In memoriam
Alan Clark left this world with alarming speed. No public funeral; no books of remembrance; certainly no tribute songs. While Clark was meeting his maker, we were digesting the details of Michael Portillo's liberal Cambridge education.
Books: A touch of quiet beauty
Set in Copenhagen, Miss Smilla's Feeling For Snow opens with the unexplained death of a small boy which the authorities are keen to ignore. Smilla Jaspersen, eponymous heroine and friend of the child, proves unwilling to let the matter drop and, perhaps inevitably, determines to resolve the case herself. Not blindingly original by any means but the novel is a wonderful example of Høeg's incisive writing and expansive vision.
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