'Oh I found ways to live to tell the tale. It's my chief hobby-hawk is the noble art of survivin'.' 'Loyalty looks simple,' Grote tells him, 'but it isn't.' '...Expensive habit is honesty. Loyalty ain't a simple matter, Di'nt I warn yer...' It's interesting that some of the main themes of David Mitchell's The thousand … Continue reading David Mitchell, The thousand autumns of Jacob de Zoet
Author: Whispering Gums
Monday musings on Australian literature: Dear Sir, or The cult of ugliness
As I was researching Ruth Park for last week's Monday musings, I came across some "Letters to the editor" in The Sydney Morning Herald and thought they were worth sharing. (As you read them do note how some of the letter writers sign themselves.) I'll start with a couple of letters criticising Park's novels: Sir, … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Dear Sir, or The cult of ugliness
Jane Austen’s manuscripts: Is she the writer we think she is?
Well, it's all over the web, Jane Austen's manuscripts are full, FULL they say, of errors. They're being formally launched tomorrow, Monday 25 October, so we can all see them then, though as far as I can tell they are already up: Jane Austen's Fictional Manuscripts. Is something more going up tomorrow? Or is this just … Continue reading Jane Austen’s manuscripts: Is she the writer we think she is?
Nicole Krauss, The young painters
In her work, the writer is free of laws. But in her life, Your Honour, she is not free. Nicole Krauss's short story, "The young painters", is a sly, clever little piece. I have not read Krauss's novels so came to this short story with no preconceptions, other than that I'd heard of her. The story … Continue reading Nicole Krauss, The young painters
For voyeurs only – I’m at Scene of the Blog
If you want to have a little peek at where I blog, go check out my Scene at Kittling: Books ... and while there, do have a look around her blog. I love her Widget headings, such as "Top commenters, Bless 'em". We do, too, don't we! Note to self: Try to comment more on … Continue reading For voyeurs only – I’m at Scene of the Blog
Ruth Park, Missus
Missus was the last written in Ruth Park's Harp in the South trilogy, but is the first in terms of chronology. The first two novels, Harp in the South and Poor man's orange, were published in 1948 and 1949 respectively, while Missus was not published until 1985. These first novels, which met with some controversy on publication, … Continue reading Ruth Park, Missus
Monday musings on Australian literature: Ruth Park
For a New Zealander, Ruth Park is a very popular Australian! Not only did she write the much-loved (and studied) Harp in the south trilogy, but she also wrote the hugely popular (in its time) radio serial The muddle-headed wombat, was married to the Australian D'Arcy Niland (now deceased) who wrote The shiralee, and is mother … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Ruth Park
Ruth Reichl, Not becoming my mother
Book cover (Courtesy: Allen& Unwin) Ruth Reichl and Kate Jennings were both born in 1948, the former in the USA and the latter in Australia. Both had problematic relationships with their mothers and have written about those relationships, Reichl in memoirs and Jennings in her autobiographical novel, Snake. In her first memoir, Tender at the … Continue reading Ruth Reichl, Not becoming my mother
Anna Krien, Into the woods
How can so many people all be looking at the same thing and see it so differently? The man moseying around in front of me looks at a 300-year old tree and sees a nursing home, while an activist twenty minutes down the road sees a block of flats for furry and feathered creatures. Vive … Continue reading Anna Krien, Into the woods
Monday musings on Australian literature: Elizabeth von Arnim
This week's Monday musings is a bit cheeky since Elizabeth von Arnim (or Mary Annette Beauchamp, her birth-name) was born in Sydney in 1866 but her parents left Australia in 1871 for Switzerland and then England. Von Arnim spent the rest of her life abroad. So, why am I writing about her? She didn't grow up … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Elizabeth von Arnim
Whispering Gums 