Last week's Library of America story was Willa Cather's "The sentimentality of William Tavener" (1900). I can't resist blogging about this one because it's by the wonderful Willa, to whom I was introduced when I first lived in the US in the early 1980s. I have read only three of her novels (My Antonia, The … Continue reading Willa Cather, The sentimentality of William Tavener
20th century literature
Ruth Park, Swords and crowns and rings
Note to self: never again "read" an audiobook over a long period, such as, say, 5 months! This is how I read Ruth Park's engrossing 1977 Miles Franklin award-winning novel, Swords and crowns and rings. It was not hard to keep up with the plot as it's pretty straightforward - and powerful. It is hard, … Continue reading Ruth Park, Swords and crowns and rings
Edith Maude Eaton, Mrs Spring Fragrance
This week's Library of America short story offering is "Mrs Spring Fragrance" by Chinese American author Edith Maude Eaton (1865-1914) who wrote under the pen name of Sui Sin Far. She had an American father and a Chinese mother and, according to the notes which accompany the story, was apparently the first person of Chinese … Continue reading Edith Maude Eaton, Mrs Spring Fragrance
Martin Boyd, A difficult young man
Difficult but handsome (Courtesy: Sydney University Press) I'm not sure what I was expecting, but I certainly wasn't expecting the delightful sly wit I found in Martin Boyd's A difficult young man, which, I understand, is the second book in the "Langton Quartet". This novel though can clearly stand on its own - otherwise, why … Continue reading Martin Boyd, A difficult young man
Geoff Page, The scarring
Geoff Page (born 1940) is a Canberra-based poet who has been active in the Australian poetry scene for many decades now. He was also, for nearly three decades, an English teacher. Page has published several volumes of poetry and at least three verse novels, of which The scarring is his first. The scarring, which I … Continue reading Geoff Page, The scarring
C.J. Dennis, The moods of Ginger Mick
Sometimes a bloke gits glimpses uv the truth("In Spadger's Lane") I wasn't sure, really, that I wanted to read CJ Dennis' verse novel, The moods of Ginger Mick, which I received as a review copy from the Sydney University Press as part of their Australian Classics Library - but have surprised myself. I rather enjoyed … Continue reading C.J. Dennis, The moods of Ginger Mick
Jessica Anderson, The commandant
When I first read about Sydney University Press's Australian Classics Library, the book I really wanted to read was The commandant by Jessica Anderson. It's her only historical novel, but its subject matter doesn't stray much from what she told Jennifer Ellison in an interview many years ago, "I was very much, and always have been, preoccupied with people who … Continue reading Jessica Anderson, The commandant
George Orwell, Bookshop memories
I do like to read a bit of Orwell every now and then - and for that reason, though I have other books of his to read in my TBR pile, I recently bought his essay collection, Books v. cigarettes, in Penguin's delightful Great Ideas series. I blogged about the first essay a couple of months ago. … Continue reading George Orwell, Bookshop memories
Favourite writers: 3, Thea Astley
I love its densely woven grammar, its ingrained humour, its uncompromising politics, and its undimmed outrage at human folly, stupidity and greed (Kerryn Goldsworthy on Thea Astley's writing) and Great story, great characters ... Stylistically, however, this book is like a very handsome, strong and fit woman with too much makeup on ... This kind … Continue reading Favourite writers: 3, Thea Astley
António Lobo Antunes, The natural order of things
Virtuosic? Tour de force? These are such clichéd terms to use in a review - and yet, I can find no other words to better describe Portuguese writer António Lobo Antunes' 1992 novel, The natural order of things. This is one of those beautifully written, but rather challenging, books that you know you really should read … Continue reading António Lobo Antunes, The natural order of things
Whispering Gums 