This Devastating Fever, Sophie Cunningham
I liked this a lot. It’s a terrific evocation of the Bloomsbury set, about which I’ve read a lot except not so much about Leonard Woolf. He’s the focus here. We follow the trials and tribulations of a writer as she attempts a biography of him; taking years and years, finally giving up when she sees Victoria Glendinning has taken out relevant files before her. Amusing exchanges between author and editor illuminating the whole writing and publishing industry. Apparently the novel is very true to life. It took Sophie Cunningham, former editor of Meanjin twenty five years to complete! There’s a bit of fantasy thrown in – author converses with both Leonard and Virginia from time to time. The story covers the period in Melbourne during Covid which adds another dimension. Recommended.
Young H G Wells, Claire Tomalin
I was given a couple of books by H. G. Wells for my birthday to accompany the Richard Flanagan book below. So I bought this when I saw it in the wonderful Ballarat second-hand bookshop Known World which always visit. (Strongly recommend you do the same.) Claire Tomalin is a terrific biographer and this is beautifully written as expected. I was also interested in Wells because I’ve come across him a lot in my reading. He had a long affair with Elizabeth von Arnim and is referenced in biographies of T.S. Eliot, D.H. Lawrence and others. What a character. This only covers his early life during which he really pulls himself up from very dire circumstances by his bootstraps – or rather his extraordinary brain. It nearly took me back to his books – he wrote so many! And he was incredibly popular. I read a part of The World Set Free and it was beautifully written but I’m not into science fiction. But it made me see that praise of his work – non-fiction, novels, short stories, essays, journalism – was certainly justified. He could write. One criticism seems pertinent – that he wrote so quickly and about such diverse subjects that he skated across the top rather than delving into things in depth. I might go back to him one day. But he was such an unpleasant fellow towards women; his wife especially! Two children on the side, one of whom she helped rear. An open marriage he claimed – for him, not her. People get huffy about poor old George Orwell – he had nothing on Wells! Another man of the left of course – very progressive vis a vis everything else. He caused a bit of chaos amongst the early Fabians. I think he became a crusty old conservative bore – and fat! Anyway, I’m very glad to have got to know a bit about him.
Question 7, Richard Flanagan
This is something of a curate’s egg – that funny expression seems apt. Part memoir, part historical factual, part essayistic, philosophical musing. Beautiful writing always. The memoir bits were best especially an absolutely gripping chapter at the end, that has been hinted about throughout the book, about his near death experience on the Franklin River. Extraordinary. And extremely moving. I thought the musing about chance, life and death, accountability, memory a bit much. And the title of the book, which comes from Chekhov. Can’t find an accurate word – egotistical, not quite right, presumptuous, facile? A little bit of all three. The ideas about which he ponders flow from his father’s experience as a prisoner of war in Japan prior to the dropping of the nuclear bomb on Hiroshima. He was on his last legs and would have died had the bomb not been dropped. Therefore without the nuclear bomb there would have been no Richard Flanagan. Where does the moral lie? He talks to the people involved in his father’s imprisonment and finds no answers – what did he expect? More people died in the carpet bombing of Tokyo, and during the bombing of Dresden but it’s Hiroshima we remember. The historical bits, including reference to H. G. Wells who predicted it at the start of the 19th Century, are about the people responsible for inventing the bomb, and who sought to prevent it being uses. The book is never not interesting so I recommend reading it.
The Empusium, Olga Tocarczuk
I loved the book Drive Your Plough Over The Bones of the Dead which I’ve written about here. And also the film of the novel which I’ve now seen a couple of times (it’s hard to find because it’s English name is Spoor which is Pokot in Polish I think) which I’ve written about here. On the other hand I hated Flights which is the book which has perhaps given rise to most praise for Olga Tokarczuk, and didn’t finish it. I also loved Thomas Mann’s The Magic Mountain on which, so said the reviews, this book is based. I also didn’t like the subtitle, or for that matter the cover. So I was in some trepidation about it. I need not have worried – I loved it and strongly recommend it. You don’t have to have read the Mann book although that may enhance the reading. She absolutely captures the tone of that very beautiful story about a young man’s sojourn in a tuberculosis clinic high in the mountains. The innocence of the main character, the sometimes opaque nature of the responses to him – especially by the doctors. There’s something different about him that didn’t become clear to me until the end, but when disclosed made perfect sense. There is a supernatural element to the story which I normally wouldn’t like but here I did. The young man is surrounded by older more learned men who argue about the state of the world in front of him – as is the case in The Magic Mountain. Here the arguments are a little less dense and also concern the status of women much more than in the classic. An appendix reveals that all the shocking misogynist comments have actually come from eminent public male figures. Some critics haven’t like that aspect but I did! This obsessive interest in women also makes sense in the satisfactory conclusion to the story. I loved this and really recommend it.
Days Like These, Michael Gurr
I really enjoyed this book, not having any pre-conceptions really. I had a very small interaction with Michael once when I was working for Steve Bracks and was asked to get Michael’s comments on a speech I had written. I didn’t write many speeches for Steve bu Michael had written a lot. I thought mine was okay – it had a couple of literary flourishes which were not Steve’s thing but that was ok, they could come out. As it was Michael liked my speech too. Steve still didn’t and didn’t use – such is the life of a political staffer. Which is what makes Michael’s book terrific. He was and was not a political staffer. As he points out time and time again, he was on the periphery of the big events that took Steve, and Labor to victory over Jeff Kennett in 1999. I loved his outsider take on the machine men – not that he calls them that – and his wry look at campaigning. As he says – easier from opposition than from government. He was very important to both the 1999 campaign and the 2002 Brackslide. But his involvement in party politics takes up only a small part of this memoir. I really enjoyed it’s structure; as he points out at the start he writes about events as they come to him. This means he goes backwards and forwards to incidents and memories that matter to him. Which I found more engaging than a straight linear narrative. His early experience as a playwright in Melbourne is very interesting engaging as he does with the stalwarts of emerging Australian – and Melbourne’s own – theatre. I really recommend it.
Held, Anne Michaels
This was up for the Booker Prize and I always like to read at least one on the shortlist. As it was I’d already read Stoneyard Devotional by Charlotte Wood which was also included on that list but I hadn’t enjoyed that at all as I’ve written here. Nor was I very keen on this one. It was too oblique for me. Short paragraphs, poetical and all as indicated in the reviews. But the story and characters hidden from view. Not recommended. I’m contemplating reading the winner of this year’s prize, Orbital by Samantha Harvey but I have so many other books to read!
Baron Bagge, Alexander Lernet-Holenia
This is a small novella recommended to me via twitter. I liked it a lot, but it will not be for everyone. It has a distinctly mitteleuropa feel to it – if that’s a thing. It reminded me of Tolstoy’s novellas; The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Hadji Murat. And Miklós Bánffy’s Transylvanian Trilogy which I’ve written about here and here. The review I read on a website called JacquiWine’s Journal called it a transcendent novella … a haunting, existential tale of love, mortality and war set in the dreamlike hinterland between life and death … [setting] the surreal, heady dreamscape of yearning and desire against the harsh realities of war. The author served in the Austro-Hungarian army in WWI. There’s quite a lovely foreword by Patti Smith who says there is a question hovering over the story like a tantalizing mist: how does one distinguish between so-called life and exquisite illusion? … Time to turn the page and as poet might command, tread softly the marbled corridors of an undying dream.
Being Wagner: The Triumph of the Will, Simon Callow
Who’d have thought there was anything new I could read about Richard Wagner? Actually there’s quite a lot. This was terrific. His thesis is that only someone with as mad (and in many respects bad) a character as Wagner could ever achieve the masterpiece that is The Ring. He describes the obstacles that Wagner had to overcome to achieve it – some of which were self-made and others imposed on him. He quotes Kaiser Wilhelm I attending the first performance saying Well, you’ve finally done it. He also notes the singleness of vision which came to Wagner very early that was also required. Callow has read everything Wagner wrote in what is described as absolutely ponderous and longwinded prose – the manifestos, the essays, the musical theories, the letters. Wagner does come across as completely weird – which I knew – but the detail of his behaviour is something else! You wouldn’t have wanted anything to do with him. A complete roller coaster ride. I was really taken with the picture of Ludwig II in this book – he sounds fantastic. And as alluded to by Callow, Wikipedia now recognises that the whole idea of the madness attributed to Ludwig and his suicide may have been put about by his opponents in the Bavarian Government. Either way he was critical to the achievement of The Ring, a fact that Wagner, uncharacteristically acknowledged at the end of the second cycle which Ludwig attended. This is really a great read for anyone interested in Wagner.
The Naked Australian Constitution: Interpretations, Inadequacies, and Implications, Ian Killy
I finally got around to reading this which is by my old constitutional comrade in arms from the Department of Premier and Cabinet. Ian was also at Leo Cussen with me those many years ago. He was a terrific public servant. Always said yes to any proposed action by his political masters but then set out the steps required to implement an idea. During which the feasibility of many fanciful projects sundered. If sounds a bit like Yes Minister it was not in the least. He was always ready to have a go. We did Upper House reform together during which his expertise was critical. He writes really well and this is quite an interesting read. I thought he might take a very proper legal approach which would automatically be conservative – he’s a conservative fellow at heart. But in fact it’s just the opposite. As he notes the events of 1975 were very improper and shows how it was on just a straight reading of the Australian constitution. Which as he says is absolutely no longer fit for purpose as modern jargon would have it. He goes through all the inadequacies and inconsistencies in the language of the document and then takes to task the High Court judges who in his view have made things worse through their interpretation of its provisions. A shame there is no hope of changing it.
Race Mathews: A Life In Politics, Iola Mathews
A lovely picture of Race on the cover which suits this straightforward account of an ideas driven politician. Although perhaps not quite as above the internal political fray in the Labor Party as depicted here. While it’s written by Iola she incorporates a great many of Race’s own words as collected in an oral history interview conducted by Garry Surgess in 2014 for the National Library of Australia and of course from Race’s many written records in books, speeches and other papers. As Iola notes Race started to write his memoir and the first four chapters are his, from then on Iola takes over – but this is very much a collaboration. It’s all very nicely told and took me back to the glory days of both Whitlam and John Cain. A bit depressing reading about the endings of both those governments but it’s lightly told. Race doesn’t hold grudges and his decency comes through loud and clear. And his obsessions – there’s quite a lot about co-operatives here! The story highlights the persistence required to achieve political change and then the challenges in delivering that change. It also shows, albeit lightly again, the challenges faced by political families. A lovely read.
A Long March, Kim Carr
Continuing my trip down memory lane this took me back to those same early years of the Cain Government in Victoria and then onto the Hawke – Keating and finally Rudd – Gillard governments. A mixed bag of memories indeed. It’s all very nicely done. Kim writes in a very easy, conversational style. Like all political memoirs this is one person’s view of the world. It’s a view that I mostly share so I found it very enjoyable. I liked the pen portraits of many of the people recalled here. And things move along at breakneck speed. Kim’s obsessive interest is industry policy about which much is written. But it’s the cut and thrust of political life – the relationships, the decisions taken, the consequences – that make this an interesting read for those outside the arena. Whilst not keen to revisit the knifing of Kevin Rudd I’m glad Kim’s take on those events in on the public record. Although these days does the public record matter?
The Remains of the Day, Kazuo Ishiguro
As I’ve written previously I’m very interested in how books are translated to film and here’s another example. I saw the film Merchant Ivory which was screening at the British Film Festival here in Melbourne; it was wonderful, see the trailer is here. Thereafter we watched their film The Remains of the Day; again it was wonderful, see the trailer for that here. Also wonderful – everything about it, the acting, the cinematography, everything! So I returned to the book and loved it all over again, having read it years ago. The thing is I think the book is basically unfilmable. While the Merchant Ivory version is as good as it gets I’d suggest. It’s such an interior book; much more so than their other great adaptations A Room With A View, Howards End and Maurice. The book is all about English repression – of feelings, of ideas, of ambition, of perception, of anything meaningful including deep relationships. It’s about the end of a particular English way of looking at the world. Others have said it’s about class but I think it’s much more sophisticated than that. It is really very good at managing to show the impact of all that repression without being depressing! I think it was said at the time the book won the Booker it could only have been written by an outsider. This memory led me to look for reviews from that time but instead I found a terrific Salman Rushdie review.
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