James Kidd
Lonely Planets
The Book of Strange New Things is, according to Canongate, Michel Faber’s first novel in fourteen years. This is not true – The Crimson Petal and the White was published in 2002, The Fire Gospel in 2008 – but, regardless, Faber’s reputation has only increased in the hiatus. The Crimson Petal and the White was adapted saucily by the BBC. Jonathan Glazer made a glacially impressive movie from Faber’s debut novel, Under the Skin.
The Book of Strange New Things recycles motifs used in that first book: extraterrestrial imperialism, a jaded portrait of corporate interests, nature on the verge of breakdown and erotic action in cars. Here this occurs immediately as our central protagonist, Peter Leigh, bids a rather clumsy sexual au revoir (or
Sign Up to our newsletter
Receive free articles, highlights from the archive, news, details of prizes, and much more.@Lit_Review
Follow Literary Review on Twitter
'What they created in the neighbourhood resembled more a distillation of the High German culture of their past than a fresh start.'
@GeorgeProchnik tells the story of the German–Jewish intellectuals who settled in Jerusalem in the early 20th century.
https://literaryreview.co.uk/vienna-by-temple-mount
'Good translation is ... a refined art. It requires not just excellent language skills, but experience, emotional intelligence and enterprise as well.'
@Bridget_Kendall on how interpreters navigate the 'perilous waters of diplomacy'.
https://literaryreview.co.uk/to-put-it-diplomatically
'Being an ambitious female artist working in the avant-garde was far from easy. Her art ... was found variously to be feminine, cold and artisanal'.
@TanyaHarrod on @EleanorClaytone's 'finely written study' of Barbara Hepworth.
https://literaryreview.co.uk/she-carved-her-own-way