Literary Brooding

Go Set a Watchman - Harper Lee Hardcover, 278 pages,  Published July 14th 2015 by Harper There is a lot to take in and I will do a longer review later but these are my first thoughts on the book. What happens when all you believe, all you trust is found not be to true? How do you align the memories of the past with the reality of now? This is what confronts Jean-Louise when she returns to Maycomb for a two week break from New York. Each time she returns Jean-Louise notices a change in the town and the people, nothing too major but the changes are unsettling. This time she is aware that the relationships between the townspeople have changed and that the 'negroes' are treated with suspicion and fear. It is almost like a coming of age story but accepting that sometimes the people we consider as Gods have faults and fears of their own that we overlook. Jean-Louise is still feisty and willing to verbally duel with just about anyone. She finds herself caught between worlds ...

Tom Houghton - Todd Alexander Paperback, 295 pages, Expected publication: October 1 2015 by Simon & Schuster AU  Escaping the school yard bullying and the dramas of home, young Tom Houghton turns to golden age of Hollywood cinema. Whereas older Tom Houghton has turned 40, is starring in a gender role reversal of ‘Who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf’ and struggling with his identity. I was provided with a copy from NetGalley for a review. I was pleasantly surprised by this novel and its complexity. The story is told by 12 year old Tom ad 40 year old Tom and the cross over in narrative is easy to follow. Older Tom at 40 is a mess, he has no self-worth, is prone to acts of self-destruction and is trying to maintain a relationship with his daughter. The younger Tom is self-obsessed, highly intelligent and fixated on being something better than the school bullies.  As you move between the viewpoint of young and old Tom both voices are engaging. It is younger Tom’s story that ...

That thing called life has got in the way of some serious reading which has meant I have fallen behind in posting up reviews. So this is a catch up post. The Seed Collectors - Scarlett Thomas Hardcover, 384 pages, Published July 2nd 2015 by Canongate Aunt Oleander has died and as the family gathers to remember and mourn, the secrets begin to emerge. This is a complex story that deals with family and is difficult to review. I was provided a copy by Netgalley. On one hand I was completely absorbed by the writing, the descriptions are fantastic, all the senses are captured and you are drawn into the novel. Yet at times I felt overwhelmed by the sheer number of characters who are trying to bring their narrative to the fore. At times I was not sure whose view point I was reading and it would take me some time to determine which character it was. The story jumps all over the place and then there is peppered throughout random pieces on topics like philosophy. All the characters...