Book Review 'Letter To George Clooney' by Debra Adelaide

This year I am writing more short stories to improve my skills in varying narrative voice and genre: I thought I would read some more short story collections as well to see how the professionals were writing and take inspiration. I came across Australian writer Debra Adelaide’s 2013 collection ‘Letter to George Clooney’, which I had seen reviewed favourably last year in the Sydney Morning Herald. What a joy to read! I finished it in a few days, reading the collection chronologically rather than dipping in haphazardly: I would recommend this way as the last two stories are the most profound and will leave you at the close of the book deep in contemplation.

Most pieces of the collection are observational in nature, written with a dry wit, particularly those poking gentle fun at the profession of writing, and a few a bit more scathing on the pitfalls and pleasures of modern dating. I particularly enjoyed the story ‘Chance’ which focused on two romances instigated online by the protagonist: those who have kissed a few frogs to find a prince will understand the cold analysis by the narrator, ‘She suffered in Ken’s awkward embraces that focused on kisses that never quite worked out’.

There are also stories based in more speculative worlds such as ‘Virgin Bones’ telling of families in some distant time who live in cemeteries and polish bones for wealthy people; and the first story ‘The Sleepers in That Quiet Earth’ where writer steps into the life of the short story she is composing. Wry humour is pointed at the ATO in ‘Pirate Map’ and a sweetly sad treatment of a single mum sucked in by one of those letter sending scams in ‘The Moon Will Do’ round out the collection. ‘The Form of Solemnisation of Matrimony’ on the wedding of an older couple reunited after many years has such a slow build of tension that you almost cheer at the end when all is well: ‘He held out one arm and walked towards her, and she wondered how the years could drop away so quickly, like a satin gown that, untied, just slithered to the floor’.

But it is the final two stories that showcase Adelaide’s absolute talent, in ‘Airlock’ and ‘Letter to George Clooney’. I won’t ruin them for readers, but the first is set in a controlled community centre where children have supervised visits with their estranged parent, and the second is not as I had thought, a fan’s letter to the actor, but a refugee’s letter to him explaining his role in her capture by soldiers in her homeland the Sudan. I was completely devastated by the content of this story, but also overwhelmed by Adelaide’s ability to blend humour and pathos, her spare use of language to create incredible depth of feeling, and the fluidity in bringing the story around full circle to the theme. A taste of the language: ‘Recalling now the press of her dusty lips on my forehead makes me weep. I realise now that it is not the horrors that are unbearable over the years, but the small kindnesses. One day I might understand why that is so’.

I can’t recommend this collection enough and will be reading Adelaide’s other bestseller ‘The Household Guide to Dying’ even though I fear it will be a tear jerker.

*This book is reviewed as part of the 2014 Australian Women Writers Challenge

http://australianwomenwriters.com/ 
 

BOOK REVIEW: just_a_girl by KIRSTEN KRAUTH

Riding on trains with the crazies – this is what rang the most true to me in Kirsten Krauth’s 2013 contemporary fiction novel, just_a_girl. Her protagonist Layla is 14, lives in the Blue Mountains and regularly catches the train with all the ‘interesting’ folk we tend to get on our Sydney train system. And that was how I spent much of my youth as well, dodging unhinged looking people and avoiding the gaze of lecherous men, and guessing at the back stories of fellow passengers in order to pass the time. The scenario rang very true to me and I could relate well to Layla’s thoughts. Perhaps less relatable to me was the current young generation’s views on sex, identity, relationships and beliefs: this is why it’s so interesting as an author and a reader to delve into portrayals of YA characters as we (in my case Gen X) reflect on the differences between our own age group and their age group. I thought Krauth captured the voice of Layla as well as she did the voice of Layla’s forty-something mother. The portrayal of their very close single mother / teenage daughter relationship was well executed and poignant. 

However, it was the character of Tadashi who brought something new to Krauth’s novel: his purchase of a life like doll from Japan as a silent companion in his lonely life was original and thought provoking. I recently read a newspaper article about an American man who has two dolls (to keep each other company) and socialises with other men living with dolls. I shook my head at the time at what I thought was the understatement of the year from that guy in the article – “I’m not really a people person” – but I must say that Krauth treats this topic with sensitivity and great dignity. It made me, in turn, reflect seriously on why people would introduce dolls into their lives and whether it was a viable life choice. I thought Tadashi’s story thread really made the novel. I would recommend just_a_girl to adult fiction and YA readers alike.

* This review is linked to the 2014 Australian Women Writers Challenge

http://australianwomenwriters.com/

Book Review - 'Night Games' by Anna Krien

Reading ‘Night Games’ by Anna Krien could not have come at a more chance time for me, as I finished the last page and set out that night for an end of season function held by the AFL team my husband follows. We were guests of sponsors, and due to the night being consumed by speeches and awards, I had ample time to peruse the crowd and watch at close range the players interact with their support staff, sponsors, and of course, fans. Everything Krien had written about in ‘Night Games’ was on display: the adoration from the sponsors and loyal club members of these “gods” from the field was palpable; the heavy responsibility placed on boys, many of whom were only in their early twenties was clearly apparent as they took their acceptance speeches very seriously;  the vision of the patient wives and girlfriends sitting quietly and adjusting their strapless gowns as they listened attentively to the anecdotes of their partners at the tables; and the Chairman and senior staff jovially ripping into the other clubs and proudly talking of the effort and loyalty of “their boys” to the rapturous applause of the audience. I was impressed, yes, by the sophisticated speeches of those awarded best and fairest awards – and I do understand the importance of sport in the lives of these players and their fans. I even regard some – I emphasise some - of the players in this particular team as very decent role models in our society. But goodness – I bet these boys get away with a lot. And all because they can kick and catch a ball....

Anna Krien beautifully articulates this ambivalence between admiring the players and enjoying the sport - and at the same time being deeply uncomfortable with how the fans, the media and even our pollies at times, ‘excuse’ the behaviour of some of the most well known players. She analyses this ambivalence via an exploration of a sexual assault case involving players and hangers on with the Collingwood club and a female who attended a private party of one of the players. The case itself is fascinating from a moral and legal perspective, but I also enjoyed how Krien explored wider issues in the text such as the representation of women on sporting boards, the treatment of female journalists covering sport, and the perspectives of detectives investigating these sorts of cases (illustrating attitudes which were very balanced and offered myself some reassurance that the police force are, mostly, sensitively in tune with the nuances of sexual assault cases).  Krien was able to become close with the defendant and his family, and explore his side of the allegation, but she was unable to communicate with the complainant and her evidence was kept confidential from the press (and rightly so) – I did not think this detracted from the resolution of the text, and in fact, this even more so highlighted how complex these cases are and the difficulty in coming to a satisfactory conclusion. I thought the most telling questions that Krien raised for consideration were those posed by the defendant’s family - what sort of girl would put herself in the situation under investigation, and what sort of girl has sex with multiple partners on one night  – and the question raised by one detective from the Sex Crimes Unit who asked if police were expected to be investigators of every ‘regrettable sex’ episode, as seemed to be many of these very ambiguous assaults with little tangible proof of consent or otherwise. Both suggestions and perspectives are highly prevalent in our society but make a reader such as myself very uncomfortable about the perception many have on women and their rights to sexual freedom. Krien notably explores her own concern here, while not being heavy handed in an overly pro feminist stance. The point to note about ‘Night Games’ is how many issues are raised for consideration – what a complex topic this is, that provokes so many of our prejudices and holds a mirror to the shades of grey we have in our value systems regarding sexual behaviour.

Krien has written an immensely important text here but to her great credit as well, has treated the topic with appropriate gravitas while still maintaining a page turning style. I have recommended ‘Night Games’ to many – and I thank Krien for turning my night out with the AFL club into a more thought provoking exercise than it might have previously been.

*This review has been linked as part of the Australian Women Writers Challenge

http://australianwomenwriters.com/

Why I Wrote My Debut YA Novel "Expectations"

In 2011 I went on twelve months maternity leave, after 15 or so years of full time work. Miracle of miracles: I had a baby who started sleeping through the night at six weeks old. Didn't expect that. Certainly didn't tell any other mothers I knew either becasue that's the sort of information that can have you killed.

So while I was still fairly tired, my eyes weren't hanging out of my head. And in those first six months you do have a lot of free time given how much those new borns sleep. What to do with myself....

In recent years I had poo-pooed my girlfriends who had avidly read the Twilight series of books, not really because they were YA books but more because they were about vampires. Vampires were everywhere, done to death. They're make believe. It's such formulaic writing. But I picked up the first book anyway because I won't criticise until I've given something a go. And the movie had come out so the series was saturated in the media, and I hate living with FOMO. Anyway, long story short: got to one hundred pages, threw the book across the room in frustration and muttered 'God, kiss her already, or run a stake through your heart yourself, you pathetic sap'. I didn't like Twilight. And I said as much to my girlfriends and may have declared something about being able to write something more realistic for teens. Which is typical for me, as I am given to overblown declarations of my perceived ability to have a successful crack at anything.

And now the time had come: twelve months off and time away from the boring job to let some creative juices flow. I confidently stated: 'I'm going to write a book for teens set in real life, with real issues, and with real kissing and sex, and actual mundane problems at school and at home, that kids want to read even though there are no vampires or werewolves'. My husband rolled his eyes, and said 'yeah right'. My best girlfriend was more polite, but I sensed her inward eyes rolling and 'yeah right'. But if there is ever a red rag to a bull (and I'm the bull in this metaphor) it's telling me that's I won't do something. Ok, ok, I'd never written a book before. Really, I was just interested to see if I could even pull out one cohesive chapter. So I understood their skepticism.

Buuuuutttt, drum roll please... here is the book, written over three months in 2011, accepted for publishing in 2012 by Really Blue Books, and available from last week on their website here:

https://reallybluebooks.com/ebooks/title/33

and through Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Expectations-ebook/dp/B00CXB06HQ

There was no crowing to the naysayers. I'm as shocked as anyone else that I was able to do it.

Now, if only it would sell as many copies as Twilight. I wish.

Update: Book Reviews and a 'Reading Challenge'

It's been a while since I've updated the books I have been reading but of course, me being me, I have turned my very reading into a challenge.  In August 2011, for whatever reason, I started noting down the books I had read and finished my list in August 2012: I was interested in how many books I read in one year. Turns out that the number was 30: is that any good?? That's one a fortnight or so. I guess that's a pretty good reading rate. But there are so many books to read - and at this rate I'll only get to approx 1113 books before I die. How will I get through everything I want to read??!!!
So the tally for this reading year so far - 10 months to date - is 26 - so looks like I'm going to hit the 30 mark again unless I start counting picture books into my tally (this is becoming like the Premier's Reading Challenge isn't it?).

Looking at the last three books I have read:

The Engagement by Chloe Hooper

Tense thriller from the Australian writer whose previous work was The Tall Man. This is a gripping read, but has that terrible feeling of being trapped pervading it. The central character goes willingly with her lover to his isolated farm in Victoria where she hopes for a relaxing, sex filled weekend. The weekend becomes a menatlly exhausting game between the two, where the main character is trapped in his house, unable to escape his increasingly disturbed behaviour. This is not an erotic thriller, but rather a psychological study into the male and female dynamic and the trust we place in relative strangers after we have had sex with them Highly original concept and well written.


Started Early, Took My Dog by Kate Atkinson

Kate Atkinson is getting a lot of publicuty at the moment for her latest novel, so I went back to her first crime novel in the Jackson Brodie series. I was really surprised by the humour in this novel and the original premise, given that I was expecting a usual Brit crime drama. Atkinson has created a completely likeable rogue in her Brodie character, and the language and dialogue are witty, despite the dark premise of the crime.  I'll be going back to Atkinson again.

Why Be Happy When You Can Be Normal by Jeanette Winterson

This has been on my e-reader for a while and I finally got to it. I have never read any Winterson but I loved her interviews when this, her memoir, was released. She is so honest and disarming which is a revelation today in the world of celebrity. And I love the title of this memoir which was what her mother said to her when Winterson told her she was gay. This is a moving and of course, well written memoir, and it is a particularly poignant examination of being an adopted child.

So what am I reading now for No 27?

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. Bestseller, thriller, acclaimed page turner. Well, I'm two thirds in and it is certainly delivering on all the promises from the great reviews. Don't know how it will finish, so that is always refreshing for a novel. I'll update when I have finished.

Until then - happy reading.