... and now we have a winner! Those of you who have been following the tournament will know that the two books facing off in the Finale were Helen Garner's The children's Bach and Joan London's Gilgamesh. I would not have guessed this at the beginning (and neither, they say, did the organisers). Not because these … Continue reading Meanjin’s Tournament of Books 2011, Finale
Joan London
Meanjin’s Tournament of Books 2011, Zombie Rounds
Just one round of Meanjin's tournament of books to go ... after this one, that is. The Zombie round comprises the winners of Semifinals 1 and 2 being pitted against the books returned to the fray by reader vote in the Zombie poll (on which I reported at the end of the Semifinals post). Zombie Round … Continue reading Meanjin’s Tournament of Books 2011, Zombie Rounds
Monday musings on Australian literature: Five fascinating fictional fathers
This week's Monday musings has a personal, sentimental, genesis. Last Friday, my 91-year-old father underwent his third major abdominal surgery in 6 years. It's a big ask for an older body but he's hanging in there. My parents, not surprisingly I suppose, were instrumental in my becoming a reader. My mother introduced me to Jane … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: Five fascinating fictional fathers
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)
Whispering Gums 