(no subject)

Borders does not have any John Buchan novels in print. I remember seeing The Thirty-Nine Steps there not long ago; but, alas, not today. I've developed a sudden interest in British pre-WWII espionage thrillers (there's an ulterior inkling involved) that has only slightly been stymied by the dearth of Buchan. They do stock a cornucopia of Eric Amblers for me to consume, so, assuming A Coffin For Dimitrios is at all digestible, they should fit the bill tastily. I also picked up a couple of Alan Furths, and, certainly stretching the concept, A Handful Of Dust. But no John Buchans.

Michael Chabon, author of The Amazing Adventures Of Kavalier And Clay, has reviewed Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials in The New York Review Of Books. He correctly points out Pullman's third-act problems. (Of course, Chabon has his own third-act problems.) There is much in there about the balancing act between characters and theme; Chabon suggests that letting the latter take over from the former is akin to losing the wonder of childhood.