A few months ago I wrote a post called A day of gritty viewing. Since then I've blogged about more gritty Australian films: Disgrace, Beautiful Kate, and Balibo. And these aren't the only gritty films to have been produced in Australia this year. The latest to hit the cinemas, though, is Blessed (directed by Ana … Continue reading The gritty viewing gets grittier…
Price Warung, Tales of the early days
Okay, I admit it, I have convict ancestors (plural even!). Consequently, I was particularly interested to read Price Warung's 1894 collection of short stories, Tales of the early days, when I discovered it was part of the Australian Classics Library recently published by the Sydney University Press. My convicts include John Warby who, with another labourer, … Continue reading Price Warung, Tales of the early days
Kangaroo in the suburbs
A propos of nothing really, but our lovely afternoon has just been made more lovely by the arrival across the road of: I could write now about the role of kangaroos in Australian culture ... but I think I'll just leave it at this. (PS For those interested in such things, it's an Eastern Grey … Continue reading Kangaroo in the suburbs
Library for a fiver!
In May 1940, Professor Walter Murdoch (of the University of Western Australia) wrote three articles in The ABC Weekly arguing that, with £5, you could give yourself "a liberal education in so far as books can give it". It takes three articles for him to list and justify his selections which are grouped under categories: Fiction, History, … Continue reading Library for a fiver!
Jonathan Safran Foer, Everything is illuminated
He invented stories so fantastic she had to believe. It's hard to know where to start writing about Jonathan Safran Foer's Everything is illuminated, so I'll just start with a brief description of the plot. It concerns a search in the Ukraine by "the hero" (aka Jonathan Safran Foer) for the woman (Augustine?) who, he … Continue reading Jonathan Safran Foer, Everything is illuminated
Booker Prize 2009
I received a voucher a couple of weeks ago for 25% off a 2009 Booker Prize shortlist book. What to buy? Hard choice as I hadn't read any of them - I know, I know, how can I call myself a reader but, really, I am not driven to read shortlists per se. Awards are … Continue reading Booker Prize 2009
Marion on Marion (Halligan)
A few days ago I posted a review of Marion Halligan's latest book, Valley of Grace, and mentioned that Halligan had attended my bookgroup meeting at which we discussed the book. I didn't, however, share in that post all of the things that Halligan told us - and I won't in this post either. Some … Continue reading Marion on Marion (Halligan)
Challenge of the biopic, Redux
Back in July I posted about biopics and about the tensions inherent between fact and fiction in what is, essentially, a dramatisation. Despite this - despite the fact that I know I can't rely on them for the facts - I like biopics. Of course, I don't like all biopics, and there are some I … Continue reading Challenge of the biopic, Redux
Indie Book Award, 2009
The winner of this year's Indie Book of the Year Award was announced last week - and it is Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey, which I reviewed here recently. The Indie Book Awards are made by Australian independent booksellers, and this is their second year. The winners in the four sections are chosen by a … Continue reading Indie Book Award, 2009
This of course doesn’t make any sense
Lisa, over at ANZLitLovers, has produced a list of some of the main features of postmodernism. It just so happens that I am also reading a postmodernist book, Jonathan Safran Foer's Everything is illuminated (from which the title of this post comes). I've only just started the book but it is exhibiting those features of … Continue reading This of course doesn’t make any sense
