Alan Ryan
The Joy Of Thought
In a story which depends heavily on architectural metaphor, the fissures that began to snake across the masonry of Gianlorenzo Bernini’s twin bell-towers at St Peter’s in Rome, even before they were complete, were highly portentous.
Resting on bases which already formed part of Carlo Maderno’s façade, the twin campanili had been stretched up to three storeys during construction and elaborated far beyond Bernini’s original design. The continuous changes were instigated by Pope Urban VIII, the architect’s patron and not a man to be crossed. Naturally, he took no blame, and the alarming cracks were charges to be laid at Bernini’s feet.
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
Chuffed to be on the Curiosity Pill 2020 round-up for my @Lit_Review piece on swimming, which I cannot wait to get back to after 10+ months away https://literaryreview.co.uk/different-strokes https://twitter.com/RNGCrit/status/1351922254687383553
'The authors do not shrink from spelling out the scale of the killings when the Rhodesians made long-distance raids on guerrilla camps in Mozambique and Zambia.'
Xan Smiley on how Rhodesia became Zimbabwe.
https://literaryreview.co.uk/what-the-secret-agent-saw
'Thirkell was a product of her time and her class. For her there are no sacred cows, barring those that win ribbons at the Barchester Agricultural.'
The novelist Angela Thirkell is due a revival, says Patricia T O'Conner (£).
https://literaryreview.co.uk/good-gad