Philip Spires commonplace book

I have kept a commonplace book for many years. It's a place where scraps of impressions are filed for future reflection. It's not a diary, it's just a mental scrapbook, concentrating on book reviews, concert reviews, visual arts and some occasional pieces on travel. It is also a place where I occasionally reflect on what I write. Details of my books can be found at http://www.philipspires.co.uk

Showing posts with label short story. Show all posts

Monday, September 27, 2021

Last Stories by William Trevor

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Painters know that the viewer’s gaze can be tricked. Perhaps led is the better word, for this deception’s aim is merely to communicate mor...

Saturday, January 16, 2021

Last Stories by William Trevor

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Painters know that the viewer’s gaze can be tricked. Perhaps led is the better word, for this deception’s aim is merely to communicate more ...

Friday, July 10, 2020

Two Lives by William Trevor

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In Two Lives William Trevor offers two stories – Reading Turgenev and My House In Umbria. They are not mere stories, however, and read like...

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Laughable Loves by Milan Kundera

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If only Milan Kundera’s short story collection Laughable Loves had been simply an enjoyable read… Several other adjectives come to mind: arr...

Friday, December 10, 2010

First Love, Last Rites by Ian McEwan

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Having read much of Ian McEwan’s later work in the last few years, I was intrigued to chance upon a copy of First Love, Last Rites, a set of...

Friday, October 24, 2008

The Destiny Of Natalie X by William Boyd

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An aspect of William Boyd’s writing that always seems close to the surface of his work is an examination of selfishness. At the very least, ...

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Saturday, August 16, 2008

Poisoned Petals by Andy Crabb

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Poisoned Petals by Andy Crabb is a set of over forty short stories, tales with a Spanish flavour. Most are set in Spain, with many featuring...

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

On The Yankee Station by William Boyd

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On The Yankee Station by William Boyd is a series of short stories, the longest of which provides the title for the set. This particular sto...

Friday, February 15, 2008

Victims

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Thursday I need urgent advice and assistance. Please read the following in the context of my previous reports over the last fortnight, espe...

Monday, January 21, 2008

Strangers

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We arrived more than two hours later than planned, but the west of England summer light had not yet faded even to dusk. A soft golden glow w...

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Midnight All Day by Hanif Kureishi

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Midnight All Day is a collection of short stories by Hanif Kureishi, an author whose characters often approach the low life, usually without...

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About Me

philipspires: I was born in Wakefield and was brought up in Sharslton, a mining Village. I went to London University and then became a maths teacher, working initially as a volunteer teacher in Kenya. I spent sixteen years in London, in Balham and Islington. In 1992, I left Britain for Brunei and then Zayed University in Abu Dhabi. I currently live in La Nucia, near Benidorm in Spain. I am interested in the relationship between nature and nurture, birthright and experience. Themes of culture and identity and their relation to economic and social roles underpin my writing. What we are born into relates to what we become, but we are rarely in control. What others do, our interests and intellects and the way we choose to earn a living, all of these shape us into what we become. It may be that culture is the sum of all assumptions that others make on our behalf, whereas identity represents our reactions to them. I did a PhD on the effects of education in economic development in the Philippines. I was President of Alfas del Pi Music Society for twelve years.

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