I often find it hard to get into a book of short stories as they are usually brief. This however has to be the best collection of short stories I've ever read. Fiona Kidman has long been one of my favourite New Zealand authors and all her stories well worth reading. This collection has stories that stand alone and others which are about the same series of characters, telling a different part of their stories.
Really worth while, I loved this collection.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Friday, August 31, 2012
Never Have Your Dog Stuffed | Alan Alder
A highly readable autobiography. I picked it up not knowing a lot about Alder other than his M+A+S+H TV series. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about him.
He had a very unusual upbringing and dysfunctional family. His parents were actors in theatre and Alder was brought up backstage. He recalls all the semi-clad women who doted on him and watching his parents from the side of the stage. From an early age he was included in their acts.
His mother seems to have some sort of mental health condition and his father eventually divorces her. Alder escapes to Europe and haphazardly finds his way into an acting career. It wasn't easy for him but his description of his situation and his life in general are made with a light touch, a sunny and positive perspective rather than a melancholic one.
He seems genuinely happy! He looks at the best part of everything and doesn't seem perturbed by the weird and wonderful things that have happened in his life.
There are photographs of him throughout his life and the ones I enjoyed the most were the ones of him and his grand-kids tap dancing in his garage. He is dedicated to his family.
I was encouraged by this book and his outlook on life, it lifted my perspective and I wish I could say that to him. His book is worth reading, it will make you laugh, entertain you and help you see the best in others.
He had a very unusual upbringing and dysfunctional family. His parents were actors in theatre and Alder was brought up backstage. He recalls all the semi-clad women who doted on him and watching his parents from the side of the stage. From an early age he was included in their acts.
His mother seems to have some sort of mental health condition and his father eventually divorces her. Alder escapes to Europe and haphazardly finds his way into an acting career. It wasn't easy for him but his description of his situation and his life in general are made with a light touch, a sunny and positive perspective rather than a melancholic one.
He seems genuinely happy! He looks at the best part of everything and doesn't seem perturbed by the weird and wonderful things that have happened in his life.
There are photographs of him throughout his life and the ones I enjoyed the most were the ones of him and his grand-kids tap dancing in his garage. He is dedicated to his family.
I was encouraged by this book and his outlook on life, it lifted my perspective and I wish I could say that to him. His book is worth reading, it will make you laugh, entertain you and help you see the best in others.
The Solitude of Thomas Cave | Georgina Harding
I've always enjoyed stories of Polar exploration, both fiction and non-fiction. I think it's because incredible journeys have been undertaken which put men under such duress, they all seem a bit surreal. The true stories are often more unbelievable than the fictitious ones.
This story I loved. Told in a very precise and economical style, beautiful language and haunting imagery. Thomas Cave on a dare is left behind in the Far North to winter over on his own. He seems well equipped in all respects to survive the winter but he is a melancholic man and there are hints of a tragedy in his past. He is a strong but flawed man and there is intrigue there in terms of his past and his ability to deal with it in order to survive the winter.
As the night descends on Cave, we are drawn into the psychological nightmare of the loneliness, the darkness and the mental strength required to survive. He hunts and comes into close contact with polar bears who seem to become a totem animal to him.
The story also explores life after the ordeal and how Cave lived out his days totally colored by the Polar Night he experienced.
It was engrossing and beautifully written.
This story I loved. Told in a very precise and economical style, beautiful language and haunting imagery. Thomas Cave on a dare is left behind in the Far North to winter over on his own. He seems well equipped in all respects to survive the winter but he is a melancholic man and there are hints of a tragedy in his past. He is a strong but flawed man and there is intrigue there in terms of his past and his ability to deal with it in order to survive the winter.
As the night descends on Cave, we are drawn into the psychological nightmare of the loneliness, the darkness and the mental strength required to survive. He hunts and comes into close contact with polar bears who seem to become a totem animal to him.
The story also explores life after the ordeal and how Cave lived out his days totally colored by the Polar Night he experienced.
It was engrossing and beautifully written.
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