This may be the first time I read a book about something and at the end, feel like I have learned absolutely nothing about the subject. Not because Going Clear is not a good book, but because so little is known about the organisation it discusses, the Church of Scientology, that it’s hard to know what to make of it. A quick google search doesn’t reveal anything more: the book says X, the church says Y. In fact, there is an entire website – run […]
And While We’re At It, Fuck Rupert Brooke, Too
If you ever get to Greenwich, here’s what you do: stroll up the hill, acquaint yourself with the meridian, have a cup of tea at the tea house, then stroll down, buy lunch at the food court – I recommend the sushi, though the Ethiopian stand is pretty good too – and eat it at the park next to the conservatoire; if the weather’s good, the windows will be open and you’ll be greeted by a cacophony of instruments and voices. Make your way past […]
In Our Family Portrait, We Look Pretty Happy
First things first: The Lives of Others is a very good book. It is skilfully written, the imagery is vivid and the portrayals are, as far as I can tell from my limited experience with Indian culture, realistic and poignant. It is also, at times, an infuriating and frustrating read. Make no mistake: this is not a story about a quirky but essentially kind-hearted Indian Addams Family. If you’re looking for something to cheer you up, look elsewhere. The Lives of Others focuses on the […]
Of Birds and Bees
I read The Hive in two days. Less, in fact: I bought the book on Thursday morning, on a whim, because my train was delayed and I’d forgotten my e-reader. I finished it on Friday afternoon. If I hadn’t had to work on those two days I probably would have finished it sooner; I’m guessing a good afternoon on the beach would have done it. That’s basically the best I can say about The Hive: it’s an easy read. It’s also moderately funny. The writer, […]
…And We’ll all Float on, Alright
I like Thomas Pynchon – which is to say, I like the idea of Thomas Pynchon, more than the actual execution. My first experience of reading Pynchon was at university, as a first year English lit student. I’d never heard of Pynchon before and The Crying of Lot 49 was required reading for a course on 20th century American literature. It seemed easy enough; it only has 149 pages. What a deception that was. Still, I returned to class the next week, exhilarated if only […]
Where Men Are Men and Sheep Are Nervous
Fun fact: from where I live, it’s possible to drive just under a thousand kilometres and pass through eight different countries. Fun fact: this is roughly the same distance as between Sydney and Brisbane. And in Australia, those two are practically neighbours. Australia is mind-bogglingly big, is the point I’m trying to make. So is Bill Bryson in In a Sunburned Country, his report of a roundtrip through Australia in the late nineties. In fact, it is something of a recurring theme within the book: […]