Middlemarch
I appreciated the clever descriptions of each character and the author's insights into universal issues such as the rights of women, the nature of marriage, idealism and religion, but in all honesty I...
View ArticleMoby Dick – initial thoughts
Moby Dick. This was a slog. I had been reading it for one week and I was only on chapter 30, with 105 chapters still to go. I stayed up until 1:30 am one night to read another five chapters, rewarding...
View ArticleDisgrace, by JM Coetzee
I may not have posted much recently, but I have been reading, I promise you. After the relief of giving up on Moby Dick I raced through Disgrace in an afternoon. The last novel I read by Coetzee was...
View ArticleThe Last Dragon Chronicles
I read these books as light relief after the slog that was Moby Dick. Also, my pre-teen was reading them and I like to keep an eye on what my children are reading. There are 7 books in the series. …...
View ArticleDavid Copperfield review
I found the novel engrossing right from the first page Continue reading →
View ArticleMadame Bovary review
[I read the Penguin Classics 1992 edition of Madame Bovary, by Gustave Flaubert, translated into English by Geoffrey Wall.] This is the first novel on the Telegraph list that I feel nervous about...
View ArticleScoop, by Evelyn Waugh
Scoop is also on the Telegraph list of 100 novels everyone should read. After the heaviness of several nineteenth century novels in a row, this was pleasantly lightweight both in word count and style....
View ArticleThe History of Tom Jones, a Foundling
I enjoyed Tom Jones. It deserves descriptions like "rollicking" and "comic masterpiece". Tom Jones may not suit everyone but I recommend the book (or audio book, or one of the dramatised versions) to...
View ArticleHey Adani, don’t break our heart.
The proposed Carmichael coal mine in Central Queensland has had funding refused several times and the Indian company Adani has reduced the size of the plans. Yet if approved, the mine would still be...
View Article
More Pages to Explore .....