Fiction? No. Reality.
- Woman In The Middle
- Jan 19, 2020
- 3 min read
Updated: Jan 21, 2020
Reading for me is not what it used to be. I find more and more I cannot spend time finishing a book that I don't like. However, there are some books that are really engaging and absolutely worth the time.
I used to read a lot before I became a mum. I spent a big chunk of my time reading. It was before Facebook, of course. But still, the older I get the harder it is to find books that are exhilarating to read, that are worth my time and worth recommending. Here are two of those.
The Library of Mount Char, by Scott Hawkins
“Don’t suppose you’ve got a cigarette, do you? I’d drop-kick the baby Jesus for a Marlboro.”
That must be my favourite line in the whole book, since this is the one that stuck with me. I did rate it 5 stars on Goodreads and wrote a childish review that starts with "This book was like nothing I've ever read. I was mostly gobsmacked while reading it, I am still gobsmacked thinking at the sheer audacity of the story." but I am sticking by that. Not ashamed of the review, because it's all true.
Honestly, amazing book, with the most sombre horrible frame and the funniest dialogue to get you through it. The guy didn't write anything other than Java Programming books before (if he even IS the same guy) but I certainly hope he will.
I admit putting it off for a long time, but once I committed to it, there was no going back.
Illywhacker, by Peter Carrey
“My name is Herbert Badgery. I am a hundred and thirty-nine years old and something of a celebrity. [...] I am a terrible liar and I have always been a liar. I say that early to set things straight. Caveat emptor."
Oh yes. Magical Realism.
I was actually surprised to see there is a whole current against Magical Realism out there. People are vocal, people are upset. They seem to perceive this genre as a sort of cop out, like the writer is really shit but then he makes something up quickly and fixes the whole thing. No, no, no. I disagree. Magical Realism is a wonderful invention ever since Marquez wrote 100 Years of Solitude, and Peter Carey is a master. The way he tells this very serious story of Australia's modern history through the mouth of a 139 year old liar. Why does he do that? Because Badgery represents the truth of this country, which is built on lies. Look what the fictional historian M.V. Anderson says in the book and is then quoted without abbreviation by Herbert Badgery:
"Our forefathers were all great liars. They lied about the lands they selected and the cattle they owned. They lied about their backgrounds and the parentage of their wives. However it is their first lie that is the most impressive for being so monumental, i.e., that the continent, at the time of first settlement, was said to be occupied but not cultivated and by that simple device they were able to give the legal owners short shrift and, when they objected, to use the musket or poison flour, and to do so with a clear conscience. It is in the context of this great foundation stone that we must begin our study of Australian history."
I honestly cannot take you through the whole mammoth of a book. Suffice to say I was swept by this mad saga, an absolute classic . You can read my Goodreads review if you want to find out more, but I think you should read the book.
Feel like reading more? Check out this post, about a very good writer.
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