Reviews

Adultery and Other Diversions by Tim Parks

upnorth's review

2.0

Literate, thoughtful, but I personally found it really tedious in too many places, pedantic and dry, or obsessing over domestic mundane details without any interesting observations. Most of it blurred as soon as I put down the book. Some insightful observations on teaching and literary criticism. An extremely long essay on the experience of translation that made me start wondering if it was imitating the style of someone else. Misbehaving children and a supportive wife who somehow never come into focus--even his desire to spank his children is somehow distant and abstracted. There is one essay at the end that has to do with adultery (a guilt-ridden friend's, with his secretary) and soccer.