| Another first. After a lifetime’s involvement with books and writing, I finally got round to reading a graphic novel – a two-volume adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s astonishing work “American Gods”. Bite-sized and thought-provoking entertainment for these distracting times. |
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Friday, September 10, 2021
Sunday, August 22, 2021
There’s a parrot in my garden.
Our seven and a half year old grandson loves words and had just finished a book of rhymes as part of this year’s Premier’s Reading Challenge. His mom told him “Arrow is good at this stuff”, so he sent me a video message asking “Arrow, will you write me a poem, please?” This the result:
There’s a parrot in my garden
A poem for my grandson – by Arrow
There’s a parrot in my garden
And he’s pecking at the ground.
And though I listen carefully
He doesn’t make a sound.
I guess he’s eating seeds and nuts
Or maybe sticks and stones.
Perhaps he’d like some tacos,
Hot dogs and ice cream cones.
Perhaps his job is making holes
So the rain can soak away.
Or maybe he makes bricks and pots
So he’s digging up the clay.
I like to see him working
And I hope he’s having fun.
I bet that after all that food
He’s got a poorly tum.
A parrot with a belly ache
Is a sorry sight to see.
He gives a belch that is so loud
It knocks him out the tree.
And when he lands upon the lawn
His head spins round and round.
The only thing that calms him down
Is pecking at the ground.
———-
His mum read it to him that night for a bedtime story – there is a lot of stuff in there about him and his adventures.
He was amazed and asked “Did Arrow really write that?” She assured him he had. He said drowsily, “Mum, can you put that somewhere out to the world so people know?”
So here it is.
Wednesday, August 04, 2021
Vaccine Incentives
Cost of Albo’s vaccine incentive plan to prevent lockdowns (according to the PM) is around $6 billion. Cost of lockdowns: Treasury’s own modelling puts the cost of an Australia-wide lockdown at $3.2 billion per week. From the Sydney Morning Herald, 19 July), “The Sydney and Victorian lockdowns aimed at stopping the spread of the Delta strain of coronavirus could cost the country $10 billion”. Go figure.
Marg Bonner: Interesting data also available from the Grattan Institute on various lotto incentives.
Doug Jacquier: Couldn’t disagree more strongly about providing financial incentives to encourage basic morality. Time to bring out the big stick so we can all get back to something approaching normal. We need a No Jab/No Job/No Joy policy and use the $6 billion to cover the costs of strictly enforcing it.
Ian: Are they mutually exclusive? Agree that a sanctions approach could help achieve the objective of getting as many vaccinated as possible, but why not both a carrot and a stick?
Saturday, July 31, 2021
Lemons
Mmmm.., the smell of fresh lemons on a cold, wet, Winter’s day! Drying part of our bumper crop today. That’s Summer’s gin & tonics sorted.
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Sunday, July 25, 2021
What happened to mateship?
I despair at the petty parochialism shown between States during this Covid crisis.
OK, so Gladys once made a throwaway comment in front of a hot mic about not being able to help Victoria with extra vaccines.
It was dumb, but that was then, this is now; circumstances have changed. Is it a good enough reason to refuse to help the people of NSW when they are in a desperate situation?
What has happened to us as Australians in recent years? Aren’t we bigger than this?
When I’ve been lucky enough to travel to other countries, I say I’m Australian – I don’t say I’m South Australian.
And what do our pundits and politicians, journalists and writers, and the bloke in the pub say is the key element of the Australian character? What has happened to the much-lauded concept of mateship? They point to the ANZACS and the following generations of ordinary people turned heroes by conflict who looked after each other, made sure that no-one was left behind and risked their own lives to save their mates. They argue that it has become a defining Australian characteristic and is one of the reasons why we are successful and respected as a people and as a nation.
So how come in NSW’s hour of need, people in other states and territories lower the portcullis, pull up the drawbridge and say to Gladys, “There is no way you’re getting any of our vaccines”. It’s like a miser hoarding gold or a child putting an arm round their lollies to ward off other kids.
“Ah, but she wouldn’t help Victoria when they asked.” So what? It’s not about Gladys, it’s about people. They are in need.
I’m eerily reminded of the “All Lives Matter” argument when people try to belittle the “Black Lives Matter” movement. Of course all lives matter, no one is saying they don’t. But right at this moment, in the context to which it refers, white folk are not the ones in danger, black people are; white folk are not the ones who need extra help right now, black people do.
Yes, we all need as many people as possible to get vaccinated both to protect their and the community’s health and to help get us out of lockdowns and other restrictions. But right now, the people of NSW are the ones in greater danger. And other folk are saying, “You’re on your own, mate!”.
What material difference would it make if out of the one million Pfizer doses promised to be delivered this week, and maybe the one million promised for the following week, each State and Territory let NSW have 10% of their allocation?
What would be the downside? For SA, our share of the weekly provision should be around 100,000. Forego 10% and it would be 90,000. The national vaccine roll-out has been such a failure so far and we are so far behind where we should be, would a few more days delay be so disastrous that it cannot even be contemplated? Would it really make that much of a difference in the big picture provided we continue to be as careful and as successful as we have been with other protective measures?
We are told that we have so much AstraZenaca sloshing around that the shortfall could be met, if only the Federal Government could get its act together in promoting its benefits instead of its mixed and sometimes bizarre messaging making people unnecessarily confused and frightened.
Aren’t we all in this together? Why can’t a State where the risk is lower be a bit generous to people who haven’t been so fortunate? Would a Premier who made a tough and unpopular decision to give a small portion of their State’s vaccine allocation to people in a much worse situation lose many votes in the short term, or would they gain more respect in the long-term through showing strong and compassionate leadership?
Saturday, July 24, 2021
Olympics Opening 2021
I have no idea what the Kabuki was about, but my word, it and the piano were magnificent.
Wednesday, July 21, 2021
Space Toys
Is it just me who is bewildered by all the fuss that is made of these mega-rich, multi-billionaires and their space toys?
Are there any benefits accruing to society from their jaunts - new technology, better science, enhanced understanding between groups, improved relationships between countries, and so on?
I wonder how these men will be remembered by future generations? Will they be remembered as space heroes or self-centred, time and resource wasters?
Imagine what good they could achieve and how they'd be remembered if they put their wealth towards directly improving society: building hospitals, orphanages, schools and laboratories, endowing museums and universities, funding medical and other research.
We've seen what happens when you throw a lot of money and resources at a problem - like developing a range of anti-covid vaccines in 18 months instead of over many years. Imagine what could be if these super-wealthy men put their money into cancer or dementia research, or maybe into setting up an endowment foundation that could fund worthy projects for perpetuity.
Wouldn't they rather have their names attached to such endeavours and forever be seen as benefactors to humankind instead of self-indulgent dilettantes?
Monday, July 19, 2021
Second Jab
Got my second AstraZeneca jab today. Feeling great and my 5G reception is noticeably improved. 😉
Rob Harrop commented: And the voices in your head are clearer now.
Ian: Do not mock. I'm now waiting for Mr Trump to give me back my franking credits.
Evening update: Still feeling good, but small metal objects are now sticking to me.
You are more likely to die from being struck by lightning than from having a covid jab. Mind you, the odds of just being struck by lightning sometime during your lifetime are only 15,300:1, making it almost a near certainty.
Update 4 Aug. And after a few days, the light comes on when you walk into a room. But you forget why you went in there....
Friday, June 04, 2021
Way with Words
Our 7 year old has a way with words. I mentioned before about his coining the phrase "Man of Waves" to describe someone leaping in the breaking waves, like a surfer without a surfboard.
Here are some more he came up with when he didn't know the correct word for something. They make me think he has the soul of a poet:
Feather quill - "Pencil of Nature".
Rolled pork loin - "Loaf of Pig".
Bechamel sauce - "Cream of Destiny".
Update - a few days later: We think we've figured out where "Cream of Destiny" came from. He'd been reading a series of semi-graphic novels featuring anthropomorphic vegetable superheroes, one of whom gained a magical "Sword of Destiny".
Wednesday, April 14, 2021
Conversations with a seven year old.
Granny: Do you have monitors in your school?
Him: Yes, there are monitors in all the classrooms.
Granny: Oh, I don't mean those kind of monitors, not TVs or computer screens. I mean students who help the teacher do things....
Him: Oh, yes. Everyone in the class has a job.....
Granny: ....like giving out pencils.
Him: My job is to look after the iPads.
Monday, April 12, 2021
Band on the Ketch
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| The Ketch Active II |
Congratulations to the museum and curators for two great exhibitions about the golden days of sail.
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| Stephen sets Em's mic. |
An unexpected bonus for me was seeing the "Pamela and the Duchess" exhibition and suddenly discovering that the Duchess was the nickname of the old sailing ship, the "Herzogin Cecilie". I was astonished. I visited her in her resting place on the seabed in Starehole Bay off the coast of Devon near Salcombe when I scuba-dived on the wreck many years ago.
Saturday, April 03, 2021
The Twist
I entered the Twist competition by chance.
Dancing is in my family. My mom was an instructor and my dad was her ballroom partner. His younger brother, my uncle, and his wife were serious ballroom competitors. Both my daughters are good movers and the elder one was a belly dancer for a while. My sister and I once cleared the floor at the West End Ballroom in Birmingham at a rock 'n' roll dance event when the reigning champions didn't show up that week. Now that is an experience, having all the other dancers, hundreds of 'em, clear a space in the middle of the dance floor, form a circle, watch and clap as you perform your best moves.
Back in the 60s my best friend's father was a librarian. One of his staff members was a keen dancer and wanted to go to this particular event. In those days she needed a male partner to enter competitions. He knew I was a good dancer and asked if I'd be her partner for the evening.
By one of those odd coincidences that my family has come to take for granted, the venue was the same one where a few years later I would become a bouncer for a night, as I have written about previously.
I didn't know that it was a competition until I rocked up to the venue carrying my dancing shoes in a paper bag and met her for the first and only time. We shook hands. There were no romantic undertones, she was not inclined that way. It wasn't Strictly Ballroom; it was strictly business.
It was a two-rounds comp added as a special feature to a larger dance with a live band. In the first round early in the evening, the judges walked round the floor selecting 20 of the best couples to go into the final later in the evening.
The final was a knock-out round. This time the judges walked round tapping people on the shoulder to drop out until there were only two couples left who then battled it out through an entire number.
Usually for a comp you have a regular partner. If not, you should at least practice together a few times and rehearse some set-piece moves, but we had to wing it on the night.
She was good. Very good. We smashed it.
I vaguely recall she kept the trophy and I took the money; it was only a few quid, but handy. I never saw her again and can't remember her name, but for an hour or so, we flew.
Sunday, March 28, 2021
The things they say.
Three and a half year old granddaughter singing out loudly from the back of the car: "When I grow up I'm going to be a mommy. Or a daddy. Or a monster."
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Nearly seven year old grandson on the beach at Port Elliot. He is having a wonderful time , jumping in and out of the waves with his parents, then his aunt, then his grandparents. He runs around splashing and leaping, enjoying the way the sunlight catches the plumes of water he is kicking up, the breeze in his hair and the sheer joy and exhilaration of being in the moment. Suddenly he stops thigh-deep in the water, freezes into a pose with arms spread, somewhere between a surfer's crouch and a swooping seagull, and laughs out joyously to the sky, "I am a Man of Waves".
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Bedtime story time with both of them: three and a half year old looks at me seriously and says, "I'm going to suck my thumb and I don't want to take it out".
Me: OK, in that case, I'd better suck my thumb too.
I copy her - thumb in mouth and index finger alongside nose.
Me: Ugh! I'm not doing this. I don't like it. It tastes horrible.
Her: No, it tastes nice.
Me: It tastes horrible, yuk.
Her: It tastes nice.
Nearly seven year old grandson glances up from his book and says, in a very nonchalent, superior, cool dude voice, "You've just got different tastes".
Thursday, March 25, 2021
Cliff Jumpers
"If Billy jumped off a cliff, would you jump off it too?"
The correct answer was always, "No, mom. Sorry mom", as she washed off the mud and wiped away the blood from our most recent misadventure.
The truthful answer was, "Yes, of course I would".
Billy and I would follow each other into the jaws of hell if seemed like a good idea at the time; and we'd be jostling each other on the way to see who could get there first.
Of course I'd jump off a cliff if he jumped off one, only I'd try to find a higher one. So would he.
Or we'd jump off it together.
The best cliff we jumped off formed one wall of a flooded quarry near Tamworth in Staffordshire. Perhaps 10-12 metres above the water (32-40 feet in the old money) it rose more or less vertically above the surface.
Our SCUBA diving club used the quarry on weekends for practice and training. Like a small lake, it was about 60 feet to the bottom at the deepest part. Cliff-like quarry walls enclosed it on three sides like a horseshoe. The foot of our cliff lay around 30 feet or so below the surface. So standing at the top, you looked down thirty-odd feet to the surface of the water which went down another 30 feet underwater to the bottom of the cliff.
The temptation was irresistable.
We'd both gone off the 30 foot diving board at the local swimming baths several times before, so the height was not much of an issue. Neither was the depth of the water - in fact the deeper the better when you're hitting it from that height.
No, the issue was where the cliff face met the surface. Over the years, the face of the cliff above the waterline had weathered and massive chunks had broken off. This meant the cliff face had eroded and receded above the surface forming a shelf at the waterline. Further rock falls had left a narrow beach of rubble and broken boulders on the shelf.
The idea was that you ran as fast as you could towards the edge and launched yourself into space, hoping that you had enough forward momentum to carry you over the rocky beach to plunge safely into the dark waters beyond.
So far, so good. We became cliff jumpers.
Then one weekend we found someone had rigged a brilliant flying-fox type zipline over the flooded quarry. The cable was attached about 10 feet up a big tree at the top of our cliff and descended steeply across the lake to the trunk of a tree on the lower open side of the horseshoe opposite.
You needed someone to lift you up so you could grab the zipline handle and then give you a push off. It went fast. You had to time your drop carefully and let go when you were still travelling fast a few feet above the surface of the water to avoid smashing into the bank and anchor tree at the bottom. The splash you made as you hit the water was most satisfying.
Could it get any better? Well, yes.
I can't remember whether it was Billy or me who came up with idea first. I'd be the Catcher and Billy would be the Flyer, like circus trapeze artists. I would hold onto the trapeze-like bar of the zipline handle and Billy would hold onto my dangling legs. Then he would run us to the edge of the cliff and push off and we'd sail across the lake with me hanging onto the trapeze and him hanging onto my legs.
It relied a lot on trust. And we did trust each other, even though Billy had shot me a couple of times in the past.
We'd have to time our dismounts so that he would let go a fraction before you'd normally do it and take a higher plunge into the water, and I'd let go one second later while I was still over deep enough water but far enough along so I wouldn't land on him.
It was great in theory.
And it would have been great in practice, except for one small thing - life ain't like the movies.
In the movies the hero can fall off a roof and be left hanging onto a flagpole by one hand, or be thrown off a cliff and save himself by grabbing a slender branch.
It doesn't work that way in real life, as I was to find out again many years later when I did fall off a roof.
Billy began his run and I tightened my grip. When we got to the edge, he leapt forward and we began our swoop down. A fraction of a second later it all went pear-shaped.
As Billy did his grand leap, he jumped upwards a bit. Then he came down. Suddenly his full weight came onto my legs. It was too much. My cold and wet hands couldn't keep their hold on the greasy, slippery bar and the sudden jerk of Billy's weight broke my grip.
We had barely gone a couple of feet forward when we started our plummet downwards.
It only took a second or two to complete the almost vertical descent, locked together and beginning to tumble in the air. Even so, I still had time to wonder whether we had enough forward momentum to carry us clear of the rocky shelf below. I didn't have time to wonder what would happen if we didn't.
But we did, just, and the cold water closed over our tangled bodies only inches past the rocks.
Sorry, mom.
Friday, March 19, 2021
The Jab
So we finally got a date for our first Covid vaccinations - in the third week of April. The online calculator reckons there are only 1.732 million people ahead of us.
Thursday, March 18, 2021
Promises, promises
The PM promised, or at least his words implied a promise, back in January that the government would deliver 80,000 vaccinations a week by the end of Feb and would complete 4 million by the end of March.
Any project manager with half a brain contemplates 3 scenarios: best case, worst case and most likely case. Then tactically he or she undertakes to deliver a bit less than 'most likely'.
Thus if the most likely scenario eventuates, the manager looks good because he/she has over-delivered. An outcome better than 'most likely' makes him/her look like a legend.
If the worst case happens, the outcome is only a bit less than promised and there are probably understandable and acceptable reasons for the under-performance. Even so, a good manager will monitor progress and take correction action required to get it back on track.
Only a dolt or amateur would promise the best case scenario. In the unlikely event of it happening, the person responsible doesn't appear to have done anything special. Even worse, achieving an outcome less than best case, e.g. achieving the most likely outcome, is a significant under-delivery and hints at incompetence and suggests that marketing spin is more important than substance and delivery, completely negating and reversing any PR and reputational benefit gained from the earlier over-optimistic announcement and promise.
Monday, December 28, 2020
A year’s worth of reading.
Anyone else had trouble concentrating and finishing books this year? I've had a lean year for reading in 2020, so here is a year's worth from a previous year:
December
The Sixth Key. Adriana Koulias
In the author's own words, from an interview on the Booktopia Blog:"The Sixth Key is a thriller set in two primary timelines – 2012 and 1938. In the 2012 timeline, a crime novelist goes to the Cemetery Island of San Michele to meet a mysterious fan offering to solve a riddle. But on his arrival the novelist learns that the fan’s motive is to tell him the story of Otto Rahn, a Grail historian and archaeologist, who in 1936 was also invited to a mysterious meeting with a fan – Himmler, head of the SS and Hitler’s henchman. Himmler wants Rahn to travel to the South of France in search of an ancient Grimoire of Black Magic written by a 14th century pope. Rahn sees this as his chance to escape the Nazi regime, which he abhors, but soon realises he has stepped out of the frying pan and into the fire. He is not the only one looking for the Grimoire and the legendary ‘Sixth Key’ that can turn it into the most powerful tool of black magic ever known." Otto Rahn was a real person and it is thought that he was the inspiration for the fictional movie character of "Indiana Jones". Rahn's frantic search for the grimoire is an action-packed espionage/supernatural thriller that just skirts on the edges of melodrama in places. An interesting touch is a blurring of the line between reader and narrator. Koulias also says wants readers to take away "the disquieting feeling that all is not as it seems, and that history is often an account of half-truths."
In the author's own words, from an interview on the Booktopia Blog:"The Sixth Key is a thriller set in two primary timelines – 2012 and 1938. In the 2012 timeline, a crime novelist goes to the Cemetery Island of San Michele to meet a mysterious fan offering to solve a riddle. But on his arrival the novelist learns that the fan’s motive is to tell him the story of Otto Rahn, a Grail historian and archaeologist, who in 1936 was also invited to a mysterious meeting with a fan – Himmler, head of the SS and Hitler’s henchman. Himmler wants Rahn to travel to the South of France in search of an ancient Grimoire of Black Magic written by a 14th century pope. Rahn sees this as his chance to escape the Nazi regime, which he abhors, but soon realises he has stepped out of the frying pan and into the fire. He is not the only one looking for the Grimoire and the legendary ‘Sixth Key’ that can turn it into the most powerful tool of black magic ever known." Otto Rahn was a real person and it is thought that he was the inspiration for the fictional movie character of "Indiana Jones". Rahn's frantic search for the grimoire is an action-packed espionage/supernatural thriller that just skirts on the edges of melodrama in places. An interesting touch is a blurring of the line between reader and narrator. Koulias also says wants readers to take away "the disquieting feeling that all is not as it seems, and that history is often an account of half-truths."
The Vault. Ruth Rendell
23rd novel in the Inspector Wexford series. Wexford is living in retirement in a coachhouse in Hampstead. He misses being the law. Tom Ede, whom Wexford met long ago when Ede was young police constable, is now a Detective Superintendent, and recruits Wexford as an adviser on a difficult case where the bodies of two women and a man have been discovered in the old coal hole of an attractive house in St John's Wood. Better than your average police procedural. If you like Rendell's writing, you'll like this.
23rd novel in the Inspector Wexford series. Wexford is living in retirement in a coachhouse in Hampstead. He misses being the law. Tom Ede, whom Wexford met long ago when Ede was young police constable, is now a Detective Superintendent, and recruits Wexford as an adviser on a difficult case where the bodies of two women and a man have been discovered in the old coal hole of an attractive house in St John's Wood. Better than your average police procedural. If you like Rendell's writing, you'll like this.
The Portrait. Iain Pears
On a remote island off the north coast of France in the 1920s, the narrator, a reclusive artist, is painting a portrait of his long-time colleague and sometime friend, a famous art critic. The narrative is formed by the artist's monologue as he talks to the sitter over several days . During his monologue, bits and pieces of the two men's shared history are revealed, not in chronological order, and their characters emerge. It is a clever use of narrative, with shifts of understanding and tensions as the story gradually falls into place.
On a remote island off the north coast of France in the 1920s, the narrator, a reclusive artist, is painting a portrait of his long-time colleague and sometime friend, a famous art critic. The narrative is formed by the artist's monologue as he talks to the sitter over several days . During his monologue, bits and pieces of the two men's shared history are revealed, not in chronological order, and their characters emerge. It is a clever use of narrative, with shifts of understanding and tensions as the story gradually falls into place.
Death in a Strange Country. Donna Leon
One of the earlier books in the Inspector Brunetti series. A body of a young man is found floating in a Venice canal - an American who worked at the US military base near Vicenza on the mainland. People in authority seem keen to prove that he was the victim of a random mugging. But Brunetti is not convinced and begins to investigate the mystery in spite of bureaucratic and political opposition. It leads him to a more sinister and more complex set of circumstances and more significant and powerful players. Leon explores the themes of corruption and apathetic officialdom against a convincing Venetian backdrop.
One of the earlier books in the Inspector Brunetti series. A body of a young man is found floating in a Venice canal - an American who worked at the US military base near Vicenza on the mainland. People in authority seem keen to prove that he was the victim of a random mugging. But Brunetti is not convinced and begins to investigate the mystery in spite of bureaucratic and political opposition. It leads him to a more sinister and more complex set of circumstances and more significant and powerful players. Leon explores the themes of corruption and apathetic officialdom against a convincing Venetian backdrop.
November
The Irrestible Inheritance of Wilberforce. Paul Torday
Another example of creating a narrative through episodes told in reverse chronological order. Here, starting in the present, Wilberforce is in danger of drinking himself to death. Wilberforce is (was) a computer genius who sold his computer company for a small fortune and bought his friend's vast wine collection. The narrative episodes then go back to progressively earlier periods of time so that the circumstances of and reasons for the present situation gradually become clearer. From a shy, naive, hard-working nerd, Wilberforce is gradually introduced into - and seduced by - an upper-class lifestyle by a coterie of new friends.
Another example of creating a narrative through episodes told in reverse chronological order. Here, starting in the present, Wilberforce is in danger of drinking himself to death. Wilberforce is (was) a computer genius who sold his computer company for a small fortune and bought his friend's vast wine collection. The narrative episodes then go back to progressively earlier periods of time so that the circumstances of and reasons for the present situation gradually become clearer. From a shy, naive, hard-working nerd, Wilberforce is gradually introduced into - and seduced by - an upper-class lifestyle by a coterie of new friends.
October
People of the Book. Geraldine Brooks
This was a great read, one of the best books I've read this year. Synopsis from The First Tuesday Book Club (ABC TV 01/04/2008): "A fictionalised account of the perilous journeys of the Sarajevo Haggadah; an ancient Jewish manuscript renowned for its stunning and intricate illuminations. From Medieval Spain to Venice during the Inquisition, to late 19th century Vienna the story skips from caretaker to caretaker as they carry with them the Passover prayer book of the Hebrew people. In modern days the Haggadah is thought destroyed, so many are astonished when it reappears in Bosnia. Dr. Hanna Heath, a skilled conservator, is entrusted with preparing the book for museum display and has just a short while to discover all she can about its past. Collecting tiny artefacts from among the pages, Heath captures tiny glimpses into the book's journey of centuries and how, through the efforts of strangers of many faiths, it has survived the ravages of time and human history."
I like this technique of starting the story in the present and then building the narrative in reverse chronological order through "flashbacks". As Hanna discovers various details and artefacts in the Haggadah, the narrative goes further and further back in extended episodes to the relevant period, characters and their stories when those details or artefacts were added.
This was a great read, one of the best books I've read this year. Synopsis from The First Tuesday Book Club (ABC TV 01/04/2008): "A fictionalised account of the perilous journeys of the Sarajevo Haggadah; an ancient Jewish manuscript renowned for its stunning and intricate illuminations. From Medieval Spain to Venice during the Inquisition, to late 19th century Vienna the story skips from caretaker to caretaker as they carry with them the Passover prayer book of the Hebrew people. In modern days the Haggadah is thought destroyed, so many are astonished when it reappears in Bosnia. Dr. Hanna Heath, a skilled conservator, is entrusted with preparing the book for museum display and has just a short while to discover all she can about its past. Collecting tiny artefacts from among the pages, Heath captures tiny glimpses into the book's journey of centuries and how, through the efforts of strangers of many faiths, it has survived the ravages of time and human history."
I like this technique of starting the story in the present and then building the narrative in reverse chronological order through "flashbacks". As Hanna discovers various details and artefacts in the Haggadah, the narrative goes further and further back in extended episodes to the relevant period, characters and their stories when those details or artefacts were added.
September
The Botticelli Secret. Marina Fiorata
Racy chick lit meets The Da Vinci Code. Here is part of the blurb from the publisher's web site (Allen & Unwin) that says it all: "A young woman in 15th-century Italy must flee for her life after stumbling upon a deadly secret when she serves as a model for Botticelli in a rip-roaring novel that blends enticing mystery, historical intrigue and romantic adventure.... Gloriously fresh and vivid, with a deliciously irreverent heroine, The Botticelli Secret is a masterful concoction of enticing mystery, historical intrigue and romantic adventure. Resplendent fifteenth-century Italy is seen through the eyes of the gorgeous Luciana Vetra, part-time model and full-time prostitute. After a request from one of her most exalted clients to pose for a painter friend, Luciana agrees to model for the central figure of Flora in Botticelli's masterpiece 'Primavera' But when the artist dismisses her without payment, Luciana impulsively steals an unfinished version of the painting - only to find that friends and clients are slaughtered around her in an attempt to get it back. So Luciana turns to the one man who has never desired her beauty, novice monk Brother Guido Della Torre, to discover what could be so valuable about the painting. Fleeing Florence together, Luciana and Guido race through the seven cities of Renaissance Italy pursued by ruthless enemies who are determined to keep them from decoding the painting's secrets."
Racy chick lit meets The Da Vinci Code. Here is part of the blurb from the publisher's web site (Allen & Unwin) that says it all: "A young woman in 15th-century Italy must flee for her life after stumbling upon a deadly secret when she serves as a model for Botticelli in a rip-roaring novel that blends enticing mystery, historical intrigue and romantic adventure.... Gloriously fresh and vivid, with a deliciously irreverent heroine, The Botticelli Secret is a masterful concoction of enticing mystery, historical intrigue and romantic adventure. Resplendent fifteenth-century Italy is seen through the eyes of the gorgeous Luciana Vetra, part-time model and full-time prostitute. After a request from one of her most exalted clients to pose for a painter friend, Luciana agrees to model for the central figure of Flora in Botticelli's masterpiece 'Primavera' But when the artist dismisses her without payment, Luciana impulsively steals an unfinished version of the painting - only to find that friends and clients are slaughtered around her in an attempt to get it back. So Luciana turns to the one man who has never desired her beauty, novice monk Brother Guido Della Torre, to discover what could be so valuable about the painting. Fleeing Florence together, Luciana and Guido race through the seven cities of Renaissance Italy pursued by ruthless enemies who are determined to keep them from decoding the painting's secrets."
Rip Tide. Stella Rimington
Former real-life Head of MI5, now a Dame, the author returns to her earlier form as a leading espionage thiller writer. Bang up-to-date with a page-turning tale of home-grown terror cells and international piracy and believable insights into the workings (and thinking) of the various security agencies, their bureaucratic processes and political rivalries. Thanks to Lake Macquarie City Council library web site for this synopsis from 6 June 2011: "When pirates attack a cargo ship off the Somalian coast and one of them is found to be a British-born Pakistani, alarm bells start ringing at London's Thames House. MI5 Intelligence Officer Liz Carlyle is brought in to establish how and why a young British Muslim could go missing from his well-to-do family in Birmingham and end up onboard a pirate skiff in the Indian Ocean, armed with a Kalashnikov. After an undercover operative connected to the case turns up dead in the shipping office of an NGO in Athens it looks like piracy may be the least of the Service's problems. Liz and her team must unravel the connections between Pakistan, Greece and Somalia, relying on their wits - and the judicious use of force - to get to the truth."
Former real-life Head of MI5, now a Dame, the author returns to her earlier form as a leading espionage thiller writer. Bang up-to-date with a page-turning tale of home-grown terror cells and international piracy and believable insights into the workings (and thinking) of the various security agencies, their bureaucratic processes and political rivalries. Thanks to Lake Macquarie City Council library web site for this synopsis from 6 June 2011: "When pirates attack a cargo ship off the Somalian coast and one of them is found to be a British-born Pakistani, alarm bells start ringing at London's Thames House. MI5 Intelligence Officer Liz Carlyle is brought in to establish how and why a young British Muslim could go missing from his well-to-do family in Birmingham and end up onboard a pirate skiff in the Indian Ocean, armed with a Kalashnikov. After an undercover operative connected to the case turns up dead in the shipping office of an NGO in Athens it looks like piracy may be the least of the Service's problems. Liz and her team must unravel the connections between Pakistan, Greece and Somalia, relying on their wits - and the judicious use of force - to get to the truth."
August
Whispering Death. Garry Disher
The sixth Challis and Destry mystery set in the Mornington Peninsula of Victoria. Disher is back on form with a well-plotted yarn with multiple narrative threads. From the Herald Sun online shop: "Hal Challis is in trouble at home and abroad: carpeted by the boss for speaking out about police budget cuts; missing his lover, Ellen Destry, who is overseas on a study tour. But there’s plenty to keep his mind off his problems. A rapist in a police uniform stalks Challis’s Peninsula beat, there is a serial armed robber headed in his direction and a home invasion that’s a little too close to home. Not to mention a very clever, very mysterious female cat burglar who may or may not be planning something on Challis’s patch. Meanwhile, at the Waterloo Police Station, Challis finds his offsiders have their own issues. Scobie Sutton, still struggling with his wife’s depression, seems to be headed for a career crisis; and something very interesting is going on between Constable Pam Murphy and Jeanne Schiff, the feisty young sergeant on secondment from the Sex Crimes Unit."
The sixth Challis and Destry mystery set in the Mornington Peninsula of Victoria. Disher is back on form with a well-plotted yarn with multiple narrative threads. From the Herald Sun online shop: "Hal Challis is in trouble at home and abroad: carpeted by the boss for speaking out about police budget cuts; missing his lover, Ellen Destry, who is overseas on a study tour. But there’s plenty to keep his mind off his problems. A rapist in a police uniform stalks Challis’s Peninsula beat, there is a serial armed robber headed in his direction and a home invasion that’s a little too close to home. Not to mention a very clever, very mysterious female cat burglar who may or may not be planning something on Challis’s patch. Meanwhile, at the Waterloo Police Station, Challis finds his offsiders have their own issues. Scobie Sutton, still struggling with his wife’s depression, seems to be headed for a career crisis; and something very interesting is going on between Constable Pam Murphy and Jeanne Schiff, the feisty young sergeant on secondment from the Sex Crimes Unit."
July
Némésis. Agatha Christie.
Traduction Française de Jean-André Rey. It was interesting reading about a quintessentially old-fashioned English lifestyle in French while on holiday in the Loire Valley. Thanks to M. Pean for lending me the novel while staying in his cottage near Langeais. A classic Miss Marple mystery and Christie's final Miss Marple novel, written when the author was in her eighties. From Wikipedia: "Miss Marple receives a post card from the recently deceased Mr Jason Rafiel, a millionaire whom she had met during a holiday on which she had encountered a murder, which asks her to look into an unspecified crime; if she succeeds in solving the crime, she will inherit £20,000. Rafiel, however, has left her few clues, not even when or where the crime was committed and who was involved. Miss Marple's first clue is a tour of famous houses and gardens of Great Britain, arranged for her by Mr. Rafiel prior to his death. She is accompanied on the trip by fourteen other people, at least one of whom she suspects to be related to her enquiries."
Traduction Française de Jean-André Rey. It was interesting reading about a quintessentially old-fashioned English lifestyle in French while on holiday in the Loire Valley. Thanks to M. Pean for lending me the novel while staying in his cottage near Langeais. A classic Miss Marple mystery and Christie's final Miss Marple novel, written when the author was in her eighties. From Wikipedia: "Miss Marple receives a post card from the recently deceased Mr Jason Rafiel, a millionaire whom she had met during a holiday on which she had encountered a murder, which asks her to look into an unspecified crime; if she succeeds in solving the crime, she will inherit £20,000. Rafiel, however, has left her few clues, not even when or where the crime was committed and who was involved. Miss Marple's first clue is a tour of famous houses and gardens of Great Britain, arranged for her by Mr. Rafiel prior to his death. She is accompanied on the trip by fourteen other people, at least one of whom she suspects to be related to her enquiries."
June
I Shall Wear Midnight. Terry Pratchett
The fourth book in the Tiffany Aching series. More of a novel for young adults, but 'grown-ups' will get a lot out of this novel. Many humourous moments, some scary bits, and much thought-provoking material about society's attitudes to "outsiders", especially independent, talented women, delivered in an interesting, quick-paced narrative. From the Harper Collins web site: "Tiffany Aching has spent years studying with senior witches, and now she is on her own. As the witch of the Chalk, she performs the bits of witchcraft that aren’t sparkly, aren’t fun, don’t involve any kind of wand, and that people seldom ever hear about: She does the unglamorous work of caring for the needy. But someone—or something—is igniting fear, inculcating dark thoughts and angry murmurs against witches. Aided by her tiny blue allies, the Wee Free Men, Tiffany must find the source of this unrest and defeat the evil at its root—before it takes her life. Because if Tiffany falls, the whole Chalk falls with her. Chilling drama combines with laughout-loud humor and searing insight as beloved and bestselling author Terry Pratchett tells the high-stakes story of a young witch who stands in the gap between good and evil."
The fourth book in the Tiffany Aching series. More of a novel for young adults, but 'grown-ups' will get a lot out of this novel. Many humourous moments, some scary bits, and much thought-provoking material about society's attitudes to "outsiders", especially independent, talented women, delivered in an interesting, quick-paced narrative. From the Harper Collins web site: "Tiffany Aching has spent years studying with senior witches, and now she is on her own. As the witch of the Chalk, she performs the bits of witchcraft that aren’t sparkly, aren’t fun, don’t involve any kind of wand, and that people seldom ever hear about: She does the unglamorous work of caring for the needy. But someone—or something—is igniting fear, inculcating dark thoughts and angry murmurs against witches. Aided by her tiny blue allies, the Wee Free Men, Tiffany must find the source of this unrest and defeat the evil at its root—before it takes her life. Because if Tiffany falls, the whole Chalk falls with her. Chilling drama combines with laughout-loud humor and searing insight as beloved and bestselling author Terry Pratchett tells the high-stakes story of a young witch who stands in the gap between good and evil."
The Liar. Stephen Fry.
Stephen Fry's first novel. The book tells the life story of Adrian Healey, a public school and Cambridge educated man who excels at lying. As a writer, Fry is witty and erudite and uses the English language masterfully. From Wikipedia: "The early chapters are not in strict chronological order, but are interlaced stories from three periods of the protagonist's life, namely, as a public school pupil, as a Cambridge student and as a spy.... In the narrative of the school years, Adrian is at a public boys school and is an intelligent and irreverent young man, he has carefully groomed for himself the image of a witty, highly extroverted gay boy.... In the narrative of the university years, Adrian is at the fictional St. Matthew's College, Cambridge and is given a challenge to produce something original by his tutor Professor Donald Trefusis. As a result, with the aid of his girlfriend — and later wife and acclaimed producer — Jenny de Woolf and his housemate Garry he writes and claims to have discovered a lost manuscript of Charles Dickens which dealt with child sex trade.... The espionage period differs from the other two in that ... there appears at first to be no link to the life of Adrian.... The book also has an unreliable narrator; Adrian is 'the liar' and lies habitually to other characters; accordingly, in the book, whole chapters are later revealed to be fictitious, though the reader has no prior warning."
Stephen Fry's first novel. The book tells the life story of Adrian Healey, a public school and Cambridge educated man who excels at lying. As a writer, Fry is witty and erudite and uses the English language masterfully. From Wikipedia: "The early chapters are not in strict chronological order, but are interlaced stories from three periods of the protagonist's life, namely, as a public school pupil, as a Cambridge student and as a spy.... In the narrative of the school years, Adrian is at a public boys school and is an intelligent and irreverent young man, he has carefully groomed for himself the image of a witty, highly extroverted gay boy.... In the narrative of the university years, Adrian is at the fictional St. Matthew's College, Cambridge and is given a challenge to produce something original by his tutor Professor Donald Trefusis. As a result, with the aid of his girlfriend — and later wife and acclaimed producer — Jenny de Woolf and his housemate Garry he writes and claims to have discovered a lost manuscript of Charles Dickens which dealt with child sex trade.... The espionage period differs from the other two in that ... there appears at first to be no link to the life of Adrian.... The book also has an unreliable narrator; Adrian is 'the liar' and lies habitually to other characters; accordingly, in the book, whole chapters are later revealed to be fictitious, though the reader has no prior warning."
May
The Plains of Passage. Jean M. Auel.
The fourth novel in the Earth's Children series and sequel to The Mammoth Hunters. Auel once again captures the pre-historic landscape and ambience. Wikipedia says the novel "describes the journey of Ayla and Jondalar west along the Great Mother River (the Danube), from the home of The Mammoth Hunters (roughly modern Ukraine) to Jondalar's homeland (close to Les Eyzies, Dordogne, France). During this journey, Ayla meets the various peoples who live along their line of march. These meetings, the attitudes and beliefs of these groups, and Ayla's response form an essential part of the story." From Google Books: "Their odyssey spans a beautiful but sparsely populated and treacherous continent, the windswept grasslands of Ice Age Europe, casting the pair among strangers. Some will be intrigued by Ayla and Jondalar, with their many innovative skills, including the taming of wild horses and a wolf; others will avoid them, threatened by what they cannot understand; and some will threaten them. But Ayla, with no memory of her own people, and Jondalar, with a hunger to return to his, are impelled by their own deep drives to continue their trek across the spectacular heart of an unmapped world to find that place they can both call home."
The fourth novel in the Earth's Children series and sequel to The Mammoth Hunters. Auel once again captures the pre-historic landscape and ambience. Wikipedia says the novel "describes the journey of Ayla and Jondalar west along the Great Mother River (the Danube), from the home of The Mammoth Hunters (roughly modern Ukraine) to Jondalar's homeland (close to Les Eyzies, Dordogne, France). During this journey, Ayla meets the various peoples who live along their line of march. These meetings, the attitudes and beliefs of these groups, and Ayla's response form an essential part of the story." From Google Books: "Their odyssey spans a beautiful but sparsely populated and treacherous continent, the windswept grasslands of Ice Age Europe, casting the pair among strangers. Some will be intrigued by Ayla and Jondalar, with their many innovative skills, including the taming of wild horses and a wolf; others will avoid them, threatened by what they cannot understand; and some will threaten them. But Ayla, with no memory of her own people, and Jondalar, with a hunger to return to his, are impelled by their own deep drives to continue their trek across the spectacular heart of an unmapped world to find that place they can both call home."
The Good Thief. Hannah Tinti.
A bit gothic, a bit Dickensian, quite a bit of drama and some great story-telling set in 19th-century New England. From hannahtinti.com: "Twelve year-old Ren is missing his left hand. How it was lost is a mystery that Ren has been trying to solve for his entire life, as well as who his parents are, and why he was abandoned as an infant at Saint Anthony’s Orphanage for boys. He longs for a family to call his own and is terrified of the day he will be sent alone into the world. But then a young man named Benjamin Nab appears, claiming to be Ren’s long-lost brother, and his convincing tale of how Ren lost his hand and his parents persuades the monks at the orphanage to release the boy and to give Ren some hope. But is Benjamin really who he says he is? Journeying through a New England of whaling towns and meadowed farmlands, Ren is introduced to a vibrant world of hardscrabble adventure filled with outrageous scam artists, grave robbers, and petty thieves." From readingroupguides.com: "(as their) adventures unfold, Ren begins to suspect that this fast-talking charlatan holds the key to one important truth: who Ren really is, and whether he can be reunited with the loving mother he has always dreamed of."
A bit gothic, a bit Dickensian, quite a bit of drama and some great story-telling set in 19th-century New England. From hannahtinti.com: "Twelve year-old Ren is missing his left hand. How it was lost is a mystery that Ren has been trying to solve for his entire life, as well as who his parents are, and why he was abandoned as an infant at Saint Anthony’s Orphanage for boys. He longs for a family to call his own and is terrified of the day he will be sent alone into the world. But then a young man named Benjamin Nab appears, claiming to be Ren’s long-lost brother, and his convincing tale of how Ren lost his hand and his parents persuades the monks at the orphanage to release the boy and to give Ren some hope. But is Benjamin really who he says he is? Journeying through a New England of whaling towns and meadowed farmlands, Ren is introduced to a vibrant world of hardscrabble adventure filled with outrageous scam artists, grave robbers, and petty thieves." From readingroupguides.com: "(as their) adventures unfold, Ren begins to suspect that this fast-talking charlatan holds the key to one important truth: who Ren really is, and whether he can be reunited with the loving mother he has always dreamed of."
April
Death by Water. Kerry Greenwood.
The 15th Phryne Fisher is a classic locked-room detective mystery. From The Age book reviews: "The owners of the passenger ship Hinemoa hire Phryne to find out who has been stealing jewellery from the ship's passengers. Supplied with a magnificent replica sapphire, the Maharani, as bait, she joins the ship in mid-cruise, the only new passenger among the established guests. The ship's officers have determined that the thief must still be on board.... More than ever Phryne Fisher is taking on attributes of a superhero. Along with all the power that her wealth and status give in 1928, she is beautiful, poised, charming and intelligent. She knows what to do and say in every situation. Men instantly love her; women might resent her but they must respect her." Not a bad read, but a little bit of a pot-boiler, perhaps the character and plots are wearing a bit thin.
The 15th Phryne Fisher is a classic locked-room detective mystery. From The Age book reviews: "The owners of the passenger ship Hinemoa hire Phryne to find out who has been stealing jewellery from the ship's passengers. Supplied with a magnificent replica sapphire, the Maharani, as bait, she joins the ship in mid-cruise, the only new passenger among the established guests. The ship's officers have determined that the thief must still be on board.... More than ever Phryne Fisher is taking on attributes of a superhero. Along with all the power that her wealth and status give in 1928, she is beautiful, poised, charming and intelligent. She knows what to do and say in every situation. Men instantly love her; women might resent her but they must respect her." Not a bad read, but a little bit of a pot-boiler, perhaps the character and plots are wearing a bit thin.
Devil's Food. Kerry Greenwood.
The third novel in the Corinna Chapman series, featuring another of Greenwood's female amateur detectives. A quirky mystery/drama set in present-day, eccentric, metropolitan Australia. From aussiereviews.com: "Corinna Chapman loves food. In fact her life revolves around it. She’s the proprietor of the Earthly Delights bakery and is at her happiest when she is watching customers enjoy her wares. So when a strange cult is established in her neighbourhood she is not happy. The cult advocates starvation as a way to God and eats only famine bread which tastes, to Corinna, like sawdust. As if the cult isn’t upsetting enough, Corinna has a more personal drama to deal with. Her mother, Starshine, is in town, in search of Corinna’s father, Sunlight, who is missing on the streets of Melbourne. Corinna and Daniel, her handsome private eye boyfriend, must find Sunlight, and unravel the sinister happenings which seem to have links with the cult. Devil’s Food is the third mystery featuring Corinna Chapman. It uses the winning formula of mystery, adventure, food and friendship. Corinna lives in a whimsical apartment block populated by an eclectic mix of residents and numerous cats, all of whom play roles in each mystery and its resolution, so that the reader has a growing sense of knowing these characters. Whilst the mysteries touch on dark and frightening events, they do so through the eyes of a warm and wryly humorous protagonist in Corinna, making them enjoyable and entertaining, and easy to devour." True, very true.
The third novel in the Corinna Chapman series, featuring another of Greenwood's female amateur detectives. A quirky mystery/drama set in present-day, eccentric, metropolitan Australia. From aussiereviews.com: "Corinna Chapman loves food. In fact her life revolves around it. She’s the proprietor of the Earthly Delights bakery and is at her happiest when she is watching customers enjoy her wares. So when a strange cult is established in her neighbourhood she is not happy. The cult advocates starvation as a way to God and eats only famine bread which tastes, to Corinna, like sawdust. As if the cult isn’t upsetting enough, Corinna has a more personal drama to deal with. Her mother, Starshine, is in town, in search of Corinna’s father, Sunlight, who is missing on the streets of Melbourne. Corinna and Daniel, her handsome private eye boyfriend, must find Sunlight, and unravel the sinister happenings which seem to have links with the cult. Devil’s Food is the third mystery featuring Corinna Chapman. It uses the winning formula of mystery, adventure, food and friendship. Corinna lives in a whimsical apartment block populated by an eclectic mix of residents and numerous cats, all of whom play roles in each mystery and its resolution, so that the reader has a growing sense of knowing these characters. Whilst the mysteries touch on dark and frightening events, they do so through the eyes of a warm and wryly humorous protagonist in Corinna, making them enjoyable and entertaining, and easy to devour." True, very true.
Restoration. Rose Tremain.
From the Blog What Kate's Reading: "Restoration tells the story of Robert Merivel, physician, son of a glove maker, social climber, and King’s Fool, in the time of the restoration of Charles Stuart to the English throne. From the start it’s clear that Merivel is a man wholly of the restoration period, forsaking study and seriousness for a life that encompasses the gluttony in all things of that age; he is a man who enjoys amusement and diversion, and fits in at the Court of Charles II as a favoured man. Life changes, though, as Charles weds Merivel to his own mistress and sends him off to the country whilst keeping his mistress in London. When the King tires of her, he sends her to Merivel, where he has the misfortune of falling in love with his wife, the King’s mistress. The journey from this point is interesting and unpredictable, except in one main way: it is clear from the beginning that Merivel is a man who will fall from grace, suffer bad times, and be restored: restored to his state of self as a man and not a child, restored to love, restored to the King’s good graces. This is not a spoiler. Tremain makes it clear from her title that this is to be so. The details of the period are few, but the ones provided (mostly in details of dress and physician’s treatments) are rich. The most detail is spent on Merivel; written in a first-person narrative, the reader is able to view his thoughts and emotions, which should make the story more intimate. Whilst it’s difficult to call the story “intimate,” it is both thought provoking and forceful."
From the Blog What Kate's Reading: "Restoration tells the story of Robert Merivel, physician, son of a glove maker, social climber, and King’s Fool, in the time of the restoration of Charles Stuart to the English throne. From the start it’s clear that Merivel is a man wholly of the restoration period, forsaking study and seriousness for a life that encompasses the gluttony in all things of that age; he is a man who enjoys amusement and diversion, and fits in at the Court of Charles II as a favoured man. Life changes, though, as Charles weds Merivel to his own mistress and sends him off to the country whilst keeping his mistress in London. When the King tires of her, he sends her to Merivel, where he has the misfortune of falling in love with his wife, the King’s mistress. The journey from this point is interesting and unpredictable, except in one main way: it is clear from the beginning that Merivel is a man who will fall from grace, suffer bad times, and be restored: restored to his state of self as a man and not a child, restored to love, restored to the King’s good graces. This is not a spoiler. Tremain makes it clear from her title that this is to be so. The details of the period are few, but the ones provided (mostly in details of dress and physician’s treatments) are rich. The most detail is spent on Merivel; written in a first-person narrative, the reader is able to view his thoughts and emotions, which should make the story more intimate. Whilst it’s difficult to call the story “intimate,” it is both thought provoking and forceful."
March
We Had It So Good. Linda Grant.
Follows the lives of a group of baby boomers in London from the 1960s to the present. From readings.com.au: "Stephen, the main character of Linda Grant’s compelling fifth novel, certainly did have it good. Born in LA in 1946 to immigrant parents, Stephen wins a Rhodes scholarship to study postgraduate science. He makes it to Oxford in time to experience Britain at the end of the swinging sixties and makes good – sort of. Expelled from university for cooking up acid in his lab, he marries Andrea, one of two hippyish girls who live next door, to avoid being sent back to the US where the Vietnam draft looms. Secure between World War II and the war on terrorism, the couple reaps the rewards of accidental good fortune enabled by the times. Dabbling in anarchism and drugs, living in squats and wearing unwashed velvet are no barrier to achieving middle-class comforts not available to either their parents or their children. But there is a dark side, too, which emerges in the story of Grace, the other girl next door, and in the shadows of wasted potential and death that inevitably accompany ageing. Grant presents some familiar images of the 1960s and 70s, but her novel has far more to offer than nostalgia or another exposé of baby boomer hedonism. From Stephen at the centre, the focus moves back to his parents and forward to his children. It shows how individuals and ‘generations’ intersect, and the stories people tell and those they keep hidden – particularly within families."
Follows the lives of a group of baby boomers in London from the 1960s to the present. From readings.com.au: "Stephen, the main character of Linda Grant’s compelling fifth novel, certainly did have it good. Born in LA in 1946 to immigrant parents, Stephen wins a Rhodes scholarship to study postgraduate science. He makes it to Oxford in time to experience Britain at the end of the swinging sixties and makes good – sort of. Expelled from university for cooking up acid in his lab, he marries Andrea, one of two hippyish girls who live next door, to avoid being sent back to the US where the Vietnam draft looms. Secure between World War II and the war on terrorism, the couple reaps the rewards of accidental good fortune enabled by the times. Dabbling in anarchism and drugs, living in squats and wearing unwashed velvet are no barrier to achieving middle-class comforts not available to either their parents or their children. But there is a dark side, too, which emerges in the story of Grace, the other girl next door, and in the shadows of wasted potential and death that inevitably accompany ageing. Grant presents some familiar images of the 1960s and 70s, but her novel has far more to offer than nostalgia or another exposé of baby boomer hedonism. From Stephen at the centre, the focus moves back to his parents and forward to his children. It shows how individuals and ‘generations’ intersect, and the stories people tell and those they keep hidden – particularly within families."
The Castelmaine Murders. Kerry Greenwood.
The thirteenth Phryne Fisher mystery, Phryne investigates an old mystery which takes her from a funfair ghost train to an abandoned mine in the old gold fields. The first time I've come across this series and its unusual protagonist. Phryne is a classy, independent, fashionable and up-to-the-minute young woman in Melbourne in the 1920's - a sort of upper-class flapper - who is also a talented private detective. From the Allen & Unwin web site: "Phryne Fisher is back - as smart and sassy as ever. Phryne Fisher, her sister Beth and her faithful maid, Dot, decide that Luna Park is the place for an afternoon of fun and excitement with Phryne's two daughters, Ruth and Jane. But in the dusty dark Ghost Train, amidst the squeals of horror and delight, a mummified bullet-studded corpse falls to the ground in front of them. Phryne Fisher's pleasure trip has definitely become business. Digging to the bottom of this longstanding mystery takes her to the country town of Castlemaine where it soon becomes obvious that someone is trying to muzzle her investigations. With unknown threatening assailants on her path, Phryne seems headed for more trouble than usual. Meanwhile, Phryne's lover Lin Chung has his own mystery to solve. Feuding families and lost gold fill his mind until he learns that Phryne herself has become missing treasure."
The thirteenth Phryne Fisher mystery, Phryne investigates an old mystery which takes her from a funfair ghost train to an abandoned mine in the old gold fields. The first time I've come across this series and its unusual protagonist. Phryne is a classy, independent, fashionable and up-to-the-minute young woman in Melbourne in the 1920's - a sort of upper-class flapper - who is also a talented private detective. From the Allen & Unwin web site: "Phryne Fisher is back - as smart and sassy as ever. Phryne Fisher, her sister Beth and her faithful maid, Dot, decide that Luna Park is the place for an afternoon of fun and excitement with Phryne's two daughters, Ruth and Jane. But in the dusty dark Ghost Train, amidst the squeals of horror and delight, a mummified bullet-studded corpse falls to the ground in front of them. Phryne Fisher's pleasure trip has definitely become business. Digging to the bottom of this longstanding mystery takes her to the country town of Castlemaine where it soon becomes obvious that someone is trying to muzzle her investigations. With unknown threatening assailants on her path, Phryne seems headed for more trouble than usual. Meanwhile, Phryne's lover Lin Chung has his own mystery to solve. Feuding families and lost gold fill his mind until he learns that Phryne herself has become missing treasure."
February
The Elegance of the Hedgehog. Muriel Barbery.
(L'élégance du hérisson). Elegantly written social observation - not quite a satire, but a gentle, thought-provoking narrative. Synopsis from Wikipedia: "The book follows events in the life of a concierge, Renée Michel, whose deliberately concealed intelligence is uncovered by an unstable but intellectually precocious girl named Paloma Josse. The widow Renée is a concierge who has supervised the building for 27 years. She is an autodidact in literature and philosophy, but conceals it to keep her job and, she believes, to avoid the condemnation of the building's tenants if they were to discover how cultured she is. Paloma is the daughter of an upper-class family living in the upscale Parisian apartment building where Renée works. Featuring a number of erudite characters, The Elegance of the Hedgehog is full of allusions to literary works, music, films, and paintings. It incorporates themes relating to philosophy, class consciousness, and personal conflict. The events and ideas of the novel are presented through the thoughts and reactions, interleaved throughout the novel, of two narrators, Renée and Paloma."
(L'élégance du hérisson). Elegantly written social observation - not quite a satire, but a gentle, thought-provoking narrative. Synopsis from Wikipedia: "The book follows events in the life of a concierge, Renée Michel, whose deliberately concealed intelligence is uncovered by an unstable but intellectually precocious girl named Paloma Josse. The widow Renée is a concierge who has supervised the building for 27 years. She is an autodidact in literature and philosophy, but conceals it to keep her job and, she believes, to avoid the condemnation of the building's tenants if they were to discover how cultured she is. Paloma is the daughter of an upper-class family living in the upscale Parisian apartment building where Renée works. Featuring a number of erudite characters, The Elegance of the Hedgehog is full of allusions to literary works, music, films, and paintings. It incorporates themes relating to philosophy, class consciousness, and personal conflict. The events and ideas of the novel are presented through the thoughts and reactions, interleaved throughout the novel, of two narrators, Renée and Paloma."
Double Jeopardy. Martin Stratford.
The notes for this novel were written 9 months in arrears and I can hardly remember a thing about it, which is indicative. This is Stratford's first novel and it shows here and there, being a bit clunky and a touch melodramatic in parts. Nevertheless, it manages to be a decent, light read - great for the plane or train, maybe. I look forward to his next novel and to seeing how he develops as a mystery/thriller writer. From Chrissie's Corner - a Blog for Book Lovers:"Detective Sergeant Julie Cooper has been working undercover to crack a major drugs ring. With the drugs baron jailed, Julie thinks she can relax until she becomes the victim of a drive-by shooting that leaves her seriously injured and her aunt dead. Fuelled by grief, anger and guilt, Julie hires private detective Alec Tanner to help her track down the killers. Set in the fictitious English city of Havenchester, “Double Jeopardy” follows Julie and Tanner as they investigate a number of potential suspects, including a vicious gangland boss who is plotting to avenge himself on his cheating girlfriend. As their personal lives become increasingly entangled, Julie and Tanner find themselves in a race against time to uncover the truth and prevent more murders, including their own."
The notes for this novel were written 9 months in arrears and I can hardly remember a thing about it, which is indicative. This is Stratford's first novel and it shows here and there, being a bit clunky and a touch melodramatic in parts. Nevertheless, it manages to be a decent, light read - great for the plane or train, maybe. I look forward to his next novel and to seeing how he develops as a mystery/thriller writer. From Chrissie's Corner - a Blog for Book Lovers:"Detective Sergeant Julie Cooper has been working undercover to crack a major drugs ring. With the drugs baron jailed, Julie thinks she can relax until she becomes the victim of a drive-by shooting that leaves her seriously injured and her aunt dead. Fuelled by grief, anger and guilt, Julie hires private detective Alec Tanner to help her track down the killers. Set in the fictitious English city of Havenchester, “Double Jeopardy” follows Julie and Tanner as they investigate a number of potential suspects, including a vicious gangland boss who is plotting to avenge himself on his cheating girlfriend. As their personal lives become increasingly entangled, Julie and Tanner find themselves in a race against time to uncover the truth and prevent more murders, including their own."
Memory of Flames. Armand Cabasson.
Historical thriller set in 1814, a blend of murder mystery, spy thriller and military history. This is the third novel in the series by French psychiatrist Armand Cabasson set during the Napoleonic wars, and told from the French point of view. The hero, Quentin Margont is a lieutenant in Napoleon's Great Army with a talent for handling politically sensitive investigations, discreetly. Synopsis from Euro Crime (www.eurocrime.co.uk): "At the opening of this book Margont is stationed with the National Guard at its Paris barracks, as Paris prepares for an attack by the Allied forces ranged against Napoleon. Margont is summoned to a meeting with Joseph, Napoleon's brother and Talleyrand, memorably described as "shit in silk stockings", where he is instructed to infiltrate the Swords of the King, a highly secretive royalist group implicated in the murder of General Berle, a key figure in the defence of Paris. Charles de Varencourt, a gambler and member of the Swords of the King is betraying the group for financial reasons, passing information about the group's members and exploits to Joseph's police. Joseph and Talleyrand put pressure on de Varencourt to propose Margont, under an assumed identity, as a new member of the group. Margont assumes a new identity as a Royalist army officer, leading a psychologically demanding double life, in constant fear of discovery by the justifiably paranoid members of the Swords of the King. As the Allied forces come nearer and nearer to Paris, Margont strives to uncover further plots made by the royalists against Napoleon, but he struggles to gain the trust of the group. When a further murder is committed, with similar burns inflicted on the victim's body to those inflicted on General Berle, Margont realises that flames must have a particular meaning to the killer. Regardless of the outcome of the Allied attack, Margont is determined that justice be done, and the killer apprehended."
Historical thriller set in 1814, a blend of murder mystery, spy thriller and military history. This is the third novel in the series by French psychiatrist Armand Cabasson set during the Napoleonic wars, and told from the French point of view. The hero, Quentin Margont is a lieutenant in Napoleon's Great Army with a talent for handling politically sensitive investigations, discreetly. Synopsis from Euro Crime (www.eurocrime.co.uk): "At the opening of this book Margont is stationed with the National Guard at its Paris barracks, as Paris prepares for an attack by the Allied forces ranged against Napoleon. Margont is summoned to a meeting with Joseph, Napoleon's brother and Talleyrand, memorably described as "shit in silk stockings", where he is instructed to infiltrate the Swords of the King, a highly secretive royalist group implicated in the murder of General Berle, a key figure in the defence of Paris. Charles de Varencourt, a gambler and member of the Swords of the King is betraying the group for financial reasons, passing information about the group's members and exploits to Joseph's police. Joseph and Talleyrand put pressure on de Varencourt to propose Margont, under an assumed identity, as a new member of the group. Margont assumes a new identity as a Royalist army officer, leading a psychologically demanding double life, in constant fear of discovery by the justifiably paranoid members of the Swords of the King. As the Allied forces come nearer and nearer to Paris, Margont strives to uncover further plots made by the royalists against Napoleon, but he struggles to gain the trust of the group. When a further murder is committed, with similar burns inflicted on the victim's body to those inflicted on General Berle, Margont realises that flames must have a particular meaning to the killer. Regardless of the outcome of the Allied attack, Margont is determined that justice be done, and the killer apprehended."
January
The Assassin's Prayer. Ariana Franklin
In 1176, King Henry II sends his daughter Joanna to Palermoto marry his cousin, the king of Sicily. Henry chooses Adelia Aguilar, his Mistress of the Art of Death (i.e. a poetic name for a sort of medieval forensic pathologist and detective medico), to travel with the princess and safeguard her health. But when people in the wedding procession are murdered, Adelia and Rowley must discover the killer's identity and whether he is stalking the princess or Adelia herself. Another medieval murder mystery with good historic detail. The characters speak in contemporary English, which is a bit odd a first until you realise that "Gadzooks" language would sound corny. The author says she decided to use contemporary language because whatever style of language the characters spoke in that era would have sounded contemporary to them. It works for me.
In 1176, King Henry II sends his daughter Joanna to Palermoto marry his cousin, the king of Sicily. Henry chooses Adelia Aguilar, his Mistress of the Art of Death (i.e. a poetic name for a sort of medieval forensic pathologist and detective medico), to travel with the princess and safeguard her health. But when people in the wedding procession are murdered, Adelia and Rowley must discover the killer's identity and whether he is stalking the princess or Adelia herself. Another medieval murder mystery with good historic detail. The characters speak in contemporary English, which is a bit odd a first until you realise that "Gadzooks" language would sound corny. The author says she decided to use contemporary language because whatever style of language the characters spoke in that era would have sounded contemporary to them. It works for me.
Life. Keith Richards
Autobiography of the famous Rolling Stone. It is said that the only things that will survive a nuclear war are cockroaches and Keith Richards. It is not hard to see why as the perambulating pharmaceutical laboratory rockets crazily through the late 60s and 70s. As told to James Fox, it is an honest, no-holds-barred account of the growth of the phenomenon that was the Rolling Stones and Keith's part in it, from his very young days until now. The early days of the Stones are possibly the most interesting, providing insights into the evolution of the band, its fight for recognition and success, and of the music industry itself. Also fascinating are Keith's thoughts and observations about guitar playing, song-writing and performing.
Autobiography of the famous Rolling Stone. It is said that the only things that will survive a nuclear war are cockroaches and Keith Richards. It is not hard to see why as the perambulating pharmaceutical laboratory rockets crazily through the late 60s and 70s. As told to James Fox, it is an honest, no-holds-barred account of the growth of the phenomenon that was the Rolling Stones and Keith's part in it, from his very young days until now. The early days of the Stones are possibly the most interesting, providing insights into the evolution of the band, its fight for recognition and success, and of the music industry itself. Also fascinating are Keith's thoughts and observations about guitar playing, song-writing and performing.
Seven French Summers. Bill Ramson
Observations of an Australasian in the south of France. Not a travelogue, but a series of vignettes of people, places and events observed over seven lenghty sojourns in a small village in the Midi. If you've been there, you will recognise much of this with affection.
Observations of an Australasian in the south of France. Not a travelogue, but a series of vignettes of people, places and events observed over seven lenghty sojourns in a small village in the Midi. If you've been there, you will recognise much of this with affection.
Death of a Mafia Don. Michele Guitarri
The first in the series of detective novels by the former real-life head of the Venetian Squadra Mobile, and possibly better than the subsequent stories. With its undoubted authenticity and realism, the author pulls no punches in his portrayal of organised crime in modern Italy and its characters, as well as convincing accounts of police and judicial procedures operating within and in spite of the constraints of bureaucracy and politics. From Amazon:"A bomb explodes in the centre of Florence, hitting the car of Chief Superintendent Michele Ferrara of the elite Squadra Mobile. The attack rocks the ancient city to its foundations. Ferrara was clearly the target - and he did, after all, just controversially imprison notorious Mafia boss Salvatore Laprua. A week later, another bomb explodes - bringing tragedy for Ferrara and a determination to find the culprit." The author is now a special adviser to the interior minister in Rome, with a special remit to monitor Mafia activity.
The first in the series of detective novels by the former real-life head of the Venetian Squadra Mobile, and possibly better than the subsequent stories. With its undoubted authenticity and realism, the author pulls no punches in his portrayal of organised crime in modern Italy and its characters, as well as convincing accounts of police and judicial procedures operating within and in spite of the constraints of bureaucracy and politics. From Amazon:"A bomb explodes in the centre of Florence, hitting the car of Chief Superintendent Michele Ferrara of the elite Squadra Mobile. The attack rocks the ancient city to its foundations. Ferrara was clearly the target - and he did, after all, just controversially imprison notorious Mafia boss Salvatore Laprua. A week later, another bomb explodes - bringing tragedy for Ferrara and a determination to find the culprit." The author is now a special adviser to the interior minister in Rome, with a special remit to monitor Mafia activity.
December
Solar. Ian McEwen
The hapless Michael Bland is a former Nobel Prize winner in physics. He fears his best work is behind him and his marriage - his fifth - is falling apart. A freak accident connected with his sinecure job as titular head of a research outfit creates an opportunity to extricate himself from his messy life and revitalise his flagging career. So he jumps onto the new bandwagon - that is, he embarks on new mission to save the world and the environment from climate change. The novel has elements of David Lodge, Tom Sharpe and Ben Elton in its interweaving narrative threads, coincidences and the interaction of various characters' conflicting motives, providing a darkly comic and satirical story.
The hapless Michael Bland is a former Nobel Prize winner in physics. He fears his best work is behind him and his marriage - his fifth - is falling apart. A freak accident connected with his sinecure job as titular head of a research outfit creates an opportunity to extricate himself from his messy life and revitalise his flagging career. So he jumps onto the new bandwagon - that is, he embarks on new mission to save the world and the environment from climate change. The novel has elements of David Lodge, Tom Sharpe and Ben Elton in its interweaving narrative threads, coincidences and the interaction of various characters' conflicting motives, providing a darkly comic and satirical story.
Matterhorn. Karl Marlantes A gritty and realistic portrayal of the chaos of the American war in Vietnam, in a US operational unit in the remote jungle. Complicated even further by personality conflicts and racial tensions.
Sunday, December 06, 2020
Sinking Ship?
If you start noticing members of Mr Trump's team discreetly distancing themselves from him and his pronouncements, you'll know they are beginning to think it's all over, and they are now thinking about saving what's left of the furniture and, to mix metaphors, abandoning a sinking ship.
Wednesday, December 02, 2020
Covid QR Check-in, Day 2.
My post yesterday about the Covid QR check-in process was not meant to be critical of the app itself nor the check-in system or process and I'm sorry if it gave that impression.
On the contrary, I have confidence in the talented ICT professionals we have in our state and respect the speed and diligence with which they developed and deployed the technology. I know that they will quickly sort out the inevitable glitches that manifest as the roll-out into the public realm encounters unforeseeable variables and anomalies.
I was attempting to highlight the need for greater public information and education by illustrating what appears to be a current lack of awareness among many ordinary shoppers and some businesses. Most people seem to want to do the right thing, but they need to know what the "right thing" is and how to go about doing it, through increased promotion and awareness-raising and with clear, unambiguous instructions.
This morning I watched people entering one of the previously designated locations of interest. The business was displaying clear, prominent notices and QR codes. For those customers who used the app to check-in, it worked fine. But still over half the customers sailed blithely into the store, seemingly oblivious to its existence. The tech developers have done and are continuing to do their bit and I trust the parallel public education process will be stepped up to engage and motivate more people.
Tuesday, December 01, 2020
Covid QR Check-in App, Day 1.
Tried my QR check-in app for the first time this arvo at a coffee shop in an Adelaide suburban shopping centre.
Couldn't find a QR poster or sticker; didn't spot the single QR code until I sat down and noticed it on the back of a planter box that was facing into the coffee shop in a pretty obscure location. No sign of an alternative pen and paper based check-in. No staff member asked or directed any customer to check-in in any manner. Over the hour I sat there, not a single customer used the QR code.
When I tried I got the sign-in screen that you are supposed to get on first use, but it would not accept my details on three attempts, saying I'd entered an invalid phone number. I hadn't.
Later, at a separate shop in a different centre, signed in with a pen. Watched while several people pulled out their phones, fired up their camera and took a pic of the QR code, thinking they had checked in, not realising that all they had done was take a photo of a piece of paper.
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