"Literary history is replete with unfinished novels which ought never to have seen the light of day." (Alan Taylor, Scotland's The Herald.) Back in 2018, I wrote a Monday Musings post on unfinished novels. I was more interested there in why they were published and what the authors may have intended. This time, I'm focusing … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Unfinished books (2)
Month: January 2022
Amy Witting, Isobel on the way to the corner shop (#BookReview)
My first reading group book of the year, Amy Witting's Isobel on the way to the corner shop, nicely doubles as a (late) contribution to Bill's AWW Gen 4 week. Winner of the 1993 Patrick White Award, Amy Witting is one of those much-admired Australian writers who had not then and still has not received … Continue reading Amy Witting, Isobel on the way to the corner shop (#BookReview)
Monday musings on Australian literature: Untapped (The Australian Literary Heritage Project)
I have Lisa (ANZLitLovers) to thank for this Monday Musings because, commenting on my recent Margaret Barbalet post, she mentioned this Untapped project, which, embarrassingly, was unknown to me. Then, seeing our discussion, novelist Dorothy Johnston joined in, and offered to send me some information, which she did. So, I now have a copy of … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Untapped (The Australian Literary Heritage Project)
Epiphany in Harrower’s “The fun of the fair”
With Bill's AWW Gen 4 Week still in play, I hoped I'd find something relevant to share from Reading like an Australian writer. And there was, a discussion by novelist Emily Maguire of a short story by Elizabeth Harrower. The short story, as you can probably guess, is titled "The fun of the fair" and … Continue reading Epiphany in Harrower’s “The fun of the fair”
Margaret Barbalet, Blood in the rain (#BookReview)
When I thought about Bill's AWW Gen 4 week, I knew I'd have some hard choices to make as I have many eligible novels on my TBR shelves. However, the choice wasn't too hard because there was one author who just doesn't seem to be talked about and I wanted to include her on my … Continue reading Margaret Barbalet, Blood in the rain (#BookReview)
Monday musings on Australian literature: Reflections of a 1970s feminist
I can't remember a time when I wasn't a feminist, but Bill suggested that, for his AWW Gen 4 week, I "could 'review' The female eunuch by discussing your experience of Women's Lib at uni". I replied that I could probably do “Reflections of a 1970s feminist” but that it wouldn't be exactly what he … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Reflections of a 1970s feminist
Janette Turner Hospital, The inside story (#Review)
Between 1985 and 1990, Janette Turner Hospital wrote four books which had one-word titles - Borderline (1985, novel), Dislocations (1986, short stories), Charades (1988, novel) and Isobars (1990, short stories). I've read the novels, and they imprinted on my mind Hospital's love of metaphor. In these works, her titles clearly herald her concerns, and I … Continue reading Janette Turner Hospital, The inside story (#Review)
Christine Balint, Water music (#BookReview)
Christine Balint's Water music was a joint winner of the 2021 Viva La Novella Prize with Helen Meany's Every day is Gertie Day (my review), but they are very different books. Meany's is contemporary, perhaps even near-future, and tackles some up-to-the-minute issues regarding fact, truth and authenticity, while Balint's is historical fiction, a coming-of-age story, … Continue reading Christine Balint, Water music (#BookReview)
Monday musings on Australian literature: Thinking about historiography
Last week I wrote a post on Cindy Solonec's hybrid biography-memoir, Debesa: The story of Frank and Katie Rodriguez. This book, as I explained in my post, is a rewriting of her 2016 PhD thesis which “explored a social history in the West Kimberley based on the way her parents and extended family lived during … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Thinking about historiography
Cindy Solonec, Debesa: The story of Frank and Katie Rodriguez (#BookReview)
Cindy Solonec's Debesa is one of those curious hybrid biography-memoirs that are appearing on the scene. Its subtitle describes it as The story of Frank and Katie Rodriguez, implying biography, but in fact, Frank and Katie are Solonec's parents and so the book also incorporates some of her own story as part of the family. … Continue reading Cindy Solonec, Debesa: The story of Frank and Katie Rodriguez (#BookReview)
Whispering Gums 