It is a truth universally acknowledged - I know this is a tired old joke but I seem programmed to do it - that Jane Austen fans will collect multiple editions of her works. There are many reasons for this behaviour, but one of them is our interest in different introductions. And so, although I … Continue reading Jane Austen, Lady Susan (Review)
Literature by period
Richard Flanagan, the Booker Prize, and Books
Lisa at ANZLitlovers has posted on Richard Flanagan's (exciting-to-us) Booker Prize win for The narrow road to the deep north, and has provided links to reviews by several bloggers. So, I thought I'd do something different. In my review and follow-up post, I discussed the role of poetry in the novel. Reviewer (and novelist) Romy Ash suggests … Continue reading Richard Flanagan, the Booker Prize, and Books
Annabel Smith, The Ark (Review)
I must start by thanking Western Australian short story writer Glen Hunting* for recommending Annabel Smith's The Ark in his comment on a recent Monday Musings post. Hunting wrote that it "is self-published and available as a print book, e-book, app, and has its own interactive website". I was intrigued so checked it out. My initial reaction … Continue reading Annabel Smith, The Ark (Review)
Richard Flanagan: The narrow road to the deep north (Review)
I love generosity of spirit, the ability to rise above terrible things to see the humanity that lies beneath. Richard Flanagan's Booker Prize shortlisted The narrow road to the deep north is, without being sentimental or glossing over the horror, a generous book - and this is why I expect it will be one of … Continue reading Richard Flanagan: The narrow road to the deep north (Review)
Kate Forsyth, Stories as salvation (Review)
One of the best things about being involved in the Australian Women Writers' Challenge is hearing of writers whom I may not otherwise have come across, or, if I had, who may not have registered strongly with me. One such writer who regularly pops up in the challenge is novelist Kate Forsyth. The reviews that keep coming in for her … Continue reading Kate Forsyth, Stories as salvation (Review)
Cate Kennedy (ed), Australian love stories (Review)
Four hundred and forty-five stories! She read four hundred and forty-five of them! I'm talking about Cate Kennedy, the editor of Australian love stories. These stories were the response to Inkerman & Blunt's call for Australian writers "to share their love stories, fictional or true". Having no experience in these things, I don't know what they expected, but 445 … Continue reading Cate Kennedy (ed), Australian love stories (Review)
Nigel Featherstone, The beach volcano (Review)
Back in 2010, Featherstone spent a month, on a writer's retreat, at Kingsbridge Gatekeeper’s in Cataract Gorge, Launceston. He writes on his blog that he left Launceston with sketches for three novellas. The beach volcano is the last of these, the other two being Fall on me (my review) and I'm ready now (my review). Before I … Continue reading Nigel Featherstone, The beach volcano (Review)
Olivera Simić, Surviving peace: A political memoir (Review)
I hadn't heard of Olivera Simić when Spinifex Press offered me her book, Surviving peace: a political memoir, to review, but her subject matter - the Bosnian war, to put it broadly - was of particular interest to me, so I said yes. You see, I worked for several years with a woman who, like Simić, was also … Continue reading Olivera Simić, Surviving peace: A political memoir (Review)
More on Simone de Beauvoir’s Memoirs of a dutiful daughter
My recent review of Simone de Beauvoir's Memoirs of a beautiful daughter was a little dry, focusing on some specific ideas or issues that interested me, rather than on her writing. It's a pretty dense book, containing detailed description of her life and thoughts, but her fearless and often evocative writing carries it. I'd like to share a few … Continue reading More on Simone de Beauvoir’s Memoirs of a dutiful daughter
Simone de Beauvoir, Memoirs of a dutiful daughter (Review)
I have only read one other work by Simone de Beauvoir - and I'm ashamed to say that it wasn't The second sex (which still sits in my long-in-the-tooth TBR pile). It was, instead, one of her autobiographical novels, She came to stay. I enjoyed it as I recollect, but that was a long time ago. … Continue reading Simone de Beauvoir, Memoirs of a dutiful daughter (Review)
Whispering Gums 