 |  |  |  |  | ||
I've always wanted to try out The Paris Review, and this issue was a perfect opportunity, since it featured one of my favorite authors, Haruki Murakami. (Though it was technically already Spring by the time I bought and subsequentally read this issue.) For those who are unfamiliar with The Paris Review, it's a quarterly magazine of poetry, fiction, non-fiction, art, and interviews with authors. As for Murakami's story, I enjoyed it a lot -- imaginative and out-there, yet grounded in reality -- very Murakami. (It was an exerpt from his new book, Kafka on the Shore, which has gotten mixed reviews.) Also of note is the Jennifer S. Davis story "Giving Up the Ghost," about a man mourning a stranger in the midst of personal crisis. However, most of the poems left me lost and confused. Maybe I'm just dense. But to me they were artistic for the sake of artistry, and not message. (The ones I did like were Alexandra Budny's "Pia" and Henry Sloss's "From the Heights.") But I could very well be dense. My favorite part of the issue (and the little I read of the Fall issue) was the interview, this time with Barry Hannah. There's something inspiring about seeing the process involved instead of always seeing the product. And I loved both of the non-fiction entries -- one about Chernobyl and one about Iran. I didn't know much about either subject, so I feel like I learned something. But overall, some disappointing fiction and the thoroughly frustrating poetry kind of downgraded the issue. I'll probably try out the Spring one, though. 3/5 STARS FAVORITE AMAZON REVIEW |  |
