Member: evening

Hi Jeremy,
Indeed you have read some of our best. I love Vintners Luck and Mister Pip. I am delighted to see Lloyd Jones has released his latest 'Hand Me Down World'. I am hoping it will find it's way to my Christmas stocking. There is also a new biography out on Katherine Mansfield - Katherine Mansfield: The Story Teller by Kathleen Jones. It has had excellent reviews, but currently only available in hardback.
Helen

posted by HelenBaker at 1:13 am (EST) on Nov 7, 2010

I was relieved to read your review of 'Truth', evening. I have little experience of this genre but found myself losing track of the huge number of characters in this book. Fortunately I have paid a visit to Melbourne, otherwise I would not recognise it from this book. I am surprised it won the Miles Franklin as it was far from literary. Much of the dialogue I had to reread and was still none the wiser. Caught myself thinking it might be better on TV, at least I would have visual props to help sort the characters. As a NZer, I also became tired of the constant put downs of the NZ police. Is that really how the Aussie police perceive their Kiwi counterparts?

posted by HelenBaker at 11:36 pm (EST) on Nov 6, 2010

I agree with what you've said in your review of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Crass IS the word that comes to my mind. too. And it does seem that Larsson just wanted to 'enthrall the reader with descriptions of violence and sadism'. I reviewed the book too but I don't think mine got the point across as clearly as your review has done. Well done!

posted by Porua at 5:44 am (EST) on Apr 22, 2010

Evening,

Just read your review of "Cloud Atlas" on Hannah Holborn's LT site, and wanted to say that one need look no further in each nest of the narrative than: who is the powerful, and who is the downtrodden? "Cloud Atlas," as fascinating and innovative as it is, is really thematically about who is subjugating whom. For a really outstanding review of it, check edgeworth's site at Library Thing.

posted by LukeS at 2:59 pm (EST) on Mar 19, 2009

Hi Jeremy - My comment about [The Piano Tuner] had to do with the British belief that Carroll had conspired with the Russians (and the French, presumably) to overthrow the British power in Burma. There simply wasn't nearly enough proof that there was any conspiracy. Carroll was certainly eccentric, but that's the worst I could see in him, especially coming from Captain Nash-Burnham, a man who purported to have been his friend. In fact, the whole ending didn't work for me. It seemed rushed and too much of a "Heart of Darkness" ripoff (though I'll grant you I haven't read Heart of Darkness in 40 years so my memory of it is very suspect).

posted by whymaggiemay at 7:29 pm (EST) on Jun 1, 2008