If you are seeking beauty and light, prepare also for the dark—page 3, The Master’s Ruse
Above the barcode and ISBN 9781874915164 of Patricia Schonstein’s The Master’s Ruse is the unhelpful class word ‘Fiction’.
Now, bear with me, even if my descriptions appear at first disconnected, while I set in place various components critical to the structure of this tale…—page 4, The Master’s Ruse
Karina, among whose many talents is a serious one for writing fine literary criticism, has told me sternly and often that a good, professional reviewer should never assume, unless instructed by the author, that the author and the narrator or any character in a fiction are one or even similar; they are to be judged distinct and with objectivity. The second law in Reviewing101 with Karina is: a good reviewer should not use the space of a review to show off her opinions or skill; the review is about the book in question, not the word skills, prejudices, social habits, dietary preferences or philosophies of the reviewer. Unfortunately, I am about to fail Karina’s exam in Reviewing101.
This, together with the warring strength of the regime that still governs us, have had a tremendous impact on my psyche and writing.’—page 4 The Master’s Ruse
Last year, at a PEN meeting and luncheon, I sat one chair down from Patricia Schonstein. Everybody who has written a book in this country, whether it is published or unpublished, poetry or prose, in particular everyone who remains living here (does not, I mean, move overseas and become affiliated with a university there, but stays here at the far end of Africa, where there is less access) knows well what kind of struggles are involved in getting ‘out there’, even as far as on the shelves in the local bookshops; so to be published four times in many languages internationally is a major feat, one to be deeply respected. During the meal, I asked Patricia when her next novel was due out, and what she told me was both unnerving and inspiring. (more…)
