Sean Doyle's literary biography, Australia's trail-blazing first novelist: John Lang, provides insights not only into this "idiosyncratic" man, but into two colonial societies - Australia and India - through the early to mid nineteenth-century. Doyle's is not the first biography of John Lang, but it's the first I've read. However, Lang (1816-64) himself is not … Continue reading Sean Doyle, Australia’s trail-blazing first novelist: John Lang (#BookReview)
21st century literature
Gail Jones, Salonika burning (#BookReview)
Australian author Gail Jones' ninth novel, Salonika burning, is a curious but beautiful novel, curious because she fictionalises four real people for whom she has no evidence that they met or knew each other, and beautiful because of her writing and the themes she explores. The novel is set during World War 1, but its … Continue reading Gail Jones, Salonika burning (#BookReview)
Michael Fitzgerald, Late (#BookReview)
Australian author Michael Fitzgerald's novel Late owes something to what is known as the alternate (alternative) history genre, or what I call "what if" novels. Here, the underlying story is, what if Marilyn Monroe had not died in 1962 but, instead, had instead escaped Hollywood's oppressive celebrity culture and moved to Sydney, Australia? It's hard … Continue reading Michael Fitzgerald, Late (#BookReview)
Anna Funder, Wifedom (#BookReview)
Anna Funder's Wifedom: Mrs Orwell's invisible life is a book with a mission, a mission that is implied in its full title. That mission is to examine the notion of "wifedom", and the way patriarchy works to construct it, through the example of the invisible - or, as Funder also calls it, erased - life … Continue reading Anna Funder, Wifedom (#BookReview)
Monday musings on Australian literature: Stella Prize 2024 Winner
The 2024 Stella Prize winner was announced last Thursday, the 2nd of May, but that was the also the day my blog turned 15, and I didn't want to flood cyberspace with too many posts. Then this weekend was the SixDegrees meme which meant another post coming at you. So, I decided to do my … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Stella Prize 2024 Winner
Rachel Matthews, Never look desperate (#BookReview)
One of the most appealing things about Rachel Matthews' third novel, Never look desperate, is that it features some decent men. In this #metoo era, which differs little from what came before, there's plenty of fiction which shows men in less than stellar light. And that's fair enough. One of the reasons I read fiction … Continue reading Rachel Matthews, Never look desperate (#BookReview)
Shankari Chandran, Chai time at Cinnamon Gardens (#BookReview)
Shankari Chandran's Miles Franklin Award winning novel, Chai time at Cinnamon Gardens, was my reading group's March book. Unfortunately I was out of town at the time of the meeting, but of course I wanted to read it - and I did, finally! Like many people, I think, when I first saw the book, I … Continue reading Shankari Chandran, Chai time at Cinnamon Gardens (#BookReview)
Stella Prize 2024 Shortlist announced
For what it's worth, given I've not read any of them, here is the Stella Prize shortlist. The announcement I received via email this morning describes it as comprising: a diverse mix, featuring novels, memoir and an essay collection. Three of these works are by debut authors, showcasing fresh voices in Australian literature. To summarise … Continue reading Stella Prize 2024 Shortlist announced
Sigrid Nunez, The vulnerables (#BookReview)
Sigrid Nunez has been on my radar for a long time. So, why now? I blame Jonathan (Me Fail? I Fly!), since it was his post on Nunez's latest novel, The vulnerables, that captured my attention and encouraged me to make now her time. What an intriguing book! I have no idea whether it is … Continue reading Sigrid Nunez, The vulnerables (#BookReview)
Carmel Bird and Jace Rogers, Arabella (#BookReview)
If you have read Carmel Bird, and particularly if you have read her bibliomemoir Telltale (my review), you will know that she has a whimsical turn of mind. You will also know that she can turn her hand to most forms of writing, including children's picture books. Her latest outing, Arabella, proves the point. Arabella … Continue reading Carmel Bird and Jace Rogers, Arabella (#BookReview)
Whispering Gums 