Well, I bought this especially to read for #WITmonth (Women in Translation) but I found it unreadable. I thought it was going to be a book about how tWell, I bought this especially to read for #WITmonth (Women in Translation) but I found it unreadable. I thought it was going to be a book about how the people of Leningrad lived and died and survived and dealt with the aftermath, but when it wasn't ranting against the USSR and Stalin, it was incomprehensible. It didn't help me understand anything. A waste of time and money.
I was disappointed in this, and only read the introduction, the contributor profiles and the pieces from four of the contributors: Rakhee Ghelani; PreI was disappointed in this, and only read the introduction, the contributor profiles and the pieces from four of the contributors: Rakhee Ghelani; Preeti Maharaj; Ikebal Patel and Shamna Sanam.
Unlike the others that I've read in this 'Growing Up' series, whose contributors came from a variety of backgrounds, income groups, and education, the contributors to this one are nearly all professionals, and mainly producers of media. Journalists, academics and broadcasters, authors and consultants, playwrights and film-makers. And I suspect from interactions with my own friends, acquaintances and businesspeople as well as professionals in law and medicine, that this is a skewed portrait of the Indian community here in Australia. It's a pity that the editor didn't cast her net more widely.
I read the Introduction to this, and was a bit peeved to find that Hazzard (who I admire) was presented as taking advantage of Harrower. This was becaI read the Introduction to this, and was a bit peeved to find that Hazzard (who I admire) was presented as taking advantage of Harrower. This was because Harrower took care of Hazzard's 'difficult' mother in Australia leaving Hazzard free in the US to pursue her writing career while Harrower's career after a stellar beginning, did not progress until much later in her life. No doubt Hazzard's flaws will be revealed in more detail in Shirley Hazzard, a Writing Life also by Brigitta Olubas and which I have on the TBR. But that's not why I stopped reading. All writers have their flaws and it doesn't change my view of their writing to know about them. But I'm not keen on reading books of collected letters in general, and these intimate letters were not written for wider consumption in the way that 19th century letters often were. It felt intrusive to be reading this private correspondence, and while this book is probably of great value to scholars, as an ordinary reader, I wasn't enjoying it. ...more
I read the introduction which was quite interesting, but couldn't muster enough interest to read the rest of it. I don't rate books I don't finish. I read the introduction which was quite interesting, but couldn't muster enough interest to read the rest of it. I don't rate books I don't finish. ...more
From the ratings here I can see that there is a lot of love for this book, and I can see why even though I gave up on it. I have liked Robinson's prevFrom the ratings here I can see that there is a lot of love for this book, and I can see why even though I gave up on it. I have liked Robinson's previous books and really admire her skill in writing... and the concept behind this 'domestic sci-fi' is clever and original.
The problem is that while Esther is recovering from the traumatic experience of cryogenic sleep, she revisits her memories of her past life. So the cryogenics aspect becomes just a sci-fi device to frame around a lot of moaning about motherhood, and a failed marriage and the mother from hell.
And I'm am just not interested in that at all. So, mildly irritated and very disappointed, I gave up at page 63.
But from the plethora of books about these issues, it's clear that Robinson's story may strike a chord with women of a different generation.
This is a reissue of Farmer's debut novel, and I was expecting to admire it because I have liked her other books, but before long I realised that I siThis is a reissue of Farmer's debut novel, and I was expecting to admire it because I have liked her other books, but before long I realised that I simply did not want to read the suicidal thoughts of a woman with a broken heart. I don't rate books I don't finish. ...more
Bailed at p52... phenomenology and dialectical materialism is not for me! I don't rate books I don't finish.Bailed at p52... phenomenology and dialectical materialism is not for me! I don't rate books I don't finish....more
The Novel Prize — the prestigious Novel Prize! has gone to a novella about zombies?!! (I thought that adolescent fad had been and gone.)
Anyway, bailed The Novel Prize — the prestigious Novel Prize! has gone to a novella about zombies?!! (I thought that adolescent fad had been and gone.)
Anyway, bailed a couple of pages after the cannibalism scene... I don't rate books I don't finish. ...more
Oh dear, this was disappointing. I can read in French and Indonesian, and I have tourist conversational competence in Italian, Spanish and Russian so Oh dear, this was disappointing. I can read in French and Indonesian, and I have tourist conversational competence in Italian, Spanish and Russian so I'm not bad at guessing the meaning of foreign words and phrases from context. But this was frustrating. Too many Maori words for me, starting on page 1 with 'You can't manu in pants'... I never did figure it out: Google Translate says it means birds, but that doesn't make sense. They're down at a beach: does it mean 'swim', 'dive' or 'surf'? At the bar in town the use of Maori ramps up with out any context (or glossary) to help out a reader who doesn't know Maori...do I want to look up words with Google Translate on every other page? No, I do not. And then I realised that I didn't want to read another story of Māori poverty, brutality, neglect, and alcohol abuse anyway. I don't rate books I don't finish. ...more
I was expecting to like this because I really like Kadare's novels, but this one just didn't work for me. I put it aside, and couldn't find the motivaI was expecting to like this because I really like Kadare's novels, but this one just didn't work for me. I put it aside, and couldn't find the motivation to resume reading it. I don't rate books I don't finish. ...more
I wanted to like this book, and I kept reading well past my tolerance for Frank and Rosie's competing narratives about grief because I was anticipatinI wanted to like this book, and I kept reading well past my tolerance for Frank and Rosie's competing narratives about grief because I was anticipating the arrival of the Noongar characters that the blurb promised would rescue this tale of dysfunction and woe and help this family to heal. But at page 130 of 271 I thought, I have had enough. Yes, I know everyone grieves in their own way, and yes, there is no timeline, but with the world going to hell in a handbasket I just did not want to read any more of this morass of grief-stricken people being cruel to each other because they can only think of their own grief. Nobody seems to think of the littlest member of the family, only five and missing his mum while his father is neglecting all his responsibilities. If you've ever been a companion to a friend nursing a great grief over a long period of time, you know you mustn't be judgemental, because they can't help it, but you see how they are neglecting the bewildered little kid because they can only feel their own pain. To keep going when your compassion is starting to fray, you know you need to look after yourself as well. That's how I felt, which attests to the power of the writing, I suppose, but I felt overwhelmed.
I just couldn't read any more of it. I didn't want to.
I liked She Who Became the Sun, but I got sick of reading how much people hated each other in this sequel. Yes, hatred and revenge are real things, buI liked She Who Became the Sun, but I got sick of reading how much people hated each other in this sequel. Yes, hatred and revenge are real things, but there's quite enough of that in the news, so no thank you, not for reading in bed as well. Between reads I wasn't looking forward to reading any more of it but I got up to page 120 or so before I decided I'd had enough. I don't rate books I don't finish. ...more
Read to page 137. It's not a novel that works for me. I don't rate books I don't finish. Read to page 137. It's not a novel that works for me. I don't rate books I don't finish. ...more
Nope, I'm not in the mood for angels, real or imagined... I don't rate books I dont finish. Nope, I'm not in the mood for angels, real or imagined... I don't rate books I dont finish. ...more
Uh, no. Maybe because all the women I know are smart and savvy, I just could not get interested in the doings of a bunch of very silly women and the naUh, no. Maybe because all the women I know are smart and savvy, I just could not get interested in the doings of a bunch of very silly women and the nasty things they say to and about each other. ...more
I expected to like this because The Return was such an excellent novel, and because I like novels about art and artists, but this one just didn't workI expected to like this because The Return was such an excellent novel, and because I like novels about art and artists, but this one just didn't work for me. I don't rate books I don't finish. ...more
Just not in the mood for this at this time. I don't rate books I don't finish. Just not in the mood for this at this time. I don't rate books I don't finish. ...more
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