As I was reading Pierre Lemaitre's literary page-turner, The great swindle, I started to wonder about the endings of books, what I look for, what I most appreciate. What I don't look for is neat, happy conclusions. There are exceptions to this of course. Jane Austen, for example, but she was writing at a different time when … Continue reading Pierre Lemaitre, The great swindle (Review)
War literature
Josephine Rowe, A loving, faithful animal (Review)
How many novels have you read featuring the Vietnam War? I've not read many I must say, but last year I did review Charles Hall's Summer's gone, and now this year I've read Josephine Rowe's A loving, faithful animal. It's a debut novel but, from its form, you can tell that Rowe is an accomplished short story writer. I … Continue reading Josephine Rowe, A loving, faithful animal (Review)
Anthony Doerr, All the light we cannot see (Review)
Just when you thought that there couldn't possibly be another angle to writing about World War 2, up comes another book that does just that, like, for example, Anthony Doerr's Pulitzer prize-winning All the light we cannot see. I had, of course, heard of it, but it wasn't high on my reading agenda until it was chosen as … Continue reading Anthony Doerr, All the light we cannot see (Review)
Edith Wharton, Writing a war story (Review)
"Writing a war story" is quite different to the Edith Whartons I've read to date, and it was clear from the opening sentence - "Miss Ivy Spang of Cornwall-on-Hudson had published a little volume of verse before the war". It was the comic tone that did it. All the previous works of hers I've read, several novels and … Continue reading Edith Wharton, Writing a war story (Review)
Halina Rubin, Journeys with my mother (Review)
I've read a lot of World War 2 literature over the years, but very little from the Polish point of view, so I was more than willing to read Halina Rubin's Journeys with my mother when it was offered to me a few months ago. Rubin was born in Warsaw on 27 August 1939. Note the date: her mother, … Continue reading Halina Rubin, Journeys with my mother (Review)
Aminatta Forna, The hired man (Review)
Early in Aminatta Forna's The hired man, the narrator Duro is told by his old, ex-best friend Krešimir, "People have moved on, Duro. Maybe you should too". At this point we are not sure exactly what they have moved on from but we guess it might have something to do with war - and as … Continue reading Aminatta Forna, The hired man (Review)
Monday musings on Australian literature: World War 1 in Australian Literary Culture
A couple of weeks ago, while I was having coffee with Australian Women Writers' Challenge team member, Yvonne (of Stumbling Through the Past), she mentioned a project at the AustLit website, World War 1 in Australian Literary Culture. Given this year is the centenary - have you heard?! - of the start of the First World War, and given … Continue reading Monday musings on Australian literature: World War 1 in Australian Literary Culture
Richard Flanagan: The narrow road to the deep north (Review)
I love generosity of spirit, the ability to rise above terrible things to see the humanity that lies beneath. Richard Flanagan's Booker Prize shortlisted The narrow road to the deep north is, without being sentimental or glossing over the horror, a generous book - and this is why I expect it will be one of … Continue reading Richard Flanagan: The narrow road to the deep north (Review)
Olivera Simić, Surviving peace: A political memoir (Review)
I hadn't heard of Olivera Simić when Spinifex Press offered me her book, Surviving peace: a political memoir, to review, but her subject matter - the Bosnian war, to put it broadly - was of particular interest to me, so I said yes. You see, I worked for several years with a woman who, like Simić, was also … Continue reading Olivera Simić, Surviving peace: A political memoir (Review)
Elia Kazan, Audience tomorrow: Preview in New Guinea (Review)
In my previous life I worked in a film library and film archive, so I was drawn to this week's Library of America offering, "Audience tomorrow: Preview in New Guinea" by film director Elia Kazan*. My interest was strengthened by two more facts. Firstly, the title mentions New Guinea, which I visited twice in the late 1970s. Secondly, … Continue reading Elia Kazan, Audience tomorrow: Preview in New Guinea (Review)
Whispering Gums 