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Articles by Jon Clinch
Book Recommendations for Dad
Looking for a great gift for Father’s Day? Books are perfect for almost anyone because they cover any topic imaginable. Here are some suggestions. For the dad who enjoys thrills: The Writer by James Patterson and J.D. Barker – Denise Morrow, a popular true crime writer, is making headlines but for the wrong reasons. Her husband has been murdered, and the police consider her their prime suspect.
An Embarrassment of Riches: Writing Historical Fiction in the Age of Information Overload
Since we’re all writers here, let me start by putting things in grammatical terms: in the phrase “historical fiction,” “historical” is the adjective and “fiction” is the noun. Keeping that in mind puts the emphasis where it belongs and reminds us that history is fiction’s junior partner in this enterprise.
In the 10 best best books of November, humility changes lives
A thread of humility weaves through many of November’s 10 best books. In fiction, U.S. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant examines his Civil War career and tries to make peace with his failures, with the help of his wife. Why We Wrote This A story focused on It takes humility to admit one’s shortcomings. The desire to right past wrongs animates many of the characters in our 10 picks for this month. For everyone from a U.S. Civil War general to a 20-something Londoner, self-reflection offers insight.
The General and Julia
Heralded historical fiction master Jon Clinch --- best known for works like MARLEY and FINN --- profiles yet another lauded American figure in THE GENERAL AND JULIA, a sweeping, monumental portrait of Ulysses S. Grant. Despite the best work of our history classes and bestselling biographies, we often forget the men and women behind our most famous historical figures. Whether you know Ulysses S.
The General and Julia
Chapter 1: 1843: The Canary CHAPTER 1 1843 The Canary How large a box shall be required? The canary is the smallest of creatures, three inches long if that. To take its precise measure would be indelicate regardless of his good intentions. So he bends to it upon its bed of linen, and he touches its cool, dry, brilliant feathers with his finger, and he subtly gauges its length against the count of his knuckles. That will be measurement enough. What is its color? The very shade of a lemon.
Summary and Reviews of The General and Julia by Jon Clinch
CHAPTER 1: 1843 The Canary How large a box shall be required? The canary is the smallest of creatures, three inches long if that. To take its precise measure would be indelicate regardless of his good intentions. So he bends to it upon its bed of linen, and he touches its cool, dry, brilliant feathers with his finger, and he subtly gauges its length against the count of his knuckles. That will be measurement enough. What is its color? The very shade of a lemon. How much does it weigh?
THE GENERAL AND JULIA
An angry, powerful book seething with love and outrage for a community too often stereotyped or ignored. It’s not necessary to have read Dickens’ famous novel to appreciate Kingsolver’s absorbing tale, but those who have will savor the tough-minded changes she rings on his Victorian sentimentality while affirming his stinging critique of a heartless society.
New book reimagines Dickens' classic Christmas tale
You’ve always looked forward to Christmas Future. Getting the family together is the best. Seeing the decorations, hearing the carols, watching TV specials, it’s an annual treat that adds another layer of memories you’ll savor forever. But as in the new novel “Marley” by Jon Clinch, beware of the Ghost of Christmas Past. 'Marley: A Novel' By Jon Clinch c. 2019, Atria $27 288 pages Professor Drabb’s Academy for Boys lived up to its name very well.
MARLEY by Jon Clinch Read by Matthew Lloyd Davies
Yes, this Marley is THAT Marley. Dickens's perennial staple, A CHRISTMAS CAROL, gets a fascinating prequel with this audiobook, performed with a perfect blend of authenticity and over-the-top caricature by Matthew Lloyd Davies. While this portrait is rendered in darker tones, and Clinch's considerable authorial skill is uniquely his own, the Dickensian touches of quirky names, ruthless villainy, and thoughtful details make this a rich listen.
Book World: Christmas comes early in John Clinch's 'Marley,' a clever riff on 'A Christmas Carol'
Soon — far too soon — Christmas Muzak will start crooning in every store and restaurant, and one of those infinitely looped songs will be Andy Williams’ classic “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” The lyrics, written by Eddie Pola and George Wyle, itemize all the resilient traditions of the holiday season, including “parties for hosting,” “marshmallows for toasting” and “caroling out in the snow.” We can accept the song’s celebration of “jingle belling” (whatever that means) and even...
Review | Christmas comes early in John Clinch’s ‘Marley,’ a clever riff on ‘A Christmas Carol’
Soon — far too soon — Christmas Muzak will start crooning in every store and restaurant, and one of those infinitely looped songs will be Andy Williams’s classic “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” The lyrics, written by Eddie Pola and George Wyle, itemize all the resilient traditions of the holiday season, including “parties for hosting,” “marshmallows for toasting” and “caroling out in the snow.” We can accept the song’s celebration of “jingle belling” (whatever that means) and even...
Marley
Chapter One One Sunrise, but no sun. The merchant ship Marie tied up at the Liverpool docks hours ago, beneath an overcast sufficient to obliterate the moon and the starsâand now that dawn has arrived conditions have not improved. The fog over the Mersey is so thick that a careless man might step off the pier and vanish forever, straight down. But Jacob Marley is not a careless man. The Marie belongs to him, every plank of her hull and every cable of her rigging and every thread of her sails.
Taking Dickens to the Dark Side (Published 2019)
Fiction Credit...Audrey Helen Weber Oct. 8, 2019 MARLEY By Jon Clinch “A Christmas Carol,” despite the multitudinous saccharine versions souped up on stage and screen every festive season, is a pretty damn scary thing, but Jon Clinch’s prequel to it is black as hell, outstripping even Dickens’s remorseless and painful probings of his protagonist’s soul.
My book went out of print, but I have a plan to revive it
That was me 10 years ago, hitting the NPR circuit and bookstore after bookstore to talk about “Finn,” my debut novel. I’d gotten a nice advance in the mid-six figures, expectations were high and promotional plans were cranking away. The most important critics had received advance copies packed along with bottles of moonshine. The book got glowing coverage everywhere — from the New Yorker to Entertainment Weekly.
‘God’s Kingdom’ review: The story of a boy becoming a man
Regionalism in American literature has been in decline for a while, and now that we’re well into the 21st century, it’s showing signs of going the way of the hardcover. Which is one reason to welcome the arrival of Howard Frank Mosher’s new book, “God’s Kingdom.” Although it’s presented as a novel, it would be better described as a novel-in-stories.
‘Haints Stay’ turns the Western on its ear
“Haints Stay” is an ugly little book, which seems to be precisely what Colin Winnette had in mind. In that sense, if no other, we must declare it a success. It’s set in a desolate realm that may or may not be the old American West, although it’s hard to be sure since various anachronistic bits of usage crop up to suggest that we may be somewhere else altogether — or that Winnette may be less in control of things than we’d like.
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