I review contemporary fiction on a freelance basis. For commissions, please contact me at doug.battersby[at]gmail.com.
Literary Reviews
Big Kiss, Bye Bye (Fitzcarraldo, 2025), by Claire-Louise Bennett. Financial Times, forthcoming 2025.
The City Changes Its Face (Faber, 2025), by Eimear McBride. Financial Times, “Life & Arts,” 2 February 2025: p. 10
The Hotel (Jonathan Cape, 2024), by Daisy Johnson. Financial Times, “Life & Arts,” 9 November 2024: p. 10.
Moderate to Poor, Occasionally Good (4th Estate, 2024), by Eley Williams. The Irish Times, 23 July 2024.
So Late in the Day (Faber, 2023), by Claire Keegan. The Irish Times, 2 September 2023.
Mild Vertigo (Fitzcarraldo, 2023), by Mieko Kanai. The TLS, no. 6281/6282, 18 August 2023: p. 29.
Open Throat (Picador, 2023), by Henry Hoke. The Irish Times, 11 August 2023.
The Pole and Other Stories (Text Publishing, 2023), by J. M. Coetzee. The Sydney Morning Herald/The Age/Brisbane Times/WA Today, 14 July 2023. https://tinyurl.com/bwsmn9r.
The Guest (Chatto & Windus, 2023), by Emma Cline. Financial Times, “Life & Arts,” 6 May 2023: p. 10.
Shy (Faber, 2023), by Max Porter. The Irish Times, 8 April 2023.
The Bookbinder of Jericho (Chatto & Windus, 2023), by Pip Williams. The Sydney Morning Herald/The Age/Brisbane Times/WA Today, 24 March 2023.
The Lock-Up (Faber, 2023), by John Banville. The TLS, no. 6260, 24 March 2023: p. 17.
Old Babes in the Woods (Chatto & Windus, 2023), by Margret Atwood. Financial Times, “Life & Arts,” 23 February 2023: p. 10.
Stella Maris (Picador, 2022), by Cormac McCarthy. The Irish Times, 26 November 2022.
The Passenger (Picador, 2022), by Cormac McCarthy. The Irish Times, “Ticket: The Irish Times Culture Magazine,” 29 October 2022: p. 11.
Lapvona (Penguin, 2022), by Ottessa Moshfegh. Financial Times, “Life & Arts,” 11 June 2022: p. 11.
April in Spain (Faber, 2021), by John Banville. Financial Times, “Life & Arts,” 23 October 2021: p. 11.
Paris Is a Party, Paris Is a Ghost (Faber, 2021), by David Hoon Kim. Financial Times, “Life & Arts,” 17 July 2021: p. 10.
Klara and the Sun (Faber, 2021), by Kazuo Ishiguro. The Irish Times, “Ticket: The Irish Times Culture Magazine,” 6 March 2021: p. 13.
The Art of Falling (John Murray, 2021), by Danielle McLaughlin. Financial Times, 6 January 2021.
Sisters (Jonathan Cape, 2020), by Daisy Johnson. The Irish Times, “Ticket: The Irish Times Culture Magazine,” 3 October 2020: p. 13.
The Abstainer (Simon & Schuster, 2020), by Ian McGuire. The Irish Times, “Ticket: The Irish Times Culture Magazine,” 19 September 2020: p. 14.
The Liar’s Dictionary (William Heinemann, 2020), by Eley Williams. Financial Times, 23 July 2020.
The Death of Jesus (Penguin, 2019), by J. M. Coetzee. Financial Times, “Life & Arts,” 4 January 2020: p. 10.
Lanny (Faber & Faber, 2019), by Max Porter. Financial Times, “Life & Arts,” 23 February 2019: p. 10.
Charles Bovary, Country Doctor (NYRB, 2018), by Jean Améry, Financial Times, “Life & Arts,” 3 November 2018: p. 10.
Invitation to a Bonfire (Bloomsbury, 2018), by Adrienne Celt. Financial Times, “Life & Arts,” 21 July 2018: p. 11.
The Melody (Picador, 2018), by Jim Crace. Financial Times, “Life & Arts,” 17 February 2018: p. 10.
Mrs Osmond (Viking, 2017), by John Banville. London Evening Standard, 12 October 2017: p. 46.
Doug Battersby 