Alex Clark (2)

The best editions of Granta are almost always those that have a focus on reportage vs fiction and this issue thankfully has a heavier weight of reportage than snippets of fiction. The best piece is Melanie McFaddyean's piece on the Ben Needham case, and the impact of the loss of the 2 year old boy 18 years ago has had on the family. The contrast from the hysteria surrounding the McCann case could not be more marked. Also good is Maurice Walsh's piece on the state of the priesthood in Ireland show more - where only 2 new priests were ordained in the whole country in 2007. I also enjoyed Andrew Martin's article on the joys of pipe smoking, Don Paterson's sardonic account of attempting to be a happy clappy Christian as a teenager and even Jeremy Treglown's piece on the movement in Spain to exhume the Republican corpses from the Civil War, even if he is a bit hysterical in his descriptions of the Falange. All in all, one of the better recent issues (which have generally been pretty poor) show less

Lots of big names (Ha Jin, Nicola Barker, Paul Auster, Amy Bloom), but none of these stories particularly thrilled me. I did enjoy John Banville's "objet trouve" (a small musical sphere from Arles) and Jhumpa Lahiri's interview with Mavis Gallant. I do love the cover on this one.Lots of big names (Ha Jin, Nicola Barker, Paul Auster, Amy Bloom), but none of these stories particularly thrilled me. I did enjoy John Banville's "objet trouve" (a small musical sphere from Arles) and Jhumpa show more Lahiri's interview with Mavis Gallant. I do love the cover on this one. show less

Highlights:
Two Tides - Eleanor Catton.
For the Exclusive Attn of Ms Linda Withycombe - Nicola Barker.
Sorry? - Helen Simpson.
Untitled - Chris Ware.
Compassion and Mercy - Amy Bloom.

Highlights:
The Memory Movement - Jeremy Treglown.
Story of My Life - A. L. Kennedy.
If with His Skirt He Do Touch Bread and Pottage - Don Paterson.
Missing - Melanie McFadyean.