for the last time. A ' p Obligatory SymbOI round Whieh the young girl learns more about life . novel turns. Pass through the portals than how to swim at her local pool. A Frlday-Satur-day and experience love» lush Cruelty woman writer from out oftown has . . and mahtPUIattOh 0“ a grand scale an uneasy meeting with a city-slick 5 , 30- M Id n This, though, is a mere selection of literary friend. what is in store for the unfortunate, Valerie Miner‘s fine narrative style arehetIYPaljagtg‘hero and hugely is best seen in the novella ‘Transfer’, SUNdaY appea "‘8 11 ~ where a life-Ion infatuation is the .Journalist and writer, Paul basis for the subgue web ofthe story 6. 30' i Plekenhg hes maSteTed ah exeitihg threading the characters together. craft- H15 third hovel is a The author is able to convey a great
page-turning delight- (Laura depth of feeling in her characters
Wilson) through a mixture of finely-crafted N B N C H dialogue and narrative detail.
Although seemingly understated, Noon'
they are firm constructions in flesh
L". on The N". Janice Elliot and blood. It is these sensitive and
(Hodder & Stoughton £10.95) No very human portraits that make the
pictures, but plenty ofconversation; stories so enthralling and alive. (Ann
not to worry, for Janice Elliot writes Vihhieombe) snap-shots. They record a tourist
group skimming past the sites of Algerifanrigitgiyazta freebie for travel
l2 noon-8pm Daily
hacks, to restore confidence after My Father’s House Svlvia Fraser ‘Achille Lauro‘, the tour follows the (Virago £4.95) My Father's House is ainAciple thgt ifit‘s Tuesday, it must an autobiographical account of the swan. ut Aswan iS Where author‘s ex erience as a victim of Charlotte Hemp wants to pause and paternal infest. At the age ofseven. ‘9 investigate the violent death (during in order to deal with the self—hatred i 0 i pre-indepcndence trOUbICS in the and terror. she developed an ‘other Twenties) of her father’s favourite self‘. and sought never to aunt. communicate with it nor While current troubles rumble Oh. acknowledge what it lived through. stranding the group amidst alien At the age of 52. the amnesia now temples and mores, Charlotte learns overcome after a marriage (through family papers. Chance breakdown. Sylvia Fraser turned her ’ meetings and growing friendships) novelistic skills to this courageous how aunt Phoebe's passions for work of non-fiction. Egypt and for ibStiee COUld "0 more Thoughts. feelings and experiences impinge on her adopted country than pieced together from the recentlv deflect the imperial juggernaut. recovered memories. relating to. . With economic language and ‘t)thcr self‘s‘ existence. appear in impeccable dialogue, the author italics. At first this constant __i
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