You could easily give yourself away when reviewing Christos Tsiolkas’ latest novel, The slap. For example, do you align yourself with the uncompromising, emotional earth mother Rosie or the rational, cool and collected but somewhat more willing to compromise Aisha? Do you rail against the liberal use of expletives, the relaxed attitude to recreational drug … Continue reading Christos Tsiolkas, The slap (Review)
Australian writers
Joan London, The good parents (Spoilers, sort of)
I was looking forward to reading Joan London's most recent novel, The good parents, because I loved her Gilgamesh, not only for its engrossing story but also for its evocation of place and period and its spare writing. The plot of The good parents is a simple one. Maya, Jacob and Toni's 18 year-old daughter, disappears just before … Continue reading Joan London, The good parents (Spoilers, sort of)
Boori (Monty) Pryor, Maybe tomorrow
Boori Pryor I wonder why I didn't read this book when it was published about 10 years ago? In the 1960s, when I was in my teens, I read poems like Kath Walker's (later Oodgeroo Noonuccal) We are going; in the 1970s when I was at university it was more academic works such as the … Continue reading Boori (Monty) Pryor, Maybe tomorrow
Eve Langley, The pea-pickers
It is hard to classify Langley's most famous novel, The pea-pickers, which was first published in 1942. In some ways it fits into the coming-of-age genre but it is different from the more usual offerings in that genre, if only because there is no real sense at the end that the protagonist has come of age! It … Continue reading Eve Langley, The pea-pickers
Whispering Gums 