Author: Jay Ruud

The Man Who Loved Children Christina Stead (1940) In 2005, Time magazine included Christina Stead’s 1940 novel The Man Who Loved Children on their list of the 100 best English language novels since 1923. But this is a novel that continues to be one of the least well-known among that collection of titles. Upon its initial publication, Stead’s book… Continue reading The Man Who Loved Children

Stillwater              Tom McCarthy (2021) Facts for You: Where to Watch: Only in theaters. Length: 2 hours 19 minutes Names You  Might Know: Matt Damon, Abigail Breslin, Camille Cottin Language: English Rating: R (for language) He Said: Tom McCarthy’s last major film, a little thing called Spotlight, didn’t do much other than win an Academy Award as the Best Picture of 2015. His… Continue reading Stillwater

The Death of Jesus J.M. Coetzee (2019) Nobel laureate and two-time Booker Prize winning novelist J.M. Coetzee has spent the bulk of the last decade composing a trilogy that (perhaps even more than his earlier novels, if that is possible) has managed to confuse and frustrate his readers. The “Jesus” trilogy—which began with The Childhood of… Continue reading The Death of Jesus

The Cellist Daniel Silva (2021) It’s no exaggeration to say that what John le Carré was to novels of Cold War politics, Daniel Silva is to this generation’s political thrillers. For decades, Silva has been producing suspenseful spy-stories dealing with situations involving Muslim extremist attacks on Israel, Nazi crimes concealed by Swiss banks, extremist plots… Continue reading The Cellist

Black Widow Cate Shortland (2021) Facts for You: Where to Watch: Disney+ (where it will cost you $29.99[!]) Length: 2 hours 13 minutes Names You  Might Know: Scarlett Johansson. Florence Pugh, David Harbour, Rachel Weisz Language: English Rating: PG13 (for violence, some language) He Said: Black Widow is finally here, some 14 months after its original planned release. And the COVID-delayed… Continue reading Black Widow