Cloudstreet is a broken-down house in Perth, Australia, that becomes a home to two wildly disparate families, the Pickles and the Lambs. Their story begins in 1943 and spans about 20 years of heartbreak, turmoil, boisterous energy and yes, even some joy. Overall, a vivid portrayal of the remoteness of Western Australia.
Author: AJ
The Capital of Dreams – Heather O’Neill
And now for something entirely different – this new O’Neill book is NOT set in Montreal. It is, in fact, a surrealistic fable. Elysia, a country based on art and ideas, is invaded by the dogmatic and ultra-conservative Enemy. There are two key features of this literary masterpiece. First, how does one survive in dystopian future, with the arrest of cultural figures like writers and poets? Clara Bottom is a distinguished writer. How can her 14-year-old daughter survive? And so the second theme is the mother-daughter relationship. To be clear, this is a dark fairy tale of betrayal and survival, and there is a talking goose. A highly recommended read, but recognize that this is not a typical O’Neill book.
The Bright Sword – Lev Grossman
Grossman (author of the magnificent The Magicians trilogy) provides an entertaining re-imagining of the King Arthur legend by focussing on a young knight Collum who arrives in Camelot two weeks after the death of Arthur at the battle of Camlann. It is a time of chaos with conflicts between knights and pagan-Christian issues. Can Camelot be preserved, be rebuilt with only a few surviving knights of the round table? There are strong women like Morgan le Fay, Nimue, and yes, Queen Guinevere, imperfect men, quests and, of course, magical fairies. Highly recommended.
If I Fall, If I Die – Michael Christie
Twelve-year-old Will lives in Thunder Bay with his agoraphobic and eccentric mother, who states that if Will steps outside their home, he will die. So of course, Will’s curiosity compels him to leave his house and instead of disaster, he experiences a complicated freedom. This is a beautifully written story of family and friendship, with skateboarding!
Michael Christie also wrote Greenwood.
Never Let Me Go – Kazuo Ishiguro
Ishiguro’s 2005 novel is sublime; the writing is exceptional with little dystopian hints and effective use of foreshadowing. It is a story of clones as donors of vital organs, and of carers. And it is a relationship story for Kathy, Ruth and Tommy with existential questions: is a clone fully human or just a consumer resource? Ishiguro is a literary genius; his writing has elements that create melancholy and can be alarming, a nuanced process of revelation.
Long Island – Colm Toibin
This superb book is a sequel to the exquisite Brooklyn. Twenty years have passed. It is 1976 and Eilish returns to her Irish homeland after learning about her Italian husband’s infidelity. What follows is a three-way relationship story with Nancy and Jim who are still in Enniscorthy. This is a story of unfulfilled longing with a slow reveal of intentions because of withholding. Overall, a fabulous read.
Darwin’s Bastards – selected and edited by Zsuzsi Gartner
Subtitled “astounding tales from tomorrow”, consisting of 23 short stories of future times and parallel universes. There are contributions by some very fine authors: Douglas Coupland, William Gibson, Jessica Grant, Yann Martel, Heather O’Neill, Neil Smith …. Uneven to be sure, but worth a read.
The Last Devil To Die – Richard Osman
This fourth book about the four septuagenarian members of the Thursday Murder Club has the usual crime mystery elements, notably missing heroin and multiple murders. What distinguishes this novel is the emotional content, not just reflections on aging but on dementia and death. Funny, moving and suspenseful, a delicious read.
Beautyland – Marie-Helene Bertino
Adina is an extra-terrestrial sent to earth to a single mother in Philadelphia; she is “born” in 1977, simultaneously with the launch of the Voyager-1 spacecraft. Her role is to observe and report on human behaviour, using a fax machine (!) to communicate with the extra-terrestrials. Her communications are both wistful and insightful, for someone in exile at home. Adina’s life is endlessly surprising – highly recommended, thanks Amy.
What David Read 