ALAN ASHTON-SMITH

27 September 2011

Tom McCarthy’s ‘C’ reviewed at PopMatters

Communication and transmission are in fact at the centre of the novel. Indeed, they seem so central that they do not stop at being mere themes, but act as fundaments upon which the other elements of the text rest.  As this somewhat unconventional deployment of devices might suggest, C is not a straightforward book: if McCarthy communicates with his readers then he does so cryptically.

It’s been a while since I reviewed any books for PopMatters as I had a spate of problems getting review copies delivered.  But I moved last month, so I’m hoping that the postman here is better at his job than the one at my old place.  British readers might well be aware that Tom McCarthy’s novel C has been around for a while, but what I’m reviewing here is technically the American paperback edition (even though I actually worked from my UK hardback).

The full review can be read here.

26 August 2011

August music reviews

Here are my reviews for Shout4Music.com from the past month:

Grimes – Geidi Primes

Mike Oldfield – Incantations (Reissue)

Jerzey Street Band – ‘Haigy’s Girl’

Big Deal – Lights Out

Tinariwen – Tassili

British Sea Power – ‘Georgie Ray’

The Antlers – live review of their performance of the album Burst Apart at the Screen on the Green

26 August 2011

Wilderness Festival review

Another festival review – this time of the inaugural Wilderness Festival in Oxfordshire.  I was only at this one for the Saturday, due to moving house the same weekend, but the review of that day can be read in its entirety here.

3 August 2011

Camp Bestival reviewed

I was away in Dorset last weekend to review Camp Bestival for Skiddle.  It’s a festival aimed specifically at families, but I managed to have a great time without fitting into the intended demographic.  The full review is online here.

3 August 2011

July music reviews

Not so many this month:

Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Unknown Mortal Orchestra

Peter Murphy – Ninth

Mojo Fury – ‘We Should Just Run Away’

Warm Brains – ‘Let Down’/'Stone To Sand To Glass’

Bostich + Fussible – Bulevar 2000

Jimmie Vaughan – More Blues, Ballads & Favorites

2 July 2011

June music reviews

A slightly quieter month this time…

Rhode Island Red – Kerosene EP

The Antlers – Burst Apart

O’Death – Outside

The Lancashire Hotpots – Achtung Gravy

Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On (40th Anniversary Edition)

The Rudiments – Doctor Bone’s Fried Medicine

House of Flukes  - You’re Cool (single)

Vetiver – live review of gig at XOYO, London

2 July 2011

Goodbye Sarajevo review

Much has been written about the siege, but in Goodbye Sarajevowe find a unique account from two writers who witnessed the event from very different perspectives; the book thus provides insight into situations in both Sarajevo itself, and other regions of former Yugoslavia.  Atka Reid and Hana Schofield are sisters who were separated during the early stages of the siege when 12-year-old Hana left as a refugee with two other sisters.  Atka, aged 21, remained behind to assist with looking after the rest of the family.  The family is the focal point of the book – there are nine children, plus parents and grandparents, and the large size of the family means that the risk that one of them may be killed in the siege is all the greater.

My review of Atka Reid and Hana Schofield’s book Goodbye Sarajevo was actually published at PopMatters a month ago, but I’ve only now got round to posting it here.  The complete review can be read here.