This novel, written originally in 1971, ensconces the reader in the counterculture that emerged following the Vietnam war. It is told from Mr. Fairbanks point of view and the point of view of those who were experiencing that period. Effective characterisation is a strength and the novel challenges the movement’s ideals with the harsh reality.Continue reading “The Drifters by James Michener”
Genre Archives
Night Beach by Kirsty Eagar
This Australian gothic horror young adult fiction is enthralling. It is written from the point of view of a highly imaginative and sensitive Abbie. She mentions romantic and surrealist artists and poets throughout the novel, such as René Magritte, Dorothea Tanning, Giorgio De Chirico, Henry David Thoreau and Rupert Brooke. These artists illustrate how sheContinue reading “Night Beach by Kirsty Eagar”
Krakatau Dragon: Legend One: The Hatchling Prince
McLennan has written a delightful first book about the formation of Sumatra. When the island volcano of Krakatau explodes, Minkatau, Queen of the Krakatau Fire-Dragons is hurled from her fire-cave as far as the icy waters of the great frozen South land, where her Hatchling Prince, MoroToba is ready to be born. Once the PrinceContinue reading “Krakatau Dragon: Legend One: The Hatchling Prince”
Past the Shallows by Favel Parrett
This debut novel about three brothers is an intense sensory experience set in the harsh coastal area of Bruny Island, Tasmania. Joe has left his brothers Miles and Harry behind with their grieving and alcoholic father after their mother dies. “I hope he’s dead,” Miles says to Joe, emphasising the pain they have endured dueContinue reading “Past the Shallows by Favel Parrett”
Beautiful Revolutionary by Laura Elizabeth Woollett
Based on the Jonestown massacre, this book is a fast-paced, concise read. There is always a feeling that you are on the edge of the killing that is to come. Woollett has interviewed the survivors of the event. Jim Jones has celebrity swagger, is eloquent and persuasive, wears dark shades and is handsome. In theContinue reading “Beautiful Revolutionary by Laura Elizabeth Woollett”
Girl A by Abigail Dean
Main character Lex Gracie displays tenacity and intelligence in the face of a dreadful experience perpetrated by her parents. The aftermath of living in a house of violence and dysfunction is the focus of this story. After Lex’s mother dies, she gets in touch with her siblings to work out what to do with theContinue reading “Girl A by Abigail Dean”
Long Hard Road Out of Hell by Marilyn Manson
This book was published in 1998, and the context of what is written must be viewed through that lens. It is an autobiography of the character Marilyn Manson modelled on Dante’s Inferno. Manson’s signature is saying extreme things, pushing limits, transgressing to test people’s acceptance. This fiction stays completely in this lane, with intentional ironyContinue reading “Long Hard Road Out of Hell by Marilyn Manson”
History of Violence by Édouard Louis
This autobiographical novel documents Édouard’s rape at gunpoint. Édouard’s ambivalence toward Reda – the perpetrator – is at the centre of the subtle and complex story. Although Édouard reports him to the police he tries to understand what happened. After analysing the motives of Reda, he realises that Reda is ashamed of his homosexuality. Édouard’sContinue reading “History of Violence by Édouard Louis”
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
In this story Adeline or Addie cuts a deal with the darkness to escape her mundane village existence. Henry is the only person who remembers her name. She explains to him everyone else forgets her the minute she walks away “Because”, she says, slumping back against the concrete wall. “I’m cursed”. Addie is born inContinue reading “The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab”
Before the Coffee gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi.
In a little coffee shop in Tokyo, Fumiko is dumped by her boyfriend. He leaves for America, leaving her devastated. She revisits the place and enquires about a fabled magic chair that lets people time travel. A ghostly woman occupies the chair and only when she visits the powder room can you sit there, orContinue reading “Before the Coffee gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi.”
The Pigeon by Patrick Suskind
Jonathan Noel is a security guard that lives a perfectly ordered life in Paris. His life has been so uneventful that a thunderstorm is remembered as an occasion when things went awry. Just when he is about to buy his apartment, as he had planned for some time, things changed. The purchase was an attemptContinue reading “The Pigeon by Patrick Suskind”
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
This book investigates how people cope with the unspeakable. The character Eleanor is an authentic and lonely person who isolates on schedule. She slowly moves into the world of other people when a neighbour needs her help. “I was glad to help, glad to be moving away from Mummy-related conversation. There were various chores MrsContinue reading “Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman”
The Glass Bead Game (Magister Ludi) by Herman Hesse.
Set in the future around 25 AD this allegory is told from an historian’s perspective. It focuses on the 23rd Century and the main character is Joseph Knecht. Set in Castalia, the story is revealed through documents written by Knecht’s contemporaries. Further insight is gained through poems and short stories written by Knecht. Castalia isContinue reading “The Glass Bead Game (Magister Ludi) by Herman Hesse.”
Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver.
Dellarobia Turnbow, is bored with her life as a farm wife. She sets out for a rendezvous with a younger man and is entranced by a hillside covered in orange monarch butterflies or King Billies. Although some consider this strange phenomenon a divine intervention, entomologist Ovid Byron determines it is due to climate change. KingsolverContinue reading “Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver.”
Circe by Madeline Miller
If you love Greek mythology Circe is for you. Madeline Miller creates a world based on the enchantress. Circe is the daughter of the sun god Helios and Oceanid nymph, Perse. Circe has long been an inspiration in literature. Homer and James Joyce wrote of her. She was a powerful sorceress who turned sailors intoContinue reading “Circe by Madeline Miller”
True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey
Papers transported to Melbourne inside a metal trunk are the basis of Carey’s story. Broken up into age brackets, it chronicles Ned’s life from his point of view. Events of his life show his humanity. After his father’s passing, Ned felt “there would never be a knot or a rabbit I skun or a horseContinue reading “True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey”
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