I'm not quite sure I know where to start with this one - the ghost story that isn't. Or is it? The little stranger is my second Sarah Waters' novel. I found The night watch riveting, and I did see and enjoy (but not read) her very Dickensian Fingersmith. Like The night watch, The little stranger was … Continue reading Sarah Waters, The little stranger
English writers
Helen Simonson, Major Pettigrew’s last stand
If you like warm-hearted novels with a positive ending you may like this. If you like such novels with a touch of social commentary you will probably like this. If you like books like The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and Miss Garnet's angel, then this is definitely for you. But if you … Continue reading Helen Simonson, Major Pettigrew’s last stand
Leslie Geddes-Brown, Books do furnish a room
There was no resisting this book - Books do furnish a room - when I saw it on a table in the National Library of Australia's bookshop. It's rare for me to buy a coffee-table book but ... this is one gorgeous book. It is lavishly illustrated with images of books in pretty well every room … Continue reading Leslie Geddes-Brown, Books do furnish a room
Hilary Mantel, Wolf Hall
An interesting question to ponder when thinking about Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall is the significance of the title. While the place Wolf Hall, the family seat of the Seymour family, does get a few mentions it does not really function as a location. Wolves, however, are one of the subtle motifs running through the novel. … Continue reading Hilary Mantel, Wolf Hall
Kazuo Ishiguro, Nocturnes: Five stories of music and nightfall
I like Kazuo Ishiguro - and have read 5 of his 6 novels - so I was looking forward to reading Nocturnes, his first published collection of short stories. Nocturnes, as the subtitle describes, comprises five short stories, each focussing in some way on music, and on a day's end. The five stories - a … Continue reading Kazuo Ishiguro, Nocturnes: Five stories of music and nightfall
Tessa Hadley, Friendly fire
"Friendly fire", a short story by the English writer Tessa Hadley, is a simple story of two middle-aged women cleaners in an industrial warehouse, Pam who owns the cleaning business and her friend Shelley who is helping her out for the day. The story focuses on Shelley and nothing much really happens - it's more … Continue reading Tessa Hadley, Friendly fire
George Orwell, Bookshop memories
I do like to read a bit of Orwell every now and then - and for that reason, though I have other books of his to read in my TBR pile, I recently bought his essay collection, Books v. cigarettes, in Penguin's delightful Great Ideas series. I blogged about the first essay a couple of months ago. … Continue reading George Orwell, Bookshop memories
Jim Crace, Being dead
The old "so many books, so little time" mantra means that I very rarely read a book more than once (other than my Jane Austens of course), but I have read Jim Crace's Being dead twice. I love this book. I know some find the subject matter unappealing but I find it not only fascinating … Continue reading Jim Crace, Being dead
Julian Barnes, The limner
I'm probably going to show my ignorance here as I'm no expert in short stories. I do however like them and have read a fair smattering over the years. Julian Barnes' The limner is interesting because it is historical, that is, unlike most short stories that I have read, it is set in the past … Continue reading Julian Barnes, The limner
George Orwell, Books v. Cigarettes
We all do it! That is, we say we haven't got the time to do something or we can't afford something when in fact we really could if we changed our priorities. This idea is the inspiration for George Orwell's essay titled "Books v. Cigarettes" (written in 1946). It all started when a newspaper editor told him … Continue reading George Orwell, Books v. Cigarettes
Whispering Gums 