Book news, reviews and recommendations
Australian writer Favel Parrett’s beautifully expressed When the Night Come made quite an impression on me when it was published in the UK back in 2014. It was its Antarctica setting that first attracted me but it was Parrett’s gorgeous writing that left me wanting more. It’s clear from its dedication that There Was Still […]
There Was Still Love by Favel Parrett: A poignant tribute Read More »
I’m sure this isn’t the first reread I’ve reviewed here but aside from Amy Bloom’s Rowing to Eden, which turned out to be made up of several collections of short stories, nothing comes to mind. Australian writer Helen Garner’s The Spare Room was published in 2008 and has recently been reissued. I remember reading it
The Spare Room by Helen Garner: Stretched to the limits Read More »
I was a little wary of Gail Jones’ new novel, having been somewhat disappointed by A Guide to Berlin a few years back. All the poetic elegance of Sorry and Sixty Lights was present and correct but it felt a bit strained to me. The Death of Noah Glass flows much more smoothly. When the
The Death of Noah Glass by Gail Jones: Love, death and art Read More »
I spotted An Isolated Incident on Twitter and liked the look of it but thought it might be too much of a crime novel for me. My appetite for crime fiction is more than sated by TV. Then it turned up in the post, sent by Eye Books the tiny publisher who’ve released it here
An Isolated Incident by Emily Maguire: A crime novel for those who don’t read crime Read More »
I can’t say that I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve read by Peter Carey but a new novel by him is always worth investigating. My absolute favourite is Oscar and Lucinda, so much so that I’ve read it three times. I can’t quite put my finger on why but there’s something about the tone of A Long
A Long Way From Home by Peter Carey: Finding your place in the world Read More »
Last year’s reading got off to a very satisfying start with a book by an Australian author – Jennifer Down’s compassionate, clear-sighted and lovely debut, Our Magic Hour. Coincidentally, this year’s has also begun with a beautifully crafted, thoroughly engaging Australian novel. I’d read and enjoyed Michelle de Kretser’s Questions of Travel a few years
The Life to Come by Michelle de Kretser: The way we live now Read More »
Given that I nicked this idea from Kim, an Australian who blogs at Reading Matters, it seems only fair to round up five Australian books I’ve read. Below are five novels from that part of the world I’ve particularly enjoyed, all but one with links to a review on this blog. David Malouf’s Remembering Babylon
Five Australian Novels I’ve Read Read More »
I’m not sure how I managed to miss Dominic Smith’s novel last year, although the hardback edition’s jacket is somewhat off-putting. In his author’s note Smith tells his readers that the eponymous Sara is loosely based on one of the first women to be admitted to St Luke’s Guild in the 17th-century Netherlands, explaining that
The Last Painting of Sara de Vos by Dominic Smith: Art and fakery Read More »
This book was actually published here in the UK at the very tail end of 2016 – I hope that won’t mean that it falls through the Christmas/New Year coverage cracks because it deserves attention. Our Magic Hour is Jennifer Down’s debut and comes from Australian publishers Text Publishing whose books I’ve learnt to look
Our Magic Hour by Jennifer Down: Learning to look after yourself Read More »
This is the latest in a series of occasional posts featuring books I read years ago about which I was wildly enthusiastic at the time, wanting to press a copy in as many hands as I could. David Malouf is one of those writers who seems to be able to turn his hand to anything:
Blasts from the Past: Remembering Babylon by David Malouf (1993) Read More »
Both Joan London’s previous novels – Gilgamesh and The Good Parents – stand out for me as fine examples of clean, elegant writing, free of unnecessary ornament. Both also share the theme which runs through The Golden Age: the plight of the outsider, or in this case, outsiders. Frank is the thirteen-year-old son of Jewish-Hungarian
The Golden Age by Joan London: The healing power of love Read More »