Synopsis: Thinly veiled autobiographical account of David Malouf’s adolescence and early adulthood and his changing relationships with his eponymous best friend, Johnno and the town of his birth, Brisbane. A must for all Queenslanders.
My Take: I have a very warm spot in my heart for David Malouf. He’s the kind of writer that I would [...]
Entries Tagged as 'Fiction'
“Johnno”, David Malouf
August 4th, 2009 · No Comments · Australian, Fiction, Literature, Queensland, biography
Tags:David Malouf
“Foundation”, Isaac Asimov
July 25th, 2009 · No Comments · Fiction, ICT, Sci-Fi, Under-Rated
Synopsis: First novel (in order of release, not chronology) of the seven volume Foundation series tracing ‘psychohistorian’, Hari Seldon’s efforts to restore civilisation in the wake of the collapse of the Galactic Empire.
My Take: I’m not usually a fan of Science Fiction (and I’m NEVER a fan of fantasy. Yes that includes The Lord of [...]
Tags:Isacc Asimov
“The Sun Also Rises”, Ernest Hemingway
July 23rd, 2009 · 4 Comments · American, Fiction, History
Synopsis: A group of American dilettantes living in post WW1 Europe travel from France to Pamplona for the Running of the Bulls. The men in the group (as well as many of the locals they encounter) covet and vigorously pursue the beautiful and promiscuous Brett Ashley, but the narrator, war veteran Jake Barnes, is [...]
Tags:Ernest Hemmingway
“The Da Vinci Code”, Dan O’Brien
July 19th, 2009 · 1 Comment · American, Fiction, Trash
Synopsis: I think everyone pretty well knows the deal here.
My Take: WARNING RANT AHEAD
I would have never picked up this book if left to my own devices but I was bullied into it by both friends and family who accused me of being a shallow snob for turning my nose up at a book [...]
Tags:Dan Brown
"Love is a Mix Tape", Rod Sheffield
July 14th, 2009 · No Comments · Fiction, Trash
Synopsis: Autobiographical account of Boy meets girl. Boy marries girl. Boy and girl live happily until girl dies of pulmonary embolism. Boy spirals into depression before loving again etc etc.
My Take: Hmmm. I was rooting for this one to come off. The subject matter has great potential – very emotionally rich.
Unfortunately, the author can’t quite [...]
Tags:Rob Sheffield
“Lush Life”, Richard Price
July 10th, 2009 · No Comments · American, Fiction, Trash, Under-Rated
Synopsis: An aspiring writer and practising bartender is shot dead in a mugging gone wrong on the streets of Manhattan’s Lower East Side. It’s written by a screen-writer for The Wire – what more do you need to know?
My Take: I hadn’t even heard of Richard Price when a friend recommended “Lush Life” to [...]
Tags:Richard Price
"Scoop", Evelyn Waugh
July 7th, 2009 · No Comments · English, Fiction, Literature, Politics
Synopsis: A case of mistaken identity results in the pastoralist nature writer for the London tabloid, The Daily Beast, being sent as a foreign correspondent to cover a brewing Communist insurrection in the fictional African state of Ishmaelia. Satire that makes ‘Frontline’ look like a loving homage to the media.
My Take: Bitchiness like this can [...]
Tags:Evelyn Waugh
"Digging to America", Anne Tyler
July 5th, 2009 · No Comments · American, Fiction, Trash
Synopsis: Two Korean babies are adopted by American families with different approaches to ethnicity.
My Take: I only picked this one up because I thought the little Asian girl on the cover of the Australian edition was cute – and yes, you can judge a book by it’s cover. A totally lightweight book targeted at stay [...]
Tags:Anne Tyler
"Less Than Zero", Bret Easton Ellis
July 4th, 2009 · 1 Comment · American, Fiction, Literature, Nihilist
Synopsis: Privileged LA teen returns to the West Coast on holiday from his East Coast University. The protagonist attempts to confront the emotional emptiness of his casually amoral life the only was he knows how – through sex, drugs and pointless consumption.
My Take: In my first year at university I went through a [...]
Tags:Bret Easton Ellis