By Slanted Light

Ah, this was a book that caught my eye a while ago (the cover, probably, and the title!) but I never got around to pursuing it. I still might, although there are a number of reviews around that suggest it's not a very 'warm' book. When I did a quick tally in my head I thought that probably I enjoy about 60-70% of the literary prize books I read, but that yes, a feature of the ones I tend not to like would be anything with an icy core, or, however beautifully written, lacking some kind of redeeming hope in people and the world as you say.

I've just read (on holiday!) a Sebastian Faulks which I'm in two minds about. There's a lot of the awfulness of people in it, but I think there's a redemptive message there. Thank you for this post - it will make me ponder that very good question for when I do my next book post!