Another three months in the Masthead’s second year of reviews! And just what have these months brought us?

Books reviewed: 4
Translated fiction: 2 (from 2 languages, Japanese and Italian)
New-to-me authors: 2 (Tanizaki and Boccaccio)
Oldest book: Boccaccio’s Mrs. Rosie and the Priest (1348-’53)
Newest book: King’s The Stand (1975/1988)
Longest book: King’s The Stand (1153 pages)
Shortest book: Boccaccio’s Mrs. Rosie and the Priest (54 pages)

As always, a pithy recap of each book read and reviewed here since July 15:

The Stand, Stephen King
Pure Good v. Evil. This one’s a novel for those who enjoy the journey and the detours – it’s long and not much happens, but it’s rich in a way only King can manage.

This Side of Paradise, F. Scott Fitzgerald
Perfect for the soon-to-be grads, Fitzgerald’s novel teaches egotism a lesson but also celebrates a man’s personality in light of growing up.

The Makioka Sisters, Junichirō Tanizaki
A novel measuring an old family’s decline in prose of perfect tempo. Tanizaki’s novel will take you to old Japan, containing within its pages beautiful scenes, hurting emotions and tough lessons for a family that deserves our sympathy.

Mrs. Rosie and the Priest, Giovanni Boccaccio
Just a quicky: bawdy tales from the Decameron that are sure to titillate.

♠

Browse the Review Archive
2018 mini reviews:
Quarter 1
Quarter 2
See previous year’s mini reviews:
Quarter 1
Quarter 2
Quarter 3
Quarter 4