Book of the Week

The Arab of the Future, Volumes 1 and 2, by Riad Sattouf

Recommended by Mr Kemp

We have been here before. Nonfiction comics have for a long time now used simplistic cartoons to add something to the grimmer moments of the twentieth century. Art Spiegelman’s Maus does it for the Holocaust, Joe Sacco’s Palestine and Footnotes in Gaza document the turbulence of the Levant, and Iran’s Islamic Revolution is beautifully filigreed by Marjane Satrapi in Persepolis. 

The two volumes of Riad Sattouf’s The Arab of the Future could therefore quite easily be an interesting but rehashed version of all these masterpieces, but it is credit to the book that it manages to be original and thoughtful, brutal and charming, and, most importantly, as good as all the others.

Paul Auster's Paragon of Post-Modernism

Max Hatter considers City of Glass by Paul Auster

The controlled yet chaotic storyline of the first installment of Paul Auster’s New York Trilogy follows writer Daniel Quinn and his entrance into the thrilling world of detection.

Book of the Week

Bounce by Michael Syed
Recommended by Eddie Kembery

Michael Syed is a twice Olympic table tennis champion, writer and journalist. Bounce is his first book on the psychology of success, shortlisted for, among others, the William Hill Sports Book of the Year- his second book, Black Box Thinking, also attained critical praise.

Simply put, Bounce aims to capture the margin between champions and their competitors. What decides child prodigies, in any field - sprinters, violinists, or table tennis pros. An essential book for any Pauline hoping to achieve high levels of success in any field at all, it is encouraging to both the talented and non-talented similarly, deconstructing how we view practice, talent, progression and competition, conclusively moving through every major area of success psychology (placebos, religion, power of purpose and many, many others) whilst still remaining incredibly dense.

Jane Austen 200

Dr Hudson

As a teacher, it’s always a great pleasure to hear from former pupils, so I was delighted to get a card at the beginning of this term from an Old Pauline now studying English at university who wrote specifically to say that he had taken my advice and read the works of Jane Austen. I remembered that he had felt put off by her reputation when we had talked on one occasion about the novels, thinking they were not for him. Now, he said, he saw why I had recommended them and was a confirmed admirer of her writing.

Jane Austen died in 1817, two hundred years ago this year, at the age of 42. Now, this relatively quiet-living, spinster from a village in Hampshire is one of the most famous authors in the English-speaking world.

Book of the Week

Zeno's Conscience by Italian Svevo
Recommended by Matteo Perper

Svevo's novel takes the form of a memoir; a man writing about his life after being recommended to do so by his psychoanalyst. James Joyce, who was Svevo's friend (and English teacher), helped the novel become popular in France even though Svevo's native Italy did not initially highly regard the work. It was first published in Italian with the title La coscienza di Zeno but it can of course still be enjoyed in English.

World Book Day Poll Number 5

Yesterday's poll saw Douglas Adams beat Isaac Asimov, by a comfortable (albeit mathematically curious) margin: 61% of the vote to 43% (or should that be 42?). 

History is full of epic conflicts between mighty opposites: the Greeks vs the Trojans, Ali vs Foreman, Batman v Superman.... Today, in the last of our World Book Day polls, we pit two literary giants against each other: William Shakespeare and John Milton (OP).  Stepping up to the lists on their behalf are two heroic challengers - former SPS Head of English, Mr Venning, and current SPS Head of English, Mr Hager.  Let battle commence ...

World Book Day Poll Number 4

Yesterday's poll produced close to a tie - with Agatha Christie's 51% just edging out Conan Doyle's 50% (and yes, we know that doesn't quite add up: but a slightly puzzling result seems appropriate for writers of detective fiction).  Today's poll leaps into orbit and matches two of the greatest sci-fi writers of all time, whatever dimension you happen to be travelling in - Isaac Asimov and Douglas Adams.  But which one of them will win the Pauline vote?  Let Dr Weller, the Physics Dept and Anton Fedotov help you decide .... 

World Book Day Poll Number 3

Yesterday's poll saw Tolkien pushing George R R Martin unceremoniously through the Moon Door into oblivion, with a mighty 76% of the votes against Martin's 24%.  Today brings a battle between two Napoleons of Crime - Dame Agatha Christie and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.  Conrad Barclay, Ben Pymont and Tom Kinirons try to win your vote: