2 devastating stories of faith and sacrifice from Balzac's panorama of nineteenth-century French life, La Comédie Humaine.
The Atheist’s Mass
Category: Fiction
A Man’s Head
Maigret believes he has got the wrong man. But no one else is a suspect. And the convict is about to go to the gallows.....
Monkey King Makes Havoc in Heaven
by Wu Cheng'en ISBN: 978-0-241-75240-1 First published: 16th Century 104 pages Translated by Julia Lovell Publisher: Penguin Archive part of http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com 6 / 5 Stars A wonderful short extract from the longer work "Monkey King : Journey to the West". It has been compared to both Don Quixote and the Canterbury Tales. What makes the… Continue reading Monkey King Makes Havoc in Heaven
Prodigy
by Mark Millar and Rafael Albuquerque ISBN: 978-1534-312364-51999 First published July 2019 154 pages Cover image: Rafael Albuquerque and Marcelo Maiolo (Colourist) Publisher: imagecomics.com 4.5 / 5 Stars An entertaining rip-roaring adventure across the earth - a Da Vinci Code meets Indiana Jones meets Nemesis meets Moon Knight. The clever guy is the hero, but… Continue reading Prodigy
Rook: Exodus
by Geoff Johns and Jason Fabok ISBN: 978-1-5343-6736-4 First published: April 2025 86 pages Publisher: GhostMachinePro.com / ImageComics.com Front cover image: Jason Fabok and Brad Anderson 4 / 5 Stars An interesting take on a post-apocalyptic world, but in this case, not earth but another planet called 'Exodus'. A new world failed its terraforming, and… Continue reading Rook: Exodus
Bon Voyage, Mr President
by Gabriel Garcia Marquez ISBN: 0-14-600035-8 First published 1992 58 pages Publisher: Penguin Books (Penguin 60's) Translated by Mondadori España Cover illustration by Rosemary Woods 5 / 5 Stars A wonderful little book. With stories short enough, and good enough, to be able to read easily in the middle of the night if you have… Continue reading Bon Voyage, Mr President
A Crime in Holland
Outsiders are viewed with suspicion in the small Dutch town of Delfzijl. Unable to speak the language, Maigret must unearth the sins at the heart of this seemingly respectable community.
Rogue Moon
A disquieting and original psychological study. Rogue Moon is the story of monstrous scientific ambition matched by human obsession.
Tokyo Express
by Seichō Matsumoto ISBN: 978-0-241-43908-1 First published 1958 149 Pages Publisher: Penguin Cover illustration: Japan Government Railways Poster 1937 by Munetsugu Satomi 5/5 Stars Any book with a map, you know it is going to be good. But train times and schedules? And using them to solve a crime of murder? A great story by… Continue reading Tokyo Express
The Tombs of Atuan
by Ursula K. Le Guin ISBN: 978-0-241-95687-8 First published 1972 131 pages Publisher: PENGUIN Fiction Designed by Edward Bettison 6 / 5 Stars The second book of the quartet, written 3 years later. An intriguing story, different from the first book, 'A Wizard of Earthsea'. Less chasing, less fighting, we see less of the world.… Continue reading The Tombs of Atuan
A Wizard of Earthsea
by Ursula K. Le Guin ISBN: 978-0-241-95687-8 First published 1968 167 pages Publisher: PENGUIN Fiction Designed by Edward Bettison 5 / 5 Stars Ursula K. Le Guin started with a map, before writing. The titular hero of the book then visits many of these islands. The world Ursula creates is one where ocean covers most… Continue reading A Wizard of Earthsea
More Tales of the Unexpected
by Roald Dahl ISBN: 978-014-0056-068 First published 1954 (1,2) 1960 (3,4) 1977 (5) 1980 (6,7,8,9) 127 pages Publisher: Penguin Group Cover illustration N/A 4 / 5 Stars A collection of 9 weird stories from Roald Dahl, some of them filmed for Television, as below. Poison Series 2, Episode 5 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28912885/ The Sound Machine Series 4,… Continue reading More Tales of the Unexpected
The Short Reign of Pippin IV
by John Steinbeck ISBN: 0-330-02163-X First published 1957 159 pages Publisher: Pan Books in association with William Heinemann Cover illustration N/A 4 / 5 Stars A strange type of book by John Steinbeck, 'Winner of the 1962 Novel Prize for Literature'. Part satire, part comment, the book asks the reader the question, what would you… Continue reading The Short Reign of Pippin IV
The Cat Who Saved Books
by Sosuke Natsukawa ISBN-13: 978-1529081480 First published 2021 217 pages Publisher: http://www.picador.com Cover illustration by Yoko Tanji Translated by Louise Heal Kawai 4 / 5 Stars Interesting book about a journey of self-discovery using the concept of a labyrinth to help guide us and the protagonist towards their goal. But on a deeper level it… Continue reading The Cat Who Saved Books
The Children of Green Knowe
by Lucy M. Boston ISBN: 978-0-571-300347-2 First published 1954 198 pages (The Children of Green Knowe) Publisher: http://www.faber.co.uk Cover illustration by Peter Bailey Story illustrations by Peter Boston 5 / 5 Stars A wonderful children's story, entertaining and heart-warming. The author describes an old house with a gardener/caretaker and a great-grand mother whom is excited… Continue reading The Children of Green Knowe
The Royal Game
by Stefan Zweig ISBN: 978-1-78227-826-9 First published: 1941 Translated from the German by Alexander Starritt 105 pages Publisher: pushkinpress.com Front cover image: Supawat Bursuk / EyeEm / Martin Barraud 5/5 Stars A page turning novella full of intrigue and drama. Written during the Second World War in the age of the great ocean liners. This… Continue reading The Royal Game
Before the coffee gets cold
by Toshikazu Kawaguchi ISBN: 9781529029581 90500 First published 2019 Translated from the Japanese by Geoffrey Trousselot 213 pages Publisher: http://www.picador.com Cover illustration courtesy of Sunmark Publishing Inc. 7 / 5 Stars Very rarely, perhaps once every two or three years, there comes a book that transforms your outlook on what writing can be. The possibilities… Continue reading Before the coffee gets cold
The Scarlet Pimpernel
by Baroness Orczy ISBN : n/a First published 1937 192 pages Publisher: University of London Press Ltd Illustrations by Richard Kennedy 5/5 Stars A 1966 impression of this English classic, first published in 1937. The Scarlet Pimpernel was the first masked hero, ahead of Zorro or the Lone Ranger and late incarnations such as Batman.… Continue reading The Scarlet Pimpernel
Asterix and the Missing Scroll
by Jean-Yves Ferri and Didier Conrad ISBN: 978-1510-100466 First published 2015 48 pages Publisher: http://www.hachettechildrens.co.uk 4 / 5 Stars At first you might think 'an underwhelming title', until you realise that the book references Caesar's great work 'Commentaries on the Conquest of Gaul' Then you realise this 'comic' book addresses the real question, what would… Continue reading Asterix and the Missing Scroll
Wasp
by Eric Frank Russell ISBN: 978-0-575-12904-7 First published 1957 180 pages Publisher: Gollancz / http://www.orionbooks.co.uk / http://www.gollancz.co.uk Cover illustration by Dominic Harman 3.5 / 5 Stars A different type of science fiction book. Although an interstellar war is the backdrop, all the action takes place on one planet, and a single region on that planet.… Continue reading Wasp
The Yellow Dog
by Georges Simenon ISBN: 978-0-141-39347-6 First published 1931 134 pages Publisher: Penguin Classics Cover photograph: Harry Gruyaert / Magnum Photos 5 / 5 Stars A splendid novel, with more action than other Maigret novels. This novel was such a success that it was the first of the Maigret's stories to be filmed, directed by Jean… Continue reading The Yellow Dog
Félicie
by Georges Simenon ISNB: 978-0-241-18866-8 First published 1944 152 pages Publisher: Penguin Classics Cover photograph: Harry Gruyaert / Magnum Photos 4/5 Stars Each Inspector Maigret story has its own idiosyncrasy, its own theme which runs through the short book. Is it summer? Is it in Paris? Is it set in the countryside? Here the 'theme'… Continue reading Félicie
Moon Knight
Crazy runs in the family by Max Bemis (Writer) and Jacen Burrows (Penciller) ISBN: 978-1-302-90937-6 First published 2017 193 pages Publisher: marvel.com Cover illustration: Jacen Burrows 4 / 5 Stars A great introduction to Moon Knight. A billionaire with a split personality, 3 of them actually; Steven Grant - Wealthy and stylish entrepreneur (think Bruce… Continue reading Moon Knight
Asterix and the Chariot Race
by Jean-Yves FERRI and Didier CONRAD ISBN: 978-1-5101-0500-3 First published 2017 46 pages Publisher: http://www.hachettechildrens.co.uk Cover by Didier Conrad Translation by Adriana Hunter 5 / 5 Stars A really great Asterix book, with a new country (Italy) to explore, a mission, great escapades, friends and enemies and suspense. The suspense is not who will win… Continue reading Asterix and the Chariot Race
The Giving Tree
by Shel Silverstein ISBN: 978-0-06-025665-4 First published 1964 52 pages Publisher: http://www.harperchildrens.com Cover illustration : Shel Silverstein 5 / 5 Stars A really simple children's book, with a great premise. What would life be like with a friend to stay with you, all through the ages? That is what the giving tree is. Some pages… Continue reading The Giving Tree
Here Comes A Chopper To Chop Off Your Head
The dark side of childhood rhymes and stories
Maigret and the Old People
By Georges Simenon ISBN: 978-0-241-30389-4 First published 1960 155 pages Publisher: Penguin Classics Cover photograph: Harry Gruyaert / Magnum Photos Front cover design: Alceu Chiesorin Nunes 4/5 Stars A trip into the labyrinthine world of the late 1950's French aristocracy. Old people, no longer holding any real power, but still indulging in forced marriages, affairs… Continue reading Maigret and the Old People
The Two-Penny Bar
by Georges Simenon ISBN: 978-0-141-39417-6 First published 1932 149 pages Publisher: Penguin Classics Cover photo: Harry Gruyaert/Magnum Photos Cover design: Alceu Chiesorin Nunes 4 / 5 Stars A great 'whodunit' mystery by the great Georges Simenon. Set in Paris, on the banks of the Seine, in the heat of the summer, before WWII. Can Inspector… Continue reading The Two-Penny Bar
The Dwarves
by Markus Heitz ISBN:978-1-84149-572-9 First published 2003 736 pages Publisher: orbitbooks.net Translated by Sally-Ann Spencer Cover image : Unknown and not specified 4 / 5 Stars Great book, vast in scope but with attention to detail. Interesting idea to have lands that contain magic and lands that don't. Great characters. Good versus Evil.… Continue reading The Dwarves
Rivers of London
by Ben Aaronovitch ISBN: 978-0-575-09758-2 First published 2011 390 pages Publisher: http://www.gollancz.co.uk Cover illustration: Stephen Walter Cover design: http://www.patrickknowlesdesign.com 3.5 Stars An enjoyable 'holiday' read of a Constable investigating supernatural crimes. Loosely based on the old 'Punch and Judy' puppet shows, it is a fast paced dash through London. Each of the rivers of London… Continue reading Rivers of London
Raft
by Stephen Baxter ISBN: 978-1-473-22405-6 First published 1991 245 pages Publisher: gollancz.co.uk / sfgateway.com 4.5 / 5 Stars Great book, in the classic sci-fi tradition. This book actually forms part of the Xeelee sequence of books by Stephen Baxter, although it can and should be read as a stand-alone book. There are so many great… Continue reading Raft
Slow Bullets
by Alastair Reynolds ISBN: 978-1-616-961930 First published 2015 192 pages Publisher: Tachyon Publications / http://www.tachyonpublications.com Cover art: Thomas Canty 4/5 Stars Good, solid, science fiction space opera. Baddies and goodies, an interesting universe and a problem to solve. Life and Death in space with well-drawn characters and challenges to overcome. Big enough to tell the… Continue reading Slow Bullets
The Haunting
by Margaret Mahy ISBN 0-14-036325-4 First published 1982 135 pages Publisher: Puffin Books Cover illustration by Alun Hood 5/5 Stars An Australian ghost story. A boy plagued by dreams, by a ghost, by a particular ghost. The book is set in small town Australia, a boy has lost his mother and his father has… Continue reading The Haunting
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead
by Tom Stoppard ISBN: 0-571-08182-7 First published in May 1967 119 pages Publisher: Faber and Faber Limited Cover illustration by Pentagram 4/5 Stars A cleverly worked story, taking two minor characters from the play Hamlet, and allowing us to see what they get up to outside of the action in hamlet. Which, as it turns… Continue reading Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead
The Two Towers
by J.R.R.Tolkien ISBN: 0-04-823186-X First published 1954 442 pages Publisher: Unwin Paperbacks 4.5/5 stars A thrilling continuation of the saga first started in The Fellowship of the Ring. Each chapter has its own story arc, and has a self-contained plot. This book contains the original stories Book III: The Treason of Isengard Book IV:… Continue reading The Two Towers
The Story of Ferdinand
by Munroe Leaf ISBN: 0-448-42190-9 First published 1936 30 pages Drawings by Robert Lawson Publisher Grosser & Dunlap 5/5 Stars A wonderful book that is a children's classic, (outselling Gone With The Wind when published in 1936). It is the drawings that elevate the book, based on Ronda in Andalusia, Spain. The book… Continue reading The Story of Ferdinand
The Women Who Got Away
by John Updike ISBN: 978-0-141-03293-1 First published 1953-75 106 pages Illustration by Victoria Sawdon Cover design by David Pearson Publisher: penguinclassics.com 4/5 Stars A collection of short stories by one of America's most important authors of the 20th Century, John Updike. Sexually explicit, tasteful, intriguing, realistic, poignant, Updike never stands in judgement of his characters.… Continue reading The Women Who Got Away
Leaf by Niggle
by J.R.R.Tolkien ISBN: 978-0-00-820553-9 First published 1964 58 pages Cover design by Iain Craig Publisher: http://www.tolkien.co.uk 4/5 Stars A fascinating story by Tolkien, one that came to him in a dream. Dreams come from the unconscious mind, and the conscious mind is an observer of them. To write the story of a dream must mean… Continue reading Leaf by Niggle
Riders of the Purple Sage
By Zane Grey ISBN: 978-0-340-92287-3 First published 1913 298 pages Publisher: http://www.hodder.co.uk 3.5/5 Stars Slip into the world of cattle rustlers, mormons, cowboys and riders. The scene is breathtaking, beneath the mountains and valleys, plateaus, rivers, creeks and gorges of Utah. A tough existence is brought to life by Zane Grey. The most memorable chapter… Continue reading Riders of the Purple Sage
A Study in Scarlet
By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle ISBN: 9-780143-570325 First published 1887 162 pages Publisher: popularpenguins.com 5/5 Stars A fantastic book, the first adventure of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson. This tells the brief tale of how they met, how they lived together and how they cracked their first case together. It is written is an easy… Continue reading A Study in Scarlet
Arthur’s Last Stand
by Alan Coren ISBN: 0-80651-027-1 First published: 1977 64 pages Publisher: Robson Books Illustrations by Alan Coren 4/5 Stars The last in the wonderful 'Arthur' series by Alan Coren, written in the mid-seventies. Brief and easy to read, the books contain good characterization, surprises, battles and dressing up - all things kids will love.… Continue reading Arthur’s Last Stand
The Lord of the Rings : The Fellowship of the Rings
by J.R.R.Tolkien ISBN: 0-04-823185-1 529 pages Publisher: Unwin Paperbacks Cover illustration: Unknown 6/5 Stars A wonderful book that defines what a 'fantasy story' is. We follow a party of Hobbits from the Shire to Rivendell, and then a party of all the races of Middle-Earth on an epic quest. The book covered two volumes, originally… Continue reading The Lord of the Rings : The Fellowship of the Rings
Eugénie Grandet
by Honoré de Balzac ISBN: 978-0-19-955589-5 192 pages Publisher: Oxford University Press / http://www.oup.com/worldclassics Cover illustration: detail from A Girl Seated outside a House, 1867 by Jacob Maris 4/5 Stars "One of the earliest and most famous novels in Balzac's great Comédie humaine" begins the blurb on the back cover. The characters are well drawn and… Continue reading Eugénie Grandet
The Family From One End Street
By Eve Garnett ISBN: 978-0-141-35550-4 303 Pages Publisher: puffinbooks.com Cover illustration by Eve Garnett 5/5 Stars A wonderful book of the Rosie and Josiah Ruggles and their 7 children. A dustman and a laundry woman making a life and a family among the working class of England. Each chapter concentrates on an adventure of one… Continue reading The Family From One End Street
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase
By Joan Aiken ISBN: 978-0-099-57287-9 223 pages Publisher: worldofstories.co.uk (Random House) Cover illustration by Rohan Eason Illustrations by Pat Marriott 5/5 Stars The start of the 'wolves' sequence of novels, that Joan Aiken would write until her death in 2004. Wolves are at loose in Britain. They have come through via the great channel tunnel,… Continue reading The Wolves of Willoughby Chase
Invisible Planets
13 visions of the future Edited and translated by Ken Liu ISBN: 9-781786-692788 383 pages Publisher: http://www.headofzeus.com Images: Shutterstock 3-5/5 Stars 13 stories and 3 short essays covering a variety of science fiction genres - from 'hard' or 'Golden Age' science fiction (similar to Asimov and Clarke) to more dream-like visions or dystopian futures. The… Continue reading Invisible Planets
World of Tiers
Maker of Universes By Philip José Farmer ISBN: 0-7221-3514-9 158 pages Publisher: Sphere Science Fiction Cover illustration: Mark Harrison 4/5 Stars A 'Golden Age of Sci-Fi' story written by a master storyteller. The World of Tiers is the private creation of a 'Lord', his own playground. However, this 'Lord' has gone missing, to be replaced… Continue reading World of Tiers
HUSH
By Jeph Loeb ISBN: 9-781401-22317-5 First published 2002/2003 (single comic format) 320 pages Publisher: DC Comics Penciller: Jim Lee Inker: Scott Williams 5/5 Stars A well thought-out and well crafted murder mystery, beautifully drawn and inked by Jim Lee and Scott Williams. Batman as detective, Batman as super-hero. With a wonderful assortment of characters. Poison… Continue reading HUSH
Wicked
The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West By Gregory Maguire ISBN: 9-780061-350962 First published 1995 519 pages Publisher: harpercollins.com Cover Art by Wicked LLC Illustrations by Douglas Smith 3/5 Stars An adult book with fantastical sketch board images by Douglas Smith (5/5 Stars). The first illustration is a map of Oz,… Continue reading Wicked
Moderato Cantabile
By Marguerite Duras ISBN: 978-1-84749-052-0 First published 1958 122 pages Publisher: Les Éditions de Minuit / oneworldclassics.com Translated by Richard Seaver 4/5 Stars Intriguing short novel translated from the French original. A tale of forbidden passion, unleashed by the tragic events that have unfolded at a café. Marguerite describes a little industrial french coastal town. Factories,… Continue reading Moderato Cantabile
Cold Comfort Farm
By Stella Gibbons ISBN: 0-14-118265-2 First published 1932 233 pages Cover image: Tony Stone Images Publisher: Penguin Classics 7 / 5 Stars A beautiful, beautiful book. There are eight happy endings within it. In Flora Poste, the heroine, Stella Gibbons has created a comic character full of charm and sympathy. She rivals the greatest comic… Continue reading Cold Comfort Farm
Jehan Pistolet – Corsaire Prodigieux
Texte: R. Goscinny Dessins: A. Uderzo ISBN: 2-86497-121-6 First published 1952 47 pages Publisher: Les Editions Albert René Language: French 3.5 / 5 Stars Before Asterix and Obelix, before Oumpah-Pah, came Jehan Pistolet. One of the first collaborations between René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo. Jehan Pistolet lives in a small seas-side village and dreams of… Continue reading Jehan Pistolet – Corsaire Prodigieux
The Richest Man in Babylon
By George S. Clason ISBN: 978-0451205360 First published 1926 196 pages Publisher: Signet / http://www.Penguin.com 5/5 Stars A very well written, financial planning book portrayed as a series of 'stories' discovered on stone tablets recovered from Ancient Babylon. The metaphor still works well, written as it was in the heyday of the 1920's boom. It… Continue reading The Richest Man in Babylon
Night Birds on Nantucket
by Joan Aiken ISBN: 978-0-099-45664-3 First published 1966 202 pages Cover design: Tracey Hurst Cover illustration: Paul Hess Publisher: Red Fox Books, a division of Random House / randomhousechildrens.co.uk or kidsatrandomhouse.co.uk 5/5 Stars Remarkably, Nantucket is a real place. It really exists off the Eastern seaboard of the United States. A 19th century whaling industry… Continue reading Night Birds on Nantucket
Asterix and the Chariot Race
by Jean-Yves Ferri ISBN: 978-1-5101-0401-3 First published 2017 46 pages Illustrated by Didier Conrad Publisher: Orion / hachettechildrens.co.uk Translated by Adriana Hunter 3/5 Stars A new Asterix adventure that is as fun as the old ones. The slapstick comedy, the dry humor, the witticisms and the references to popular culture are all firmly in… Continue reading Asterix and the Chariot Race
Alberic the Wise
by Norton Juster ISBN: 978-0-00-745568-3 First published 1965 153 pages Cover illustration: Mel Grant Publisher: HarperCollins.co.uk 4/5 Stars 3 short stories from Norton Juster the write of The Phantom Tollbooth; Alberic the Wise She Cries No More Two Kings You never know what to expect from these short stories. Clever modern fables, with a style… Continue reading Alberic the Wise
The Princess Bride
by William Goldman ISBN: 9-780747-590583 First published 1973 317 pages Cover illustration: Gino D'Achille Cover design: John Fordham Publisher: Bloomsbury 4/5 Stars The book of the film, or rather, the book that the film was made from. William Goldman also wrote the screenplay for his own novel. The film follows the book very closely. The… Continue reading The Princess Bride
Indoctrinaire
by Christopher Priest ISBN: 978-0-575-12119-5 First published 1970 202 pages Cover image: Edward Parker / Alamy Cover design: Sidonie Beresford-Browne Publisher(s) : gollancz.co.uk / orionbooks.co.uk 3.5/5 Stars This is Christopher Priest's first novel. A simple story involving nuclear war, personality drugs and time travel. He focuses closely on a few main the characters, and that… Continue reading Indoctrinaire
The Amber Spyglass
by Philip Pullman ISBN: 978-1407-153-30-8 First published 2000 522 pages Cover illustration: Unknown Publisher: Scholastic UK 5/5 Stars A book that has no end to its ambition. A children's book that deals with life, death, and the destruction of GOD. Following on from The Subtle Knife and before that the Northern Lights, each book is… Continue reading The Amber Spyglass
The Subtle Knife
by Philip Pullman ISBN: 978-1-407154-18-3 First published 1997 325 pages Cover illustration: Unknown Inside illustrations: Philip Pullman Publisher: Scholastic 5/5 Stars Fantastic, fast-moving fantasy adventure story, set in this world and 2 others - like it but different. The second in a trilogy, it reads easily and the plot flows freely. Balloonists, witches, Oxford gardens… Continue reading The Subtle Knife
My Brilliant Friend
by Elena Ferrante ISBN: 9-781925-240009 First published 2012 331 pages Cover design by W.H.Chong Translated by Ann Goldstein Publisher: Text Publishing 6/5 Stars A remarkable journey into the lives of two friends. An electric account, all the more fascinating because it deals with the intricate minutiae of growing up. Spots? Shoe sizes? periods? 'Orrible teachers?… Continue reading My Brilliant Friend
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
by Muriel Spark ISBN: 978-0-241-95677-9 First published 1961 128 pages Cover design: Sarah Watts 4/5 Stars A wonderful book with a wonderful comedic creation of Miss Jean Brodie. Together with her 'girls', Monica Douglas, Rose Stanley, Eunice Gardiner, Sandy Stranger, Jenny Gray and Mary Macgregor, Miss Brodie teaches them about art, love, history, the classics… Continue reading The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
The Eclectic Book Review 