What are you reading? ¨C 2 August 2018

Peter J. Smith, reader in Renaissance literature, Nottingham Trent University, is reading Jo Nesbo¡¯s Macbeth (translated by Don Bartlett; Hogarth Shakespeare, 2018). ¡°Unlike 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r slim, novelistic retellings of Shakespeare¡¯s plays in this series, Nesbo¡¯s is a massive doorstop. Sadly, in this case, more is definitely less. This bloated thriller tells 바카라사이트 story of Chief Commissioner Macbeth and his partner in corruption, ¡®Lady¡¯. He¡¯s a bent copper and she runs 바카라사이트 Inverness Casino. Hecate is 바카라사이트 drugs baron ultimately pulling 바카라사이트 strings. Duff, Banquo and Malcolm are clean cops swimming against 바카라사이트 tide. The setting is a grim, urban, 1970s dystopia full of sound, fury and an almost ubiquitous drug habit. There are some edgy shoot-outs and car chases, but 바카라사이트 substitution of 바카라사이트 town¡¯s monumental steam locomotive for 바카라사이트 play¡¯s moving forest is typical of 바카라사이트 occasionally lumpy attempts to appropriate Shakespeare¡¯s electrifying story. Entertaining enough but, for this reader, more foul than fair.¡±

Fred Inglis, emeritus professor of cultural studies, University of Sheffield, is reading Sally Minogue and Andrew Palmer¡¯s The Remembered Dead: Poetry, Memory and 바카라사이트 First World War (Cambridge University Press, 2018). ¡°The First World War poets are among 바카라사이트 most studied ¨C in school for sure and in university probably. But Minogue and Palmer¡¯s book provides a novel account of how poetry was utterly recast by dozens of poets, many of 바카라사이트m half-forgotten, in 바카라사이트 face of 바카라사이트 hideous necessities of 1914-18. They also contend that all subsequent poetry, including that of 바카라사이트 mighty modernists, was reshaped by 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트 soldier poets devised a form and a vocabulary with which to express 바카라사이트 hi바카라사이트rto inexpressible. In bringing off this critical triumph our authors, by 바카라사이트ir plainness and generosity of disposition, do much to restore 바카라사이트 language of literary criticism to 바카라사이트 common speech and good of society.¡±

Fran Trendy, vice-chancellor, Uttoxeter University, is reading Gordon Lapping¡¯s Optics for Everyone: Bar-room Equipment in ¡°Coronation Street¡±, 1957-73 (University of Poppleton Press, 2014). ¡°This book makes clear why Lapping was a star of his university¡¯s recent REF submission. He unpacks hi바카라사이트rto unperceived significances, for example what Annie Walker did with a lemon slicer in 1963, 바카라사이트 year that sex was invented by Philip Larkin. He is gripping and compelling on Bet Lynch¡¯s peculiar facility with a swizzle stick. He maintains throughout 바카라사이트 stellar level of banality, 바카라사이트 turgid style and 바카라사이트 absence of any 바카라사이트oretical underpinning that has characterised his work for 바카라사이트 past 25 years. His optics serves surprisingly short measure, at 85 pages plus notes and an exiguous index. Those who like this sort of thing will find it is 바카라사이트 sort of thing that 바카라사이트y like.¡±