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Book Reviews

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Book ReviewsWriting

A Story of a Special Child

“My Year with Sammy” by Libby Sommer

 

Have you ever had, or known, or heard tell of a child who was amazing, beautiful, special, and … difficult? Not just difficult, but impossible? Impossible to discipline, impossible to educate, impossible to fit in … tearing her families apart … yet unable to be slotted into any medico/psychological framework?

And she was the most amazing, beautiful, gifted child that ever walked the face of the earth?  That was  Sammy.

If so, I’m sure you’ll want to read Libby Sommer’s novel, “My Year with Sammy”. It’s just been published by a small publishing firm, Ginnindera Press, in Australia, but can also be bought as an e-book from Amazon.

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February 11, 2016 2 comments
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anna-karenina-film
Book ReviewsWriting

The Anna Karenina Principle

“Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way
(Leo Tolstoy 1878)
Tolstoy’s Impact

Tolstoy is a philosopher/narrator within his novel Anna Karenina.  He invites the reader to philosophize about happiness, as they read the doings, the thoughts and the feelings of his characters.

The Oblonsky family’s happiness  is destroyed by adultery and financial problems; the Kareninas’ reputation is ruined by scandal; and even Levin’s happy marriage suffers from jealousy and ongoing arguments.

“Love at first sight” is still popular in romance novels of our own time, as it was in Tolstoy’s time.  Vronsky and Anna are immediately attracted one to the other. However, the narrator, as well as utilising traditional symptoms—red lips and shining eyes—adds a mystical and philosophical dimension to the lovers’ first meeting. 

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December 28, 2015 5 comments
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cyclone-yasi-2011
Book ReviewsWriting

Irony and Fun in “Double Madness”

Double Madness by Caroline de Costa

Published by Margaret River Press, 2015

 If you like detective stories and a rollicking good read, with a nice dose of voyeurism thrown in, this first novel by Caroline de Costa, is definitely for you.

“Double Madness” is a crime novel set in far North Queensland. Not surprisingly, place is a very strong element throughout the novel, reflecting the beauty of this humid, lush area full of spectacular scenery.

A woman’s body is discovered tied to a tree with expensive silk scarves in the rainforest, several weeks after cyclone Yasi has devastated the region. It’s a mystery as to who the woman is and how she died. The main criminal investigation that follows is led by attractive indigenous detective, Cass Diamond, supported by her boss, Leslie Ferrando and other crime fighters.

the-cover-of-double-madnessThe theme of doctors being blackmailed enters in the second chapter, suggesting a motive for the woman’s murder, and the narrator is careful to portray the missing husband of Odile Janvier as probably not capable of carrying it out.

The irony and subtle humour underlying this novel is apparent early on through the author’s choice of names. The Latino names (Borgese and Ferrando) echo those of well-known male detectives in other novels, but the shining designation of “Cass Diamond” to the young female detective breaks the mould, as does the murdered woman’s name, “Odile Janvier”, that seems to suit her perfectly.

Straight, unisex Aussie names (Chris, Tim, Troy) offer an ironic contrast to the more exotic ones. There is also a subtle pairing and doubling of names, underscoring the theme of the book’s title, and emphasising difference, as well as Australia’s multicultural mix.

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August 7, 2015 2 comments
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stones-and-pebbles
Book ReviewsWriting

There’s Something About Helen

the-first-stoneWhen I studied The First Stone by Helen Garner at the University of Technology, Sydney as part of a Master’s degree in Professional Writing, I noticed that there were two camps: those who loved her book, and those who saw her as a traitor to the feminist cause. It made me ask myself whether I, too, was such a traitor. I was in the former camp, but many of the (younger) women belonged to the other side, along with (I think) the male teacher at the time.

Admittedly, this was one of her more polemical works, in that it dealt with her support of a master at a Melbourne university college, who in 1995 was accused of sexual misconduct towards two female residents.

The main reason for her support, I gathered, was her compassion for the master and his family, over what she saw as a minor incident that could have been handled differently. Instead, he and his family had to suffer the ignominy of his sacking and public disgrace.

It showed up a dichotomy between older and younger  feminists

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June 2, 2015 4 comments
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Book ReviewsWriting

Writing a Book Review

HOW TO WRITE A BOOK REVIEW:

At a Bondi Writers Group meeting, we discussed the question of how to write a book review. One of our long-term members had just published her book of poems: Barking at Shadows, and she had brought along copies of a review written by one of the members of the Society of Women Writers.

As I’ve had experience writing book reviews, especially of short story collections, I thought I would share with you the main points in going about writing such a review for a collection of short stories.

POSITIVES FIRST:

  1. After reading the stories in the book, choose several (three or four) favourite stories to focus on.
  2. State the title of the book, the publisher, and the year of publication at the top of the review.
  3. In the opening paragraph try to give an overview of the book: say what the main themes of the stories are in a couple of sentences.
  4. Write the title of the story to discuss and the author’s name at the top of the next paragraph.
  5. Say what you liked about the story. Each story will suggest topics, such as the following, to consider when writing about your positive impressions: Character, Storyline, Setting, Voice, Point of View, Emotional Impact, Authentic Dialogue, Humour, Irony, Structure

CONSTRUCTIVE SUGGESTIONS: Mention anything that you thought could have been done better, e.g, too much telling, not enough dialogue.

SUMMARISE your thoughts and state who the audience of the stories might be.

 

The author of Prim’s book review, after the initial appraisal, stated her ideas in general about poetry: “For me personally, poetry should wrestle with language, play with words, and be built on sustained metaphor and surprising imagery. It should suggest, rather than state.” (Lesley Walter, published poet and past President of the Society of Women Writers). She suggested that Prim’s poems did not always follow these—for her—prerequisites.

We discussed the possibility of members writing reviews about one another’s work, before going on to the feedback part of our meeting. Prose and poetry were read aloud for feedback. These sessions provide practice in the task of appraisal and critique that written reviews require.

June 17, 2014 0 comment
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