Over the summer break, I read six books, three of which I really enjoyed. I couldn’t choose between them for a review so I’ve written a few words about each.
I found Tell me Everything a great indulgence after the hectic days leading up to Christmas. It has a warm conversational tone and involves characters familiar from Strout’s earlier novels: Olive Kitteridge, Olive, Again, My Name is Lucy Barton, Lucy by the Sea, Oh William! and The Burgess Boys. Bob Burgess is the focus of this novel.
Elizabeth Strout speaks directly to the reader, sharing stories about the characters in Cosby, the small Maine town which is the site of her earlier novels. Above all, the characters are ‘good’ people who do their best to cope with what life throws at them.
I really loved Robbie Arnott’s first novel, Limberlost and was excited to see he had published a second. Dusk contains the same beautifully written descriptions of the Tasmanian landscape, this time the island’s highlands. It tells the story of twins, Iris and Floyd, who set out in search of a puma which has been killing sheep and men. The two are unforgettable characters and the story is one of physical endurance and danger from foes animal and human. The plot of Dusk moved slowly but was more than compensated for by its poetic language.
I bought The Season as a Christmas present for my husband but read it first. Helen Garner is one of my favourite authors. In The Season, her hallmark conversational style and acute observations document her teenage grandson’s AFL Colts football season. Garner reflects on the development of boys into men, the wonders of the premier league games through the lens of a long-term fan of the Bulldogs, and the many touching facets of her relationship with her grandson. Along the way, she explains the finer points of the game, something I appreciated.