Helen Garner must have loved prize-winning book designer WH Chong's cheeky cypress-dominated cover for the Text Classics edition of her two screenplays, The last days of chez nous and Two friends. You'd only realise this, though, after reading her Preface, in which she explains that she had incorporated cypresses into her screenplay for their "freight of … Continue reading Helen Garner, The last days of chez nous, and Two friends (#BookReview)
Literature by period
Glenda Guest, A week in the life of Cassandra Aberline (#BookReview)
West Australian author Glenda Guest made quite a splash with her first novel, Siddon Rock, though unfortunately I didn't read it. It won, for example, the Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best First Book in 2010. I was very keen, therefore, to read her second novel, A week in the life of Cassandra Aberline, when the … Continue reading Glenda Guest, A week in the life of Cassandra Aberline (#BookReview)
Jane Austen, Sanditon (Unfinished) (#Review)
I first read Jane Austen's unfinished novel, Sanditon, in the early 1970s, when I was deep into my love of Austen and had to read everything she wrote. This meant reading her two unfinished novels (the other being The Watsons which I've written about here twice before) and her Juvenilia, parts of which I've also … Continue reading Jane Austen, Sanditon (Unfinished) (#Review)
Kate Chopin, Her letters (#Review)
There are a few American authors who, when they pop up as a Library of America (LOA) Story of the Week, I try to read. These include Edith Wharton, Willa Cather and Kate Chopin. I don't always manage to read them, but I have read the latest Kate Chopin story they've published, "Her letters". And my, … Continue reading Kate Chopin, Her letters (#Review)
Charlie Archbold, Mallee boys (#BookReview)
Reading synchronicities strike again. Both my last read, John Clanchy's Sisters, and this one, Charlie Archbold's Mallee boys, are family stories with a guilt about the death of a family member at their centre. Both, too, are set in non-urban areas, Clanchy's in coastal New South Wales and Archbold's in the dry Mallee region of … Continue reading Charlie Archbold, Mallee boys (#BookReview)
John Clanchy, Sisters (#BookReview)
Local writer John Clanchy has appeared a couple of times in this blog - as the author of the short story collection, Six: New tales (my review), and as the person launching Stephanie Buckle's collection, Habits of silence (my review) - but never for one of his novels, until now. Sisters has an interesting history: … Continue reading John Clanchy, Sisters (#BookReview)
Claire G. Coleman, Terra nullius (#BookReview)
Claire G. Coleman's debut novel, Terra nullius, was my reading group's third book for this year. The first two - An unnecessary woman (my review) and The sympathizer (my review) were well liked - but not so Coleman's book. In fact that I was the only one who liked it. So, instead of my usual review, … Continue reading Claire G. Coleman, Terra nullius (#BookReview)
Mirandi Riwoe, The fish girl (#BookReview)
Mirandi Riwoe was joint-winner of the 2017 Seizure Viva La Novella prize with her book, The fish girl - and it has now been shortlisted for this year's Stella Prize. As you may already know, it was inspired by Somerset Maugham's short story "The four Dutchmen", which I reviewed a few days ago. Indeed, Maugham's story … Continue reading Mirandi Riwoe, The fish girl (#BookReview)
W. Somerset Maugham, The four Dutchmen (#Review)
Finally, an excuse to mention W. Somerset Maugham here - and the excuse is, as Aussie literary fiction followers will probably know, that Mirandi Riwoe's Stella shortlisted novella, The fish girl, is a response to (was inspired by) Maugham's short story "The four Dutchmen". I don't usually feel I need to read the original work … Continue reading W. Somerset Maugham, The four Dutchmen (#Review)
Stephen Orr, Incredible floridas (#BookReview)
The good thing about reviewing Stephen Orr's latest book Incredible floridas is that you know the end at the beginning, so there's no need to worry about spoilers. The end, the one that you read at the beginning that is, is that Hal, the 22-year-old son of artist Roland and his wife Ena, commits suicide. … Continue reading Stephen Orr, Incredible floridas (#BookReview)
Whispering Gums 