A review by jocelyn_sp
Secrets by Drusilla Modjeska

Did not finish book.

This is a collection of 3 stories, a novella and 2 long essays. It opens with a poem by Auden, 'Secrets', which I really enjoyed. Then each story is titled with a phrase from the poem. The novella by Modjeska, Ripe to Tell, I really enjoyed. It was subtle and confusing, thought-provoking and well-written. Lohrey's essay, The Clear Voice Suddenly Singing, was about joining a singing group and wondering why people sing. It didn't link well to the concept of secrets, and I found it dull. Dessaix's essay, At Last the Secret, started with a lovely discussion of the connections between gossip (the subject of the poem) and philosophy. The book has small pages, less than A5, and was fat and tightly bound. This made it tiring to hold and a bit annoying to read. After not enjoying Lohrey's essay I decided I was not sufficiently interested in Dessaix's idle speculating on ancient religions, and returned the book to the library.