ANZAC Author Reading Challenge- February 2015- Cate Kennedy & Maurice Shadbolt

Can you believe it's already February?

Here's the thread for February.

The Australian representative is Cate Kennedy. The New Zealand representative is Maurice Shadbolt.

However, given that those of you playing from overseas might struggle to find books by either or both I am proposing a special WILD CARD for the month.

Given that she has just died it seems appropriate to focus some attention on Colleen McCullough. I must admit that I've never actually read any of her work. But since The Thorn Birds was voted the number one classic beach read, it seems like a good time to give her a try.

Happy reading!

I will be reading The World Beneath by Cate Kennedy.

I am also reading The World Beneath by Cate Kennedy, and I think I will take a look at The New Zealand Wars Trilogy for my Shadbolt option.

The World Beneath

My first Cate Kennedy - a very good debut novel that takes place in Tasmania. Fifteen year old Sophie goes on a week long trek in the Tasmanian mountains with her father who has been out of her life since she was 7 months old. The parents' characters were interesting, but not particularly likeable. In fact, I kept wanting to yell at them as I was reading. Sophie was a rebellious teenager, in some ways, wise beyond her years. The plot was somewhat predictable, but overall the book was a compelling read.

I have most of Maurice Shadbolt's books on my reading pile as I've been wanting to read him for an age. One of my 2015 goals is to read his New Zealand Wars trilogy, so I'll start it this month. The first book is Season of the Jew.

I've got Season of the Jew and The World Beneath from the library. I've got a few books ahead of them in the queue, but I am looking forward to reading them.

When I was in New Zealand a few years ago I managed to buy a few books in a second hand bookshop in Kaikura. One was Among the Cinders by Maurice Shadbolt and the other was Crime Story by Maurice Gee. I have had a good old look locally for something by Maurice Shadbolt but I can't find anything - I might make do with the other Maurice.

>4 LoisB: I've just finished the World Beneath. It kinda drove me nuts. Both parents were completely useless and it was distracting. I spent the entire time lecturing them in my head. Sigh. There was a lot to like about the book too, but the parents! Argh.

For those of you who have read, or are reading The World Beneath you might like to watch these

The World Beneath. Cate Kennedy at Sydney Writers' Festival (Part 1)

The World Beneath. Cate Kennedy at Sydney Writers' Festival (Part 2)

>8 nittnut: I'm with you - well, I got 50 pages in, and decided that was enough. The parents were driving me mad, I wasn't enjoying it, and I have a big long list of books that I'm really keen to read. So, sorry The World Beneath, you just weren't my thing. That was the only book I could find locally for either of the authors this month, so it looks like I won't finish anything.

I read The World Beneath, as well. Yeah. Those parents! I didn't read the readers' notes at the end of my copy, but the word "delusion" jumped out at me. Thinking back, I can see that each of the three main characters deluded themselves in some way. The mother, at least, appeared to be startled out of her years of sleepwalking delusion and began a transition into becoming a different sort of person. During the trek, the daughter had her eyes opened to both the reality of her father, as opposed to her hope of him, and the reality of her mother, as opposed to her derision of her. The father just seemed hopeless. I didn't like any of the characters. But I enjoyed Tasmania through her descriptions, and afterwards found myself googling 'Tasmanian tiger' (my - that mouth!) and 'Cradle Mountain' (beautiful! dangerous-looking!). I do like that in a book - the impetus to learn more. I'd never have picked up this book were it not for ANZAC! Thank you, Jacqui.

I finished Morgan's Run by Colleen McCullough. Here is my mini-review:

Morgan's Run by Colleen McCullough



Date of Publication : 2000

I am not sure why I chose possibly her longest book to read for the Anzac challenge and in memoriam of Colleen McCullough who passed away earlier this month. It did prove however a rewarding choice as we were taken from Bristol to Botany Bay and the founding of the Australian colony in 890 fascinating pages.

Sweeping and very informative it was also of course at least 200 pages too long and would have been better served by a deft red pen to excise some of the waste within it. That said I did enjoy the tale which was well told and set up for a sequel that never came but it did spawn, somewhat surprisingly a musical.

Marked down slightly for length I am still very pleased at my choice for the Anzac challenge this month and thanks to Jacqui for including the McCullough option.

7/10

Just finished The House of Strife and reviewed it. It was pretty good. I realize it's the third in the trilogy, but I prefer chronological order...

Since I have already read both The World Beneath and Dark Roots I'm reading Like a House on Fire. I've only read the first story last night before bed, but so far I think this is Cate Kennedy's best writing to date. The story was about the aftermath of a tractor accident. In just a few short pages Kennedy was able to convey such a wide range of ideas and emotions. Our sympathies quickly from the man trapped under the tractor, who may never walk again, to his wife when you realise that her husband is a pig and a bully. Then there is the murky middle ground, which Kennedy does so well, where you discover that things aren't that simple.

I finished House of Strife a week ago. Enjoyed it quite a bit.