The Spectator: Books of the Year 2003

By Alberto Manguel

Three very different books did not receive (in my opinion) the attention they deserved. First, the Collected Poems 1943-1995 of the Australian poet Gwen Harwood (University of Queensland Press). Harwood, who died only a few years ago and was one of the finest poets of the 20th century, deserves a wide and enthusiastic readership which I trust this edition may bring.

Second, the splendid novel Soldiers of Salamis by Javier Cercas, translated by Anne McLean (Bloomsbury, £14.99), which redeems the epic genre much neglected in our time. This inquisition into a minuscule act of charity lost in the tangled morals of the Spanish civil war became a bestseller in Spain but was snubbed in the United Kingdom by critics who no doubt believe that all good literature must belong to the clipped-style school of Raymond Carver.

Third, The Encyclopedia of Exploration to 1800 (Hordern House) compiled by Raymond John Howgego: the definitive reference book for anyone interested in the history of travel. This accurate and comprehensive marvel includes one apocryphal entry prepared as a trap for plagiarists by the cautious editor.

Contrariwise, too much attention (again, in my opinion) was paid to the bad boy of French letters, Michel Houellebecq. Like his pompously boring Platform, Lanzarote, translated by Frank Wynne (Heinemann, £9.99), is yet another waste of spirit in an expense of shame.