Every year, we readers wait for our Aussie’s most prestigious literary award – Miles Franklin Award. As the most of those writers we’re familiar with, some of them might be relatively new, like Fiona McFarlane and her debut The night guest. However they’re all good Aussie writers. This year’s longlist has been announced recently. As for the winner, well, you can make up your own mind. Continue reading
Folly by Alan Titchmarsh
Group Comments
WE WOULD RECOMMEND THE BOOK
In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson
Group Comments
A well-attended meeting of 12 members ensured there were a variety of opinions on most questions, but there was general agreement that the book was enjoyable and amusing. Some found it ‘shallow’.
Not many could name our Prime Ministers from Federation on, let alone the recent Prime Ministers of many other countries.
The group accepted the comment ’30,000 years of ocean-going seacraft’, citing Heyerdal’s Kon Tiki expedition as an example.
We felt that reading this book could have influenced how visitors (and we ourselves) experienced Australia, and agreed it does add to your enjoyment of a place you are visiting.
One member whose husband’s profession took them around Australia in three-monthly moves was most definite that you can’t properly experience a country by just touring. This was a rather superficial look at Australia. Bryson’s comments on Uluru were instanced.
We thought Bryson himself relied too heavily on his researchers, whom he himself reported as being sometimes varied in their facts.
Group Comments
The book was easy to read and gave a good picture of life in the late 1940’s in Sydney. The issues that refugees face on arriving in a new country are universal and are still confronting individuals and society. Because of the multitude of characters, there were lots of subplots and so was not as in depth as it could have been. In many cases, the characters are quite stereotypical.
The kind of lifestyles depicted resonated with several members, whether through location (having lived in Bondi Junction) or having a refugee experience/ background, themselves.