Eyeh Asher

Writing is magic, and King is a magician, 29 Nov 2011

"Writing is magic, and it melts in the mind like snow at first light", wrote a poet (Daubmir).

On criticising Stephen King and his writing skills, academic writers affirm his novels are not "literature", describe it as bloated, illogical, maudlin - well, forget all that, if literature has to be as preferred by the academic-literary elite, nobody would read it.

Literature is fun, passion, suspense, thrill, emotion and more. King knows it, and creates the enchantment of empathy like no one else: his writing is magic indeed, and he is an amazing magician. His words on paper convey the involvement and excitement you must have in order to savour a book and call it TRUE… Read more

A Literary Legerdemain, 4 Nov 2011

(As extracted from my Amazon review of the Italian original text Il Cimitero Di Praga)

The story tells of a crook with obscure intentions who, according to the author himself, is going to become the "most cynical and nasty character of all Literature".
In order to serve statesmen, secret services, ministers and police, this enigmatic figure travels around Europe among conspiracies, political intrigues and revolutions.

So, there's no lack of ingredients on Eco's part when narrating this enticing story, built like a 19th century feuilleton, mixing the depths of a classic novel with the elaborate plots of a… Read more

The Italian Maker, 27 Sep 2011

Garibaldi made Italy, but found difficulty in making the Italians!
So the quote goes, as he said: "I succeeded in making Italy, now let's make the Italians."
It surely proved harder, and even now the making goes on...

In an elegant and captivating style, Professor Scirocco recounts a life that a novelist would have found difficult to invent, given the extraordinary adventures of this Italian patriot, who navigated the world and had incredibles exploits in the two halves of the emisphere. Garibaldi possessed a latent force and feeling all the more impressive from the contrast it afforded to the voluble and… Read more