Bernard Cronin (1884-1968) has featured in this blog a couple of times, but most significantly in a Monday Musings which specifically featured him. He was a British-born Australian writer who, in his heyday in the 1920s to 40s, was among Australia's top 10 most popular novelists. And yet, along with many others of his ilk, … Continue reading Bernard Cronin, The last train (#Review, #1954Club )
Review – Short stories
Julie Koh, Portable curiosities: Stories (#BookReview)
I've decided to try reading more audiobooks this year, despite not being a big fan of this mode of consuming books. I'm a textual person. I like to see the print on the page, how it is set out. I like to see the words. I like to see how the names are spelt. Given … Continue reading Julie Koh, Portable curiosities: Stories (#BookReview)
Janette Turner Hospital, The inside story (#Review)
Between 1985 and 1990, Janette Turner Hospital wrote four books which had one-word titles - Borderline (1985, novel), Dislocations (1986, short stories), Charades (1988, novel) and Isobars (1990, short stories). I've read the novels, and they imprinted on my mind Hospital's love of metaphor. In these works, her titles clearly herald her concerns, and I … Continue reading Janette Turner Hospital, The inside story (#Review)
Elizabeth Jolley, Hilda’s wedding (#Review, #1976 Club )
One of Elizabeth Jolley's biggest fans is Helen Garner, as I have said before. Garner often mentions Jolley, and my current read, the second volume of her diaries, One day I'll remember this, is no exception. She writes: Elizabeth Jolley's new novel, My father's moon [my review]. She re-uses and reworks images from her earlier … Continue reading Elizabeth Jolley, Hilda’s wedding (#Review, #1976 Club )
Shirley Jackson, The lottery (#Review)
As a lover of short stories, I have wanted to read Shirley Jackson's "The lottery" for some time. With Kate selecting it as October's Six Degrees starting work, now seemed the perfect time! Shirley Jackson (1916-1965) pops up on blogosphere with some consistency, and is clearly well-regarded. Her career spanned two decades and, during that … Continue reading Shirley Jackson, The lottery (#Review)
Claudine Jacques, The Blue Cross/La Croix bleue (#Review, #WITmonth)
I haven't taken part in Women in Translation month (#WITmonth) before but decided to dip my toes in this year with a translated short story. I hoped to find one online and I did, "The Blue Cross" (or, in its original French, "La Croix bleue") by New Caledonian writer Claudine Jacques. Coincidentally, I found it … Continue reading Claudine Jacques, The Blue Cross/La Croix bleue (#Review, #WITmonth)
Emma Ashmere, Dreams they forgot (#BookReview)
Emma Ashmere's short story collection, Dreams they forgot, is different again from recent short story collections I've read. Certainly very different from the most recent, Adam Thompson's Born into this (my review). One of the things that makes it different is its breadth in terms of time and place. Thompson's collection, for example, is mostly … Continue reading Emma Ashmere, Dreams they forgot (#BookReview)
Adam Thompson, Born into this (#BookReview)
When my brother gave me Tasmanian author Adam Thompson's Born into this earlier this year, I told him I'd save it for Lisa's ILW 2021, which I did - and which means I can now thank him properly for a yet another well-chosen gift, because this is a strong, absorbing and relevant read. If you … Continue reading Adam Thompson, Born into this (#BookReview)
Marian Matta, Life, bound (#BookReview)
In August 2020, small independent publisher MidnightSun sent me two short story collections, Margaret Hickey's Rural dreams (reviewed last month), and Marian Matta's Life, bound. I enjoyed Rural dreams, as some of you may remember, for its exploration of rural lives from multiple angles and points of view. Life, bound is a very different collection. … Continue reading Marian Matta, Life, bound (#BookReview)
Arthur Gask, The passion years (#Review, #1936Club)
A couple of weeks ago, I posted a Monday Musings in support of Karen (Kaggsy's Bookish Rambling) and Simon (Stuck in a Book) #1936 Club, which involves participants reading, posting and sharing books from the chosen year.The #1936 Club has been running, 12-18 April, which means it is about to finish. In my post I … Continue reading Arthur Gask, The passion years (#Review, #1936Club)
Whispering Gums 