Over January, some of us Australian litbloggers - as the result of Bill's (The Australian Legend) AWW Gen 1 Week - have been talking about early Australian women writers. It's a topic of great interest to me, ever since the 1980s when I became interested in these writers. There seemed to be a flurry, at … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: AusLit Women Academics on Colonial Women Writers
How to read difficult books
There was a quote I really wanted to use in my review last week of Rabih Alameddine's An unnecessary woman, but I couldn't find a place to fit it in. Sometimes reviews take off in a direction and they just can't be reined in, I've found! This quote is, however, too good not to share … Continue reading How to read difficult books
Six degrees of separation, FROM Lincoln in the Bardo TO …
The Six Degrees of Separation meme, currently hosted by Kate (booksaremyfavouriteandbest), is, I'm starting to realise, an effective marker of passing time - and I'm not sure I like it. This passing of time I mean, not the Six Degrees meme, which I enjoy! If, perchance, you are not familiar with this meme, please click … Continue reading Six degrees of separation, FROM Lincoln in the Bardo TO …
Rabih Alameddine, An unnecessary woman (#BookReview)
Lebanese-born American writer Rabih Alameddine's novel, An unnecessary woman, is tailor-made for readers. It was fittingly, therefore, my reading group's first book for 2018. The novel is told first person in the voice of 72-year-old childless, divorced Aaliya Saleh, who lives alone and spends her time reading and translating books. Set in an apartment in Beirut … Continue reading Rabih Alameddine, An unnecessary woman (#BookReview)
Monday musings on Australian literature: Reading aloud in colonial Australia
At the end of last week's Monday Musings post on literary culture in colonial Australia, I commented that author Elizabeth Webby had also discussed the practice of reading aloud, and that I might do a future post on that. Well, not only might I, but I've decided to do it this week because I was fascinated. (Just … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Reading aloud in colonial Australia
Tony Park, The cull (#MiniBookReview based on a Guest Read)
When Tony Park's The cull was sent to me for review last September, I knew it wasn't really within my normal ambit but every now and then I try something new, so thought I might give it a go. However, as time passed and more books came, I realised that I had to let it … Continue reading Tony Park, The cull (#MiniBookReview based on a Guest Read)
Delicious descriptions: Tasma’s country town
It's some time since I wrote a Delicious Descriptions post, but these three paragraphs from Tasma's Uncle Piper of Piper's Hill (beginning of Pt IV, CH 3, "Laura does penance"), which I reviewed a few days ago, are too delicious not to share: THE remark that Voltaire made about the great Russian Empire, when he compared … Continue reading Delicious descriptions: Tasma’s country town
Monday musings on Australian literature: Literary culture in colonial Australia
National Library of Australia, from the other side of Lake Burley Griffin Bill of The Australian Legend's AWW Gen 1 Week, which has just finished, focused on the authors and the books they wrote about colonial Australia. However, what about the readers? I've been planning to write a post on literary culture in colonial Australia for … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Literary culture in colonial Australia
Tasma (Jessie Couvreur), Uncle Piper of Piper’s Hill (#BookReview)
The first thing to say about Tasma's debut novel Uncle Piper of Piper's Hill is that it's rather wordy, speaking to a literacy different from that of today's readers. For this reason, Uncle Piper won't appeal to readers who like short simple sentences, and a plot which moves along at a good clip with little … Continue reading Tasma (Jessie Couvreur), Uncle Piper of Piper’s Hill (#BookReview)
On Reading Pleasures, and not being alone
For my birthday last year, a friend who knows me well gave me a delightful little book titled Reading pleasures. I hadn't planned to blog about it but, upon looking at it again this week, I changed my mind - mainly to share one idea that recurs in the book. First, though, some background. The book … Continue reading On Reading Pleasures, and not being alone
Whispering Gums 