Kate’s Year of Nostalgia and Hope Part 3

Beswick Station NT, 1970

I’m starting part 3 of this year’s thread by recommending two books that feature the First Nation people of Australia. The First Nation arrived on the continent around 50,000 years ago; the oldest continuous living culture on Earth

I recently read both Remembering Babylon by David Malouf and The Sun Walks Down by Fiona McFarlane and was struck by the sensitive way both writers describe the Aborigines. Aborigine is word that most Australians use for First Nation people and although there’s controversy lately about verbage and First Australians (e.g. “Welcome to Country”), I will continue to use the word that they are most known by.

In both books, Aborigines play almost a background part, more so in Remembering Babylon. But they are there in the shadows and the constant reminder that they are the owners of the land that the whites and other non-white immigrants walk upon.

I suppose it was this that made me feel at home with the novels as many Australians have not met or at least known many Aborigines. They tend to live in settlements outside of towns, or in the outback.

It would be culturally offensive for most non-indigenous to pretend to know their culture, and very few books have an aboriginal as the main character. Coonardoo (1929) was the first book I read that claimed to describe the inner of thoughts of an Aborigine. The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith (1972) describes the life of an Aboriginal man. Both books have rightly been criticized as cultural appropriation. How can a White write about the Aboriginal experience?

The books I am recommending do not attempt to describe the feelings and inner thoughts of the aboriginal characters. I don’t think they are even individually named in Remembering Babylon which is by far the better book. But McFarlane does a great job and is a so much younger writer, well worth following.

It is interesting that in both books Aborigines dominate although they are not in the forefront of the novel. And I suppose this is true of most Australians. Comprising only 3.8% of the population, Aborigines live their lives largely unseen but ever present in Australian culture. They will make the news when there’s an event propelling them to the limelight, but most non-Aborginals reside in coastal cities of the southeast.

I do hope I’ll be able to write meaningful reviews of these books, but in the meantime I felt it important to mention them.

Sound good. I would like to read Malouf. Remembering Babylon may be the book to begin with

The girls and I studied the origins of the Aborigine people a bit last year in ancient history. We even tried to replicate their traditional fish traps, first in the bathtub with Legos then in Minecraft. I tried to find some representative children's books and found a few I liked:


Dreamtime: Aboriginal Stories by Oodgeroo Noonuccal, illustrated by Bronwyn Bancroft


Sun Mother Wakes the World: An Australian Creation Story by by Diane Wolkstein, illustrated by Bronwyn Bancroft


Birrarung Wilam: A Story from Aboriginal Australia by by Aunty Joy Murphy and Andrew Kelly, illustrated by Lisa Kennedy


Big Rain Coming by Katrina Germein, illustrated by Bronwyn Bancroft

I particularly liked Bronwyn Bancroft's artwork.

>4 labfs39: Thanks Lisa. I remember my son getting these sorts of books when he had a job counseling at children’s camps in the US about 20 years ago. Since then the First Nation has become more politically active. I realise that most of the books you listed were written by First Nation people and commend you on teaching your sister’s children about aboriginal culture. Now there is an increasing push by the First Nation for books that reflect what they perceive as representing their people in ways that show how they feel.

Unfortunately too many white Australians have reacted badly to the First Nation claims of social appropriation.

Here are some First Nation children’s books illustrating First Nation views on how they want to be seen.
Picture Books & Storytelling
Somebody’s Land: Welcome to Our Country by Adam Goodes and Ellie Laing – “Angentle, essential introduction to First Nations history and the concept of caring for Country.

My Culture and Me by Gregg Dreise – “A warm, rhythmic picture book about staying connected to your roots, family, and heritage.”

Junior & Middle-Grade Readers
Young Dark Emu. by Bruce Pascoe – “Adapted for younger readers, this book challenges traditional historical narratives by exploring Aboriginal agriculture and land management prior to European settlement.”

Bindi by Kirli Saunders – “An award-winning junior verse novel that explores nature, climate, and bushfires through the eyes of an 11-year-old girl.”

Note all descriptions are from the First Nation publisher - Magabala Books.

>4 labfs39: love those covers!

>5 kjuliff: Interesting, Kate, thank you for the suggestions. I tried searching for the books you mentioned, but none are available in the state of Maine library system. That's often the problem: access. Since we go through hundreds of books a year, I can't afford to buy them all, and so I have to rely on what I can beg, borrow, or steal. I try to find books from diverse voices, and in the books above, I sometimes had to settle for an indigenous illustrator, but with children's picture books, that's just as important, I think.

I’ve been a bit down lately, and unable to express my thoughts about the brilliant Remembering Babylon.

I recently had a sad visit to my new cardiologist. My old one had retired. He was a lovely man of Italian heritage and he had those good looks that Italian men who are older often keep. He actually told me I don’t even need a cardiologist, but it was best to have one on-hand and to keep in the system just in case.

So I picked a new one who practices at the same hospital, and was shocked when he and his intern started making jokes about the Italian doctor. “ I wasn’t even born when Doctor X went to med school” one of them laughed. “He’s so old- school”, the other exclaimed. They went on and on. Then, recognising my accent the new cardiologist went on and on about the cricket, even proceeding to name the best bowlers since 1972. Then without any physical examination he prescribed me a course of injections that cost thousands.My insurance will pay but I don’t want them. (I later discovered one of the common side effects is bronchitis). He asked me to sign a form and I explained I couldn’t read it because I was blind and he said “Oh that doesn’t matter. I’ll sign it for you.”

Now I have to find another cardiologist and one was recommended to me last Thursday by my pulmonologist who is a lovely man. But I’m having trouble getting an appointment.

Surely it is unethical for doctors to laugh derisively about colleagues just because of their age. As for the injections I am underweight at 90 pound, and my cholesterol ranges and BP are normal. The new guy tried to scare me by talking about strokes. I really believe my old cardiologist I’ve been seeing for years. Plus at least he had sex appeal.

>8 kjuliff: I'm sorry you had such a negative experience with your new cardiologist. I'm glad you are looking for someone else.

Your last line elicited an unexpected guffaw.

>8 kjuliff: dear lord one would think. wishing you luck you find one soon and id report those so called dr to the top person of that facility thse people shoule be disbared

About two thirds through The Emperor of Gladness I was worried that it might be a feel-good book. I was wrong. Thankfully. I don’t usually enjoy feel-good books. I was also worried that I was immunised from Ocean Vuong’s excellent writing, having recently read his On Earth We Re All Briefly Gorgeous.

I was wrong on both counts. I’ve finished the book and recommended highly. Yes, it’s a sad book, but it’s not a depressing book. Highly recommended.

>11 kjuliff: Great review of The Emperor of Gladness, Kate. I know what you mean regarding your fear of having delved into a "feel good" book. My own review begins thusly:

"You know that sort of novel full of quirky, misfit characters who band together somehow, in a music group, say, or at a workplace, or in a bar. They are poor, probably, and/or otherwise outsiders. Their lives are hard, and they probably have some stronger outside force arrayed against them: an evil landlord or building developer, or a relative with power of attorney who just doesn't understand, or maybe the medical industry, but none of that matters in the end, because they have each other and their quirky humor and positive outlooks on life. There might be some good writing, but overall the novel provides a feel-good cartoon of a story, even if the ending's not all that happy. Over the years, my patience for such novels has been worn down to a stubble.

The Emperor of Gladness could have been that, because what I've just described is the basic framework. But Ocean Vuong is such a good writer, his ability to infuse this archetype with depth and breadth so acute, that this novel instead becomes a moving and memorable testimony of friendship and continued struggle against the headwinds of poverty, diminished expectations and disappointment with one's own choices."

>12 rocketjk: Thanks Jerry. I’ve had to read something more basic now. I have been fortunate to read quite a few good books lately and really need to get around to writing reviews of them.

This from The Emperor of Gladness.
Every generation says this of itself, but these were indeed bewildering and unprecedented times he lived in. A time before iPhones were everywhere, and people still looked up as they walked, their heads filled with self-generated thoughts, floating up from deep pits in the subconscious. A time when you still knocked on each others doors, and if you wanted to talk to somebody, you had to call them (…) meet up someone. One of you waiting about shifting your feet and looking at clouds or trees or municipal architecture. Cars passing, your dopamine levels higher for not having been depleted from blue light screens throughout the day.

So true. These blue-screens are taking the joy from so many of our kids and grandkids.

I love that you're not only outraged at your new cardiologist's medical knowledge but also at his lack of sex appeal. :)

I usually don’t give negative reviews to books but this time I’m making an exception. Usually you can see in a debut novel the merit you will see in the writer’s future books. So I’m sorry Fiona, but I felt let down.

The song “Little Boy Lost ” is a 1960’s Australian pop/ballad single, based on the successful search for, Steven Walls a four-year-old boy from 'Tubbamurra', a farm near Guyra in the NSW New England Ranges.

I remember this song although I was very young at the time. The search for Steven Walls made national news. There was no fear of abduction back then; white children got lost in the bush when they strayed away from home. The worry was whether they could survive in the often harsh Australian weather conditions in time for people to find them. The song is complete doggerel, but it brought back memories when I read Fiona McFarlane’s book, The Sun Walks Down. This, her third novel is a far cry from her debut - reviewed above. I also read her Highway Thirteen. McFarlane is going from strength to strength.

The Archibald Prize—Australia’s most prestigious and popular portraiture award—was won this year by artist Richard Lewer for his life-size portrait of Pitjantjatjara Elder, senior artist, and traditional healer Iluwanti Ken.

I thought it was a great choice, reminiscent of Nolan’s Ned Kelly’s series. What shocked me was the comments on social media. There were so many negative comments, claiming that the painting could be done by a child, that it only won because it showed a First Nations person, the usual ignorant rubbish.

The reactions prompted me to write my review of David Malouf’s Remembering Babylon

>8 kjuliff: I have no patience insensitive doctors showing their arrogance. Of course, in Houston, there is always another option. They aren't usually very attractive to me, being often of the wrong gender.

>11 kjuliff: lovely review. I need to read Vuong. I'm caught in the wrong mindset just now. But this opens it up!

>17 kjuliff: this story of a lost boy sounds excellent

>18 kjuliff: oh, lovely. I see the appeal. I may need some Malouf.

>19 kjuliff: kudos for getting through Jude. I don't image we are supposed to like a character named after Judas, if that's the case. But then, who knows. Anyway, I have never read Hardy. That's a problem! I must fix.

>20 dchaikin: Thank you Dan for your positive comments - I really appreciated them.

Regarding Jude the Obscure, I think most readers would feel compassion towards Hardy’s Jude. He is not named after Judas Iscariot, the betrayer. Judas is a Christian name derived from the Hebrew name Judah, and recent research tells me “Jude”refers to Judas Thaddaeus, one of Jesus’s twelve apostles, the Catholic saint of lost causes.

There are many religious references to the Christian religion in Jude the Obscure and I expect that my ignorance of Christianity played a part in my dislike of the Jude character who I had trouble understanding. For example I had no idea that Jesus had two disciples both called Judas, and that the nice one became known as Jude in order to differentiate him from the traitor. Apparently he also became obscure!

If you want to read a more positive review of Jude the Obscure there is an excellent one by @Gypsy_Boy, here. It is a much more learned and objective review.

>21 kjuliff: “ the Catholic saint of lost causes” - ha!

Thanks for that kinda fascinating trivia

>19 kjuliff: I read Jude the Obscure in high school and remember liking it--it did send me off to read more Hardy--but wasn't there a weird baby in there somewhere?

>23 RidgewayGirl: yes he was Jude’s little boy called “Father Time”. He was a serious child and when he was shown a bunch of roses, he replied, “I should like the flowers very, very much, if I didn't keep on thinking they'd be all withered in a few days!". There were two other children as well. You may have repressed the ending as it involves that boy and is quite horrible.

I generally like Hardy‘s novels, and especially Tess of the d'Urbervilles.

>19 kjuliff: I'm sorry Jude didn't work for you. It is one of my top ten favourites of all time. There is always something new with each reading.

At the end of my 2022 review, which I thought I had posted on the book's page, but didn't and now will, I quoted Hardy who never wrote another novel after the reception accorded Jude:

...the experience completely curing me of further interest in novel writing he could not write another. He wrote in a 1912 postscript to it ... that a marriage should be dissolvable as soon as it becomes a cruelty to either of the parties - being then essentially and morally no marriage. He also said that by then ...somebody discovered that Jude was a moral work, which "uncursed" the author.

This is how it should be read, as a moral work, as Terry Eagleton said, as a conflict between the ideal and reality, and an examination of the notions of duty and obligation.

>21 kjuliff: Kate, thanks for the shout-out but I have a hard time believing my review to be particularly objective. And "learned." Uh-oh. I may be getting too big for my britches. I'll have to watch myself. Thank you, too, for sharing your reviews here, especially the lovely one about Vuong's Emperor of Gladness. It's in the to-be-read pile but that mostly means it has moved from the pile of thousands to the pile of hundreds! Still, one of these days, there's a decent chance I might actually read it.
I am also sorry that Jude the Obscure wasn't a winner for you. I loved it, as I suppose my review made clear. Even more than Tess of the d'Urbervilles, which I honestly expected to like even more. No right choices, of course, but I'm thinking it's time to revisit Wessex. I need to re-read Mayor of Casterbridge and Far from the Madding Crowd.
Sorry to hear about your doctor. I've been whining to my wife lately about my GI doc. And just in the past couple months I switched my primary care doc and one of my multiple specialists. One of the plusses about living in Chicago (like NY or any other big city, I suppose) is at least there are multiple large hospital systems and some semblance of choice. It may only be a choice between who's "less worse" but every once in a while, I make a pleasant discovery. I realized it was time to start the search for a new GI doc last week when the incumbent decided to start his explanation of what might be wrong by leading off with cancer. After my horrified reaction, he justified himself by saying that he didn't think it likely, just possible. Gee...thanks. I feel so much better now! It's at times like these that I remind myself that fully half of the doctors (lawyers or anything else) finished in the bottom half of their class.

>25 SassyLassy: Thank you for steering me to your review which I really enjoyed and appreciated. I completely agree with your new assessment of Susan Bridehead aas quoted below.

I now dislike her probably more than any other Victorian character. Even the loathsome Arabella's actions at least made some sense..

I didn’t like the character of Susan either. The other woman in Jude’s life, Arabella was more true to herself than the ethereal Sue, who seemed at times to be deliberately hurting Jude.

Thinking back, I’m reminded of the scene in that old movie “Gone With the Wind” where Rhett Butler says to Scarlett O’Hara, “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn.” I wish Jude could’ve said that to Susan when she eventually agreed to consummate their love.

But as I mentioned I couldn’t handle the traumatic part that you refer to in your review. I read to the end, but just knowing of its existence had already put me off the book.

Possibly part of my problem with the book is that I have no real understanding of the Christian religion, and do not understand the flesh/spiritual thing. I do see that the book should be read as a moral tale, but I just didn’t get the Jude-Susan dynamic.

Still, after reading your review, I feel like I should read the book again from a feminist perspective. Susan appears in the book as an independent woman, but she’s not feminine. She does not have empathy, and this shows not just her attitude to her lover Jude, but in her cruelty to Richard and her remote relationship to the children.

Hardy was clearly ahead of his time, and I think I was rather insensitive in blaming Jude when it was Susan who messed everyone up.

Thank you again for posting your very thoughtful review.

>26 Gypsy_Boy: Good to see you here David.

You definitely need a new GI doctor. It’s very hard to fine a good GI doctor. I’m trying to choose middle-aged doctors now as the new ones coming through seem to lack empathy. And they all look about 12 years-old to me!

I really loved Tess of the d'Urbervilles. It’s my favorite Wessex novel. Perhaps it is because you read it soon after Jude the Obscure, that you preferred Jude. That started to happen with me with Ocean Vuong’s The Emperor of Gladness which I read too soon after On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous. I kept thinking it wasn’t as good. But both are excellent.

Kate,
I also meant to thank you for the thoughts on Malouf. He has been a pleasure of mine for a long time. And we lost him so very recently. Do let me know if you get to Randolph Stow and what you think of him as well!

>21 kjuliff: >22 dchaikin: Hardy's Jude does indeed embody the pursuit of many lost causes / dreams, but I think it's also. important to remember that "obscure" is the second half of the title. He is indeed one of the vast obscure, and this shapes him as much as anything.

>27 kjuliff: Second (and third and fourth) reads for a book like this are always worth it. I'm always amazed at how often they make me reconsider, especially if there has been a good interval between readings.

>29 Gypsy_Boy: David,
I have bought a copy of The Merry-Go-Round in the Sea and will be reading it shortly. I noticed that it is narrated by Australian stage actor and writer Humphrey Bower who has an excellent voice. So I am looking forward to it.

Having finished and reviewed The Go-between, above. I read Gliff in one day. It’s going to be a hard book to review. I liked it, I like the word play, but I just don’t know how I’m going to review it. I need to think about it more. Next up is The Merry-go round in the Sea, by Randolph Stow, born in Australia but like many Australian writers he immigrated to England in the 1960s.

>32 kjuliff: Ouch. Book bullet

>32 kjuliff: Oh, this does sound good.

>34 labfs39: >35 RidgewayGirl: Than you. I think you would both like this book. Have either of you read McEwan’s Atonement?

>36 kjuliff: I have read Atonement and liked it, so reading the original appeals.

>36 kjuliff: I read Atonement and was lukewarm.

>37 kjuliff: love this review. I clearly must read Gliff.

>31 kjuliff: >33 kjuliff: Kate, I really do hope you like it. Yes, he left for England, never to return. But his books are so saturated with Australia.... I find him an amazing writer.

>41 Gypsy_Boy: David, yes I did enjoy the book. I’ll be reading more of this writer. Thank you for suggesting it to me.

>43 kjuliff: A lovely review and appreciation. Glad you liked it and thanks for sharing your thoughts.

>43 kjuliff: terrific Kate. The book now appeals. And your insights into it are really interesting.

>43 kjuliff: Another book and author to add to my wishlist. Sounds right up my alley.

>43 kjuliff: Great review, thank you. I should probably wishlist this book, but I’m the moment I am reading mostly lighter books, so I don’t know if I will ever get to it.

>45 dchaikin: Thanks Dan. I always appreciate your comments..

>46 labfs39: yes I think this is book you would enjoy, although the Australian (Strine) is ia little over the top at times. I even had trouble understanding some of it. But still it was interesting to read about WW2 from a Pacific viewpoint, and through the eyes of a child.

>47 FlorenceArt: Florence, I don’t think the book is as heavy as it might have come across in my review. I found it an easy read and there wasn’t a lot that was particularly disturbing in it. If you have the time, I would recommend it for you..

Ive about finished These Days which is an easy read and gives another take on civilians in World War II. The book is set in Belfast. I had not realised that Belfast suffered a blitz like London. The images of people sorting through rabble looking for loved ones is reminiscent of current wars, but it’s written in a rather gentle way and is not in one’s face. Although Lucy Caldwel is from Northern Ireland, she spends a lot of time in London and I think she has developed the art of the English understatement.

Next step I’m toying with the idea of rereading Titus Groan. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to do it but I’d like to try as it was one of my favourite books as a young woman..

>49 kjuliff: I'm looking forward to reading These Days, and I'll keep it in mind for when I want something not to graphic.

I really enjoyed The Gormenghast Trilogy when I read it, and the first book was my favorite, too.

>50 RidgewayGirl: there are bomb scenes in These Days but no blood and gore. It’s a quick read.

Re Titus Groan, i’m wondering how it will hold up. I hope I’m not disappointed.

A bit slow on my reading right now due to health issues. Nothing new, just clear ups from chronic conditions..

I finished These Daysand To the Islands both of which I want to review when I’m up to it.

I'm looking forward to your thoughts on To the Islands. I've already added The Merry-Go-Round in the Sea to my wishlist.

>53 labfs39: Lisa, you stirred me out of my lethargy.

>52 kjuliff: hugs

>56 kjuliff: Excellent review of To the Islands, Kate.

I noticed that Wikipedia has a page titled Indigenous Australian literature. Many years ago I read and enjoyed Carpentaria by Alexis Wright, which won the Miles Franklin Award in 2007. Are there other novels written by aboriginal authors that you would recommend?

>56 kjuliff: Fantastic review, Kate.

>57 kidzdoc: Head cocked listening for your response...

>57 kidzdoc: Alexis Wright is still writing and won the Miles Franklin Award again in 2024 for Praiseworthy, which is very long and I haven’t tried it yet. Melissa Lucashenko’s Too Much Lip sounds interesting. It’s on my TBR list. I’m very limited in availability for Australian literature in general, due to my reliance on audio. I will let you know when I read. Too Much Lip.

>58 labfs39: Thanks Lisa. You encouraged me to write the review. I think you’d like The Merry-Go-Round in the Sea more. I don’t know the age of your nieces, but a great Australian kids’ book is The Magic Pudding.

>59 kjuliff: Thanks, Kate. Both books are available in the Free Library of Philadelphia system, so I added them to my Interesting Books list.

Enjoyed your excellent review of To the Islands Any review that mentions Patrick White in a positive way deserves a thumb

Kate, I've finally caught up on your thread and I was quite literally sitting with a notebook in hand, writing down titles of books I want to read thanks to your reviews.

>62 rasdhar: I’ve been lucky with some of my selections in the past few months. Thank you Rasdhar for the encouragement. I’m currently reading.John of John by Douglas Stuart. Scottish noir. Excellent writing.

>65 kjuliff: Superb review of John of John, Kate. I'll add it to my library wish list.

I’m having a hard time reading. This is partly due to the difficulty of starting a new book after reading John of John. It was so immersive that after reviewing it I couldn’t think of what sort of book to read next.

I tried The Gift of Rain by Tan Twang Eng but it didn’t grab me though I’ve enjoyed his later works.

Then I tried something completely different, Dogs of War after reading @rasdhar’s review. It doesn’t come across well in audio. The narrator has a harsh American accent, which sounds like he’s reading a hard-core detective novel.
Next was Ladivine by NDiaye till I realised she had written Vengeance is Mine. I had given this a bad review in 2024.

It was just not the right time for Night Train to Lisbon by Pascal Mercier.

I.ve settled on The Land in Winter by Andrew Miller. It is a tale of such misery it’s leading me to feel lucky not to be in England in the winter of 1962-3. Or even now given the state of politics there..

So I have managed to get to chapter 3 which is a real feat for me right now. The only good side-effect of this terrible illness is that when it peaks I get totally turned off politics. I’m not even inclined to look at the headlines. Now I can be like one of those T people and not know what’s going on in the world.

>67 kjuliff: I'm sorry you're in a trough at the moment. Sometimes I think we all need mental health breaks from the news though. I hope Land in Winter works for you, I've been hearing good things about it.

>68 labfs39: It’s not so much “the news” - I’m getting immune to it. It’s the never ending health issues. I can’t find a doctor that takes a holistic approach and my medications cause problems. Each specialist only thinks about their own speciality. So now I’m in constant pain as the different medications don’t work together.

>66 kidzdoc: Thanks Darryl. It is the best book I’ve read this year.

>68 labfs39: Land in Winter is a slow start, but I can tell the build-up is worth it. Miller’s detailed description of every object and every movement is exquisite.

I was given a copy of John of John and really look forward to it. So many good books are coming out right now. I also want to reread Gliff before I pick up Glyph.

>71 BLBera: Both are such good books to look forward to. I’m looking forward to Transcription which I intend to read when I’ve finished The Land in Winter.

Today I’ve not read anything. Been soccer watching - USA v Australia. Sadly for me, the team won. Still congrats to the USA.

>69 kjuliff: The silo approach is so detrimental to people's health. I was impressed when I accompanied my mom to her cardiologist appointment to meet the valve team doing her valve replacement. The cardiologist, surgeon, and head nurse came together to talk about her case and her options. So rarely do you see more than one doctor at a time.

Last night I finished The Land in Winter. Another good read. I’m on a bit of a winning streak in my reading right now.



The The Arnolfini Portrait is frequently referenced in the book, and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to see it again without thinking about Rita and Irene.

>74 kjuliff: “both married to loser men” - Gosh, i didn’t realize how true that is. Terrific review. I would have liked to listen to him read this. Apparently you need to go back and reread chapter one. But i never did. I learned that much later.

I like the book’s structure. It does some crazy stuff, but they are inherent to the structure, if not exactly to all that’s plausible. And I didn’t mind it.

>65 kjuliff: you’re on a list of people who will be responsible when I read John of John. Lovely review!

>76 dchaikin: I am honored to be on that list.

>75 dchaikin: It does some crazy stuff, but they are inherent to the structure, if not exactly to all that’s plausible. And I didn’t mind it.
I didn’t mind it either while reading. It was when I came to review it that I thought about all the things at the end. But it was a great read in any case.

I just won the trifecta! I read three excellent books in a row. In chronological order.:
John of John
The Land in Winter
Transcription

I don’t know how I am going to review Trannscription, but definitely highly recommend it.

It’s strange, but each of these three books are “men” books, written by men and largely featuring men.

It's great when you have a string of great books. Now, where to go from here...

>80 BLBera: Yes, that is the question. I’ve been looking through my TBR but am not sure where to start. I have several on hold that aren’t due for weeks.

>79 kjuliff: So glad to hear you're on a streak. It comes and goes. Sometimes the streak is a great one, sometimes the streak is not so great. I'm sorry to hear the Tan Twan Eng didn't work for you. I've loved all of his stuff and can't wait for the next. But so it goes. And sometimes, something that didn't grab you the first (or second or third) time, can be a winner at the right moment. Hoping the streak continues...if a thought occurs, I'll be sure and pass it along!

>79 kjuliff: what a great feeling!

Enjoyed your Lucy Caldwell review. I've had mixed experiences with her writing. I think she's at her best when she's writing about experiences she's familiar with. I get why this novel you read was uneven - I found that with All the Beggars Rising too.

Just caught up with your thread having fallen way too far behind, and have been enjoying your reviews.

>18 kjuliff: Remembering Babylon sounds interesting. I've never read Malouf but I've apparently had his book Ransom on my list for some time.

Your comments on the painting and people claiming that a child could have done it made me think of the book Why Your Five Year Old Could Not Have Done That.

>37 kjuliff: I enjoyed your review of Gliff. I really liked the book, but I always find it so hard to know how to write about Ali Smith's books and why they work for me.

>82 Gypsy_Boy: I think I didn’t give the Tan Twan Eng book enough time. Or it was just the wrong time for me. But I intend to get back to it. I’ve read his other books.

>84 AlisonY: Thanks for the tip Alison. I will give Lucy Caldwell another go.

>85 valkyrdeath: post-modern books are often hard to review. One can get the gestalt, but it’s hard to put your feelings and impressions into writing.

ETA
>85 valkyrdeath: I think we need to write post-modern reviews to solve the problem of such books being difficult to write about.

I’m currently reading On the Calculation of Volume, Book IV by Solvej Balle. I’m reading it because I needed a palate cleanser after my trifecta. I also didn’t want to lose the feelings and thoughts engendered by Transcription, and needed something completely different. The other reason is that I’ve read books I to III of the same series, and really want to know what happens and if there’s any underlying foundation to the Groundhog Day stories.

Continuing with On the Calculation of Volume, Book IV by Solvej Balle, which is so monotonous both in content and audio narration that I keep falling asleep while reading. All my other books are still on hold.

The bright point of my life this week has been going to the dermatologist for a full body check. I had 18 pre-cancers removed.

Yikes, that sounds frightening. Here we've been dealing with tick bites. Two friends have come down with Lyme's disease in the last month.

>89 labfs39: Actually it isn’t really surprising as I spent so many years in the sun as a child. Young adults and parents are now educated not to let their children go out in the sun without hats and UV protective cream. School children wear hats to school from kindergarten on. The NY dermatologist told me that young Australian adults are coming in with no problems at all. But Australians. over 50 are beginning to suffer. Most of the skin cancer problems start in childhood, so that Australians who were older when they started putting on protective cream when they were middle-aged still have many skin cancers.

At least I don’t need to have surgery on the ones that the doctor removed. I should have been going for whole body checks yearly but I was we remiss, and had so many other health problems that I put it off..

I hope your friends recover well. And please remember to stay out of the sun or put on a good UV protective cream.

>88 kjuliff: this is the bright point?

I’m anxiously awaiting your Transcription review. No pressure 🙂

>91 dchaikin: yes it really was the bright point which should show you what the rest of the week was like.
I’m looking forward to reviewing Transcription. I had the main points of the review in my head the day after I finished the book, but now a bit of it dissipated. I’m going to have to re-read a little more of the book to get back into the full feel.

>90 kjuliff: When I was a kid, we didn't wear hats or sunscreen here either. I got some terrible sunburns a couple of times. Now I am better about protection and own hats and UV shirts, and was extra careful in Ecuador, being on the equator. Most of my family does not, however. I'm hopeful about the new sunscreen active ingredient that the FDA approved (it's first in 25 years). Bemotrizinol has been used in other countries for decades.

From the 1980s the “Slip, Slop, Slap” Cancer Australia ads have been playing on TV during children’s time. I doubt there a child in Australia that doesn’t know it. You can see it’s 1980s short clip here.

It seemed to me that public awareness of preventative health measures is much more visible in Australia and pushed by both parties, than in the USA. The ads about skin cancer avoidance are paid for by public money. I do hope that one day America gets universal health insurance. It pays in the long run.

I am unaware of Bemotrizinol. I must look into it.

>88 kjuliff: Same here. Never bothered with sunscreen as a kid and pay for it now. Go twice a year to the dermatologist: once for a scalp check and once for a full-body check. I've lost count of the things she has taken care of for me. And the scary thing is that both my folks AND my (only) sibling all had melanoma. In each case, successfully removed with no recurrence but still, my odds aren't very good. I understand exactly what you're saying.

>88 kjuliff: great news!!!!! hoping for more good heath for you!

>93 labfs39: i never saw people wearing hats out in sun as a kid the cclosest I came to lotion was coppertan billboard showing a doggie pulling a girls bathing suit showing how tan she was. when i was in israel i was surprised how babies on up were wearing them.