I read anything I could get my hands on by Barbara Trapido back in the ‘90s. She’s one of those rare authors whose prose sparkles and fizzes off the page making you read at breakneck speed only to retrace your steps to pick up the many strands of her perfectly formed plots. The Travelling Hornplayer is one of my favourites, a tragicomedy of errors in which death, loss, love and friendship are intertwined. With a plot of Shakespearean complexity which defies summary, it’s a miracle Trapido keeps it all under control but she does so beautifully, leaving her readers eager for more.
What about you, any blasts from the past you’d like to share?
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I’d completely forgotten about Barbara Trapido! You’re right. Back in the 90’s I too read anything I could find that she’d written. I haven’t returned to her since then, and actually no longer own any of her books. I must return and see if she still does it for me.
Delighted to have jogged your memory. Mine are a bit tattered but I still have them. Hope you find you still enjoy her.
I once passed a copy onto my strait-laced mother, completely forgetting that the F word appeared on page 2!
Oh dear! I hope she didn’t fall down in a faint…
She just Disapproved.
I went through a real Trapido phase back in the early 90s and remember loving Juggling. Nice to see her name pop up here.
A good antidote to the current sate of affairs.
I loved her books too, though I don’t remember this one. I must look for it.
It’s still in print, which, in itself, is a tribute to her writing. Hope you enjoy it!
I’ve not read Trapido yet but I have two of her books on the shelf, including this one. I must find an excuse to read her!
A quick but thoroughly enjoyable read! Might work for the weekend.
I’ve never read Trapido! Would this be a good place to start?
This one’s my favourite but I’d happily recommend anything by her.