Posts by recordari
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Loved the photos. Everything and everyone seems so 'real', which of course they are, but maybe 'unforced' would say it better.
I wonder too if, building on Rob's observation, we simply cathect more to novels read at a certain stage of life? Is it like music? In that, what you listen to at a certain point (or during certain events) burrows into your soul, but after that, the rest is noise?
Yes. Arriving in Wellington at 21 I read Umberto Eco's Foucault's Pendulum while lying on a mattress with damp seeping through the walls from the moss covered terrace, bronchial to the point of near pneumonia, and went trawling through the second hand book shops on Cuba mall for extra reading on the Knights Templar and the Rosicrucian conspiracy. Tried to re-read it last year, and couldn't get past the third chapter.
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Hard News: Getting dressed for the party, in reply to Kumara Republic,
It takes one to know one.
You read that and are left thinking "that's logical", and yet that very fact makes it seem less likely to be taken seriously or acted upon.
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Busytown: A new (old) sensation, in reply to Jolisa,
Frankie and Gigs seem much more likely to appeal to the parents of pre-teen boys (in fact, I think he specified mothers), than to those boys themselves.
Maybe more so, but I would put a strong vote in for parents of pre-teen girls, and specify fathers, or at least this father.
Stories about children that grow up sensitive to, and aware of, the world around them are worthy of a wider audience, IMhO. The other reason I think we loved it was because it was so damn well written. As was Karen Healey's.
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Hard News: It Began ... in Chicago, in reply to Christopher Dempsey,
Was this the Mangere Skating rink? The song I remember skating to, apart from AEIOU, was Loverboy, Turn Me Loose.
guess that's why I'm a homosexual then.
YMMV, but it's not necessarily why I'm not.
ETA: Canada is just a little north of Chicago isn't it?
<Coat>
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Busytown: A new (old) sensation, in reply to Hilary Stace,
Jacqui, I meant a young successor from the new writers.
See, this may be where I differ from some. I'm not waiting for a successor to Janet Frame, Katherine Mansfield or for Maurice Gee to write more or, according to recent reports, more worthily. They did write wonderful novels with timeless themes and academically rich linguistic nuances (did I use that right?), but I read a New Zealand novel first and foremost because it's a book, not because it's from New Zealand.
As someone who has learned English as a second (or even third) language, I probably find myself in Group 1.
As someone who has taught English as a second (or even third) language, I probably find myself feeling like a douche*.
*Disambiguation.
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Busytown: A new (old) sensation, in reply to Martin Lindberg,
That earlier reply has me nonplussed. Anyway, according to the link above this is hotly debated with 'group 1' and 'group 2' drawing battle lines. Frankly I just wish I had used a different word. Did learn the term 'skunked' though. Although the dictionary tells me this means;
tr.v. skunked, skunk·ing, skunks Slang
1. To defeat overwhelmingly, especially by keeping from scoring.
2. a. To cheat (someone).
b. To fail to pay (an amount due).I'm at a loss.
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Busytown: A new (old) sensation, in reply to Jackie Clark,
/pedant.
Fair enough. If you can get Obama to use it properly, I will too.
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Busytown: A new (old) sensation, in reply to Deborah,
I think when Islander uses "ANZ", she is referring to "Aotearoa New Zealand".
Oh well. Still enjoyed them though. Seems the great Australian Novel could fall foul of the same sentiments as expressed here about New Zealand. Or is the general consensus that they write better? (ducks)
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Personally I've enjoyed, in one way or another, every New Zealand book read in the past year. This includes completing the Shadbolt New Zealand Wars trilogy, Kate De Goldi, Karen Healey and even LLoyd Jones latest. While I can see how the themes and narrative got a bit 'what I did and saw in Berlin', it held together as well as any northern hemisphere novel read during the same period.
I am so sad that ANZ fiction is now very flat.
Since Islander increased the sphere to Australia , I would also say the Australian novels read in the same period have been enjoyable reads too. Winton's Breath seems as pertinent to New Zealand's surfing, itinerant culture as it does to far north-western Australia. For indigenous resonance Adrian Hyland's Gunshot Road (thanks Bookiemonstor) was just bloody fantastic, IMhO.
Thinking why we might feel a bit nonplussed by NZ fiction, it strikes me it could be a factor of expectation. This is a small place, with meagre history and a penchant, or propensity, to box above our weight. When I pick up a New Zealand novel I have to temper my expectation it will sing to me like a morning chorus of Tui and Kokako.
Of course we shouldn't expect less of fiction written in New Zealand, and I'm not at all suggesting we give the books or Authors a pass because we're a bit small and a bit sensitive, but should we expect more?
I'm 2/3rds of the way through The Finkler Question and have been for 3 months.
+1
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Hard News: It Began ... in Chicago, in reply to Sacha,
that'll do
That was also for Danielle, as kind of surprised she didn't get there first. ;-)