Balzac – The Seamy Side of History

OK the title leaves a lot to be desired, but students of the novel will reap diligent reward from this final work of intrigue and narrative power.

In my Balzacian quest to acquire as many works of Balzac as geographically possible, I picked up the noble-titled L’Envers de l’histoire Contemporaine of which a new translation was reviewed on Powell’s a while back under the slightly askew translation as The Wrong Side of Paris; which is nonetheless miles ahead of my bargain-base Signet translation as The Seamy Side of History, complete with seedy cover — a busty woman swigging from a bottle while a ruffian feels up her exposed leg — which, for a novel about Christian charity seems just a little distracting and or beside the point. Or a juiced-up transliteration of what was a bad mistranslation in the first place. Continue reading “Balzac – The Seamy Side of History”

Bushmills Whiskey(s)

What’s in a name? What’s in the smokey still out in the back yard? Well, about four fine Irish whiskeys, subtle and lighter than your Scots variety which bludgeon you with malt. Ever run through a field of barley with your mouth open? Jump over to Eire and taste the alternative. Come in from the cold and rally your toasts with our smooth and well-aged guide to Bushmills Irish Whiskey.

Good afternoon, good evening and good morning readers, and welcome to this small submission, this humble offering to the Slow Review. After much humming and hooing I’ve decided to turn my pen to the glorious world of whiskey and one of my favourite distilleries: Bushmills. I’ll admit, I’m watching Eurosport at the same time as writing this and can’t help being distracted by the sight of two rather shapely young lady tennis players. So, if the flow of this story seems somewhat disjointed then you can put it down to hormones and a span of attention that has been worn down, over the years, with the help of large doses of Bushmills. Continue reading “Bushmills Whiskey(s)”