Like many, I was astonished when I read Elizabeth Harrower's The watchtower (my review), upon its publication by Text Classics in 2012. Astonished not so much for its writing, though that is excellent, but for its subject, which is what we'd now call coercive control. The astonishment comes from the fact that The watchtower was … Continue reading Helen Trinca, Looking for Elizabeth: The life of Elizabeth Harrower (#BookReview)
Elizabeth Harrower
Epiphany in Harrower’s “The fun of the fair”
With Bill's AWW Gen 4 Week still in play, I hoped I'd find something relevant to share from Reading like an Australian writer. And there was, a discussion by novelist Emily Maguire of a short story by Elizabeth Harrower. The short story, as you can probably guess, is titled "The fun of the fair" and … Continue reading Epiphany in Harrower’s “The fun of the fair”
Elizabeth Harrower, The long prospect (#BookReview)
Oppression and tyranny, power and manipulation in human relationships are the stuff of Elizabeth Harrower's writing, at least in my experience of it, and so I found it again in her second novel The long prospect. Unlike The watch tower (my review), however, which explores the more traditional domination of women by a man, The … Continue reading Elizabeth Harrower, The long prospect (#BookReview)
Monday musings on Australian literature: Contemporary thoughts on Elizabeth Harrower
Contemporary is an odd word isn't it? I like using it, but worry about ambiguity, given it can mean either "living or occurring at the same time" or "belonging to or occurring in the present". So, when I say "contemporary thoughts on Elizabeth Harrower", how do you know which meaning I intend? Well, to put … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Contemporary thoughts on Elizabeth Harrower
Delicious descriptions from Elizabeth Harrower’s country
In my recent review of Elizabeth Harrower's short story collection, A few days in the country, and other stories, I included a few excerpts from the stories, but they primarily were chosen to reflect the themes and content. In this post, I want to focus on her use of language, through just a small number of … Continue reading Delicious descriptions from Elizabeth Harrower’s country
Elizabeth Harrower, A few days in the country, and other stories (Review)
There's something about Elizabeth Harrower. I've just read her Stella Prize shortlisted short story collection A few days in the country, and other stories - and wow! Really, just wow! If you're a regular reader here, you've probably noticed that I'm not one to effuse excessively about books, anymore than I'm one to pan them. I'm … Continue reading Elizabeth Harrower, A few days in the country, and other stories (Review)
Delicious descriptions from Elizabeth Harrower’s Circles
In my recent review of Elizabeth Harrower's In certain circles, I focused on the book's form and overall themes, and warned that I'd produce a Delicious Descriptions to share some of her writing. So, here it is, organised by headings to keep it simple ... Gender I didn't focus on gender in my review, but this is Harrower, and it is one … Continue reading Delicious descriptions from Elizabeth Harrower’s Circles
Elizabeth Harrower, In certain circles (Review)
There's an interesting story behind Elizabeth Harrower's last novel, In certain circles. It was all set for publication in 1971, following her very successful The watch tower (my review), when Harrower pulled it. Why? I wondered about this as I read it, and I have some ideas, but more on that anon. First, the story. … Continue reading Elizabeth Harrower, In certain circles (Review)
Delicious descriptions from Down Under: Elizabeth Harrower on Circular Quay
When I reviewed Elizabeth Harrower's The watch tower the other day I wanted to fill it up with quotes from the book because her writing is so delicious. And that means, of course, that it is perfect for a Delicious Descriptions post. The one I've chosen occurs at the end of Part 2 (of three … Continue reading Delicious descriptions from Down Under: Elizabeth Harrower on Circular Quay
Elizabeth Harrower, The watch tower (Review)
Cover for The watch tower (Courtesy: Text Publishing) Elizabeth Harrower's fourth and final novel, The watch tower, is a rather harrowing (couldn't resist that) read. It is also an astonishing read, and I wonder why it has had such little recognition over the decades or so since its publication in 1966. Thanks to Text Classics, … Continue reading Elizabeth Harrower, The watch tower (Review)
Whispering Gums 