Way back in my youth when I started studying literature, I thought I had to get the "right" interpretation. It made reading a little scary, I must say. However, as I gained confidence, I discovered that there are as many responses to a novel as there are readers, something I was reminded of when I … Continue reading Nigel Featherstone, I’m ready now (Review)
Literature by period
Barbara Baynton, The chosen vessel (Review)
I'm blaming author and blogger Karen Lee Thompson again for this post, because she wrote a wonderful comment on my post on Barbara Baynton's short story "Squeaker's mate", and I'm going to quote it pretty much in full (I hope that's ok from a copyright point of view - tell me if it isn't Karen … Continue reading Barbara Baynton, The chosen vessel (Review)
Barbara Baynton, Squeaker’s mate (Review)
My last post was about this year's Meanjin Tournament of Books which is pitting short stories against each other. One of the short stories is Barbara Baynton's "Squeaker's mate", which I've read before but a long time ago. I decided, though, to read it again, since I have easy access to a copy, on my … Continue reading Barbara Baynton, Squeaker’s mate (Review)
Kate Grenville, The lieutenant (Review)
I first came across William Dawes, the inspiration for Kate Grenville's The lieutenant, in Inga Clendinnen's award-winning history, Dancing with strangers (2003). But this is not the only book that Grenville's novel brought to mind, as it also reminded me of Kim Scott's That deadman dance. (Intriguing that both these books use a dance motif, … Continue reading Kate Grenville, The lieutenant (Review)
Josephy Furphy and the Australian scrub
Last weekend I ran across Joseph Furphy, whom I've mentioned before in my blog, in the strangest of places - on a tapestry in the Melbourne Museum. It's not strange of course to find Furphy, one of Australia's pioneer novelists, in the museum, but I was surprised to find him quoted on a tapestry. Except, … Continue reading Josephy Furphy and the Australian scrub
What did Jane Austen look for in a novel?
There are those who don't get Jane Austen. Some think her novels are silly romances while others think that she writes stories about the well-to-do who, they feel, aren't relevant or worthy subjects. Nothing, really, could be further from the truth. Her novels may be romantic but they are more than simple romances. Jane Austen … Continue reading What did Jane Austen look for in a novel?
Elliot Perlman, The street sweeper (Review)
Elliot Perlman's latest novel, The street sweeper, is a complex book with a pretty simple message. It's complex because of its multiple interconnecting storylines that move back and forth between World War II, the American Civil Rights era, and contemporary times. It has multiple themes, about which I'll write further, but the underlying message is … Continue reading Elliot Perlman, The street sweeper (Review)
William Gilpin and travel photography
Yes, I know that William Gilpin, about whom I wrote in my last post, died before photography, though only just. He died in 1804 and, according to Wikipedia, the first permanent photograph produced by a camera was made in 1826. However, the notion of cameras - through the camera obscura - was already well known. … Continue reading William Gilpin and travel photography
William Gilpin, Jane Austen and the picturesque
I was introduced to William Gilpin by Jane Austen. Well, not by her so much as by her brother, Henry, who told us* that she was "enamoured of Gilpin on the Picturesque at a very early age". This month my local Jane Austen group decided to look a little more deeply at Gilpin, his Picturesque, … Continue reading William Gilpin, Jane Austen and the picturesque
The Most Underrated Book Award 2012
A short post! I have just read on the SPUNC site that Kobo is sponsoring an award to highlight books that were released by independent publishers and members of the Small Press Network (SPUNC) and that did not receive wide recognition. The shortlist for the inaugural award was announced this week, and the titles are: The Dark … Continue reading The Most Underrated Book Award 2012
Whispering Gums 