Trevor Berrett

Trevor Berrett is the editor of The Mookse and the Gripes

Fiona McFarlane: “Art Appreciation”

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Click here to read the abstract of the story on The New Yorker webpage (this week’s story is available only for subscribers). Fiona McFarlane’s “Art Appreciation” was originally published in the May 13, 2013 issue of The New Yorker. Betsy Fiona McFarlane makes this remark to interviewer Deborah Treisman about Henry, her main character in “Art Appreciation”: … Read more

Gregory Spatz: Half as Happy

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People seem to be paying a bit more attention to the short story, with the success of, for example, George Saunders, Karen Russell, and Junot Díaz. I’m pleased to say that, while more conventional in structure and writing style than those three, I found a better set of short stories in Half as Happy (2013). Where the … Read more

Best Translated Book Award Winner

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The Best Translated Book Award has announced its winner: Satantango, by László Krasznahorkai, tr. from the Hungarian by George Szirtes This was my choice this year (and Stone Upon Stone was my choice last year — seriously, this is an award worth watching!). Here are my thoughts, and congrats to all.

Denis Johnson: Jesus’ Son

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I have had Johnson’s story collection (connected story collection, that is) Jesus’ Son (1992) on my shelf for a long time. For whatever reason, despite others reading it and recommending it highly, I avoided it. But I loved finally getting to know Johnson through his novella Train Dreams (my review here), which attracted me due … Read more

Kamila Shamsie: “Vipers”

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Kamila Shamsie’s “Vipers” is the first story in Granta 123: Best of Young British Novelists 4. For an overview of the issue and links to my reviews of its other stories, please click here. Shamsie happens to be the only novelist on the list who has written a novel I’ve read and reviewed on this blog. … Read more

Granta 123 — Best of Young British Novelists 4

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A couple of weeks ago, much of the literary world was abuzz when Granta announced their fourth list of “Best of Young British Novelists,” a once-per-decade tradition they started 1983. Famously, their past lists have spotted the early talent of young authors who have gone on to produce acclaimed work, such as Martin Amis, Pat Barker, Julian Barnes, Rose Tremain, Alan Hollinghurst, Kazuo Ishiguro, A.L. Kennedy, … Read more

Jonathan Lethem: “The Gray Goose”

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Click here to read the abstract of the story on The New Yorker webpage (this week’s story is available only for subscribers). Jonathan Lethem’s “The Gray Goose” was originally published in the May 6, 2013 issue of The New Yorker. Betsy “The Gray Goose,” by Jonathan Lethem, is an excerpt from his forthcoming novel, Dissident Gardens.  … Read more