Tuesdays with Morrie – Mitch Albom

Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life’s Greatest Lesson is a memoir by Mitch Albom detailling his life lessons with an old college professor Morrie Schwatz. Mitch re-aquintes himself with Morrie and seeing him on TV and learning that Morrie is terminally ill.

The renewed friendship is fostered somewhat out of guilt. Mitch recalls his college graduation where Morrie praised Mitch as one of his best students. Mitch promised to keep in touch, but a life on the road as a sports journalist left him little time to maintain college friendships.

Morrie emparts his wisdom of surviving lifes challenages and always striving to be a better person. Whilst I think that the book contains an important message, I felt that it was delivered in a heavy-handed style. I have read other reviews which sing very loud praise for this book, but for I prefer a more subtle message that forces me to do the thinking, rather then spoon-feeding me.

That said, Morrie was clearly a remarkable human being, and there is no happy ending to this story. I can’t help but think that if everyone adopted just one of Morrie’s priciples, the world would be a better place.

The Slightly True Story of Cedar B. Hartley – Martine Murray

The Slightly True Story Of Cedar B. Hartley by Martine Murray introduces us to almost thriteen year old Cedar who is facing all of the troubles of pre-teen life. She is too old for some of the kids in her street, too young for others, she has never been kissed, lives with her mum and doesn’t quite know where her older brother has taken off to. Cedar faces life in inner Melbourne the only way she knows how – by getting on with things.

This is a great story of a young girl’s struggle to fit into her surroundings. The story is told with a child’s innocence that will provide page turning reading for the young and young at heart.

The Secret River – Kate Grenville

The Secret River is an engaging book written by Kate Grenville where history and fiction meld to form an amazing story of the challenges faced by the early British settlers to Australia.

Kate’s story tracks William Thornhill and his family through his pardon from the executioner’s noose to his voyage to Australia with his heavily pregnant wife and young son. The Thornhill’s story is one of making the most of opportunities, seeking challanges and having faith in their convictions.

The story is so well narrated it is difficult to put down, but that doesn’t mean that readers will love every chapter of the Thornhill’s life. There are certainly some events which are difficult to swallow, especially for those Australian’s whose herritage can be traced back to those early settlers upon which the live of William Thornhill is based.

A truly memorable read. It is easy to see why this book of historical fiction was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize.

For those who are interested, Kate Grenville has also written a memoir Searching for the Secret River.

Larry’s Party – Carol Shields

Larry’s Party is a series of essay-like stories begining with Larry as an unmarried twenty-seven year old and ending with middle-aged Larry dining with his friends surrounding him.

Shields provide a very relaxed voice throughout the stories and describes Larry’s life in great detail. Larry is very uncomplicated and leads his life as such. Throughout marriage, becoming a father and his career, Larry’s human side shows through. The best part about the writing is its stand-alone nature, each story can be read independently of the others, whilst providing enough background to paint a complete picture of Larry and his reaction to the present events.

This is an excellent read and I will be seeking more Carol Shields’s books.

The Memory Keeper’s Daughter – Kim Edwards

Kim Edwards transports readers back to a winter’s night in 1960 in The Memory Keeper’s Daughter. The story beings in a shocking fashion with Dr David Henry being forced to deliver his own baby after the weather prevents the arrival of of his wife’s obstatrician.

Dr Henry is surprised to find that his wife is delivering twins, and stunned to find that his daughter is born with Downs Syndrome. In a panicked moment, Dr Henry draws his assistant into a secret world and makes a decision that will alter not only his life, but that of his wife, son, daughter and assistant.

The book follows the stories of Dr Henry’s family and his secret daughter. It is an emotional journey through the next twenty years, as Dr Henry learns split second decision can cost.

The novel has deservedly reached number 1 on the New York bestseller. This story can not be the only one of its kind in the world, and as harrowing as the tale may be, it is definately worth a read.

Movie Magic – a step away from the books

Join us in Paris…

Paris Je T’aime

Paris, the “City of Lights” is portrayed as the “City of Love” in a short film collection appropriately entitled Paris Je T’aime (“Paris, I love you”). Each short film, eighteen in all, is independently directed and is set in a different arrondissement of Paris. Aside from the location and title of the collection, the directors were not given any instruction on how to direct their contributions.

A general theme of love, but not necessarily falling in love, is evident in all the shorts. Relationships between lovers, families and apparent strangers take viewers on their own journey throughout the anthology, as no doubt each person will find a connection with at least one short. Despite the central theme of love, the collection certainly isn’t all roses as some shorts expose the prevalence of racism and the struggles of less fortunate immigrants attempting to simply get by in the famous city.

Big name performers including Natalie Portman, Nick Nolte, Gérard Depardieu, Elijah Wood and Juliette Binoche appear in the collection. Fans of directors the Coen brothers, Joel and Ethan, will undoubtedly recognise their contribution Tuileries starring Steve Buscemi as a bumbling American tourist committing the faux pas of Parisian public transport: making eye contact with other travellers.

While a pair of smitten mimes channel love in one piece, other pieces focus on different aspects of the theme. Stand out examples include Place Des Victoires, in which Binoche plays a grieving mother who unexpectedly finds comfort in a cowboy (Willem Dafoe) and Quartier Latin in which Depardieu cameos and directs a quirky meeting of two former lovers settling their divorce as both forge new lives with younger partners.

Many of the short films hit the mark when it comes to the performances and directing, but there are a few weaker links in the anthology. For example, Quais de Seine directed by Gurinder Chadha depicts an emerging romance between a young French Muslim girl and a French boy and includes the usual aspects of racism – teenage boys mocking the scarf wearing girl. This is a predictable, feel-good film that felt like a slow opening to a much longer piece. Another off target contribution is the lovers’ quarrel refereed by the ghost of Oscar Wilde (Pere-Lachaise directed by Wes Craven).

Stretching the theme of love is Alfonso Cuarón in directing Parc Monceau starring Nick Nolte and Ludvine Sagnier. Shot in a single take, this film includes a playful and thought provoking twist in its ending. Another creative interpretation of love is Quartier De La Madeliene, which brings a comic book feel to the romance life of vampires – love at first bite.

The two best pieces are Walter Salles and Daniela Thomas’s Loin Du 16e, where the dialogue is almost non-existent thus proving actions speak louder than words, and a monologue by Margo Martindale in Alexander Payne’s 14e Arrondissement. The latter tells the story of an American in Paris, and begins by mocking tourists visiting Paris but ends with a touching confession by a lady that love left behind.

The general feeling of Paris Je T’aime is downbeat due to the numerous stories of sadness and what-ifs. While numerous shorts have amusing moments, the only humorous contribution is that of the Coen brothers. That said, the collection is thoroughly enjoyable as many shorts are long enough to enlighten viewers and provide lasting memories. While it is impossible to love every attribute of an anthology, the less entertaining shorts disappear from the screen almost before you realise your dislike.

If you can’t find a reason to visit Paris in amongst this collection, then the City of Lights just isn’t for you.

Fishpond.com.au – A Review

I discovered on-line booksellers fishpond.com.au (Fishpond) about six months ago and was quite initially impressed by the prices offered on new books, but also by the free postage on orders over $50.00.

Previously, I had bought most of my books from Amazon.com, but due to the expense of shipping, I usually waited until I had a bulk order. Another problem of ordering at Amazon.com was the excessive shipping time.

I saw Fishpond as a new way of buying lower cost books and having them delivered quickly, as Fishpond have a Tullamarine warehouse. However, although Fishpond claims that most of the items will be delivered within 3 to 5 days of ordering, in my experience, I have found their shipping to be excessively slow. In some cases, books that were to be delivered within a week have taken eight weeks to arrive. It is true that Fishpond emailed me to let me know of the delay, but their new time estimates were as wildly inaccurate as the original time estimates.

The best aspect of Fishpond is buying second hand books. Fishpond allows users to list their used books for sale to other Fishpond users. The service is allows users to purchase used books through their existing Fishpond account and therefore simplifying the payment process. I have found the service to be prompt, and so far each of the books I have order has arrived in the condition described by the seller.

However, I have sold several books via this method, and have not found the process as easy for seller of used books. Once the order has been placed, the seller has two days to post the book to the buyer. Selling second hand books on Fishpond allows sellers to ask a higher price than at conventional second hand bookstores, but payment is not immediate. Fishpond collects the sellers asking price, plus $4.95 postage, but then keeps 10% of the total price. In most cases, postage on novels is $5.00, but for hardcover and heavier books is usually $9.00. Potential sellers should factor this into their asking price

Under the standard conditions, Fishpond agrees to make payment to the seller within 7 to 14 days of the order being placed. However, in my experience, Fishpond’s payment schedule is as unreliable as there delivery. If, as a seller, you can afford to wait for payment, it is possible to recover a little more for used books than selling them to second hand book dealers.

In short, Fishpond sells a wide range of books generally at better prices than can be found in traditional stores. A further benefit is that Fishpond offers a service to buy and sell second hand items. However, if your purchase is time-sensitive, I would steer clear of Fishpond, unless purchasing second hand books which arrive within one week of purchasing. When considering selling, it is worth weighing up the time spent packaging the items and the time between the sale and payment being received. It may be easier to simply take your books to a second hand dealer.

The Talented Mr Ripley – Patricia Highsmith

Well, I must be one of only a few on the planet who have not seen the movie ‘The Talented Mr.Ripley’, so, before watching it I decided that I would read the book. Yes, I am one of those book-people as the blog might suggest.

Anyway, on with the show. The blurb for this book states (and I am quoting the Daily Telegraph here) “It is hard to imagine anyone interested in modern fiction who has not read the Ripley novels.” Well, I consider myself as an interested party in modern fiction, therefore, no need to image Mr/Ms Daily Telegraph; there are plenty of us out there (I checked).

Having such a big rap like that from the Daily Telegraph, the Ripley novel might be feeling some anxiety as to its ability to meet the required level to attain the realms of classic modern fiction. However, it should fear not as I concur completely with the Daily Telegraph.

In this, Patricia Highsmith’s first novel in the Mr Ripley series, we meet Tom Ripley who has been hired by Herbert Greenleaf, father of Tom’s acquaintance Dickie, to travel to Italy to convince Dickie to give up the artists’ life he is leading and return to the United States.

In the first half of the book, Tom travels to Italy and befriends Dickie. Sensing that Dickie is tiring of him, Tom makes elaborate plans to spend time alone with Dickie in an effort to convince Dickie to allow Tom to live with him.

As Tom discovers that Dickie is unwilling to change his opinion, Tom kills Dickie to allow Tom to lead the life he thinks he has earned. With Dickie dead, Tom assumes Dickie’s identity and fraudulently obtains the monthly cheque that is forwarded to Dickie from his father’s company. In order to cover up the murder of Dickie, Tom also murders a close friend Freddie.

Whilst all this may sound gruesome and horrible, it really doesn’t read that way. The murder scenes are dealt with swiftly and are very understated. There is very little description of the murder scene and I certainly wouldn’t describe this as stomach churning. Highsmith has almost slowed down the events surrounding the murder, and whilst I thoroughly enjoyed the read, I was not racing through the text.

This is a chilling novel, but not so that it is off the bedtime reading list. Tom is indeed a very complex and confident character whose mindset will shock you. His intelligence puts him in the category of genius, but his execution ‘friendship’ makes him one of the most frightening people on earth.

The book was filled with a number of twist and turns, which kept me gripped until the very end. The plot is well constructed and each chapter skillfully written. There is a beauty in crime stories of the 1950s and a sense that other crime fiction is now filled with DNA samples and scientific jargon. In my opinion, I much prefer this style of writing and will be reaching for the next in the Mr. Ripley series. (Once I have gotten through my existing list of must-reads).

In my Skin – Kate Holden

I found this book incredible and could not put it down. It tells the story of middle-class Kate growing up in a supportive family in Melbourne. Then it tells of her slip in the St Kilda drug scene and eventual prostitution to support her habit.

Kate is, at times, embarrassingly honest about her situation and gave me an amazing insight into how quickly drugs are able to take over one person’s world. What is also great about this book is that Kate shows drugs don’t just effect one persons world, they affect your family, friends and colleagues.

Some of the living conditions and extreme lack of money told a take that I am sure is currently being lived by more than a few people. But I was more interested in how Kate eventually overcame addiction and restarted her life.

This is a great first book from Kate, and I look forward to her upcoming novel.

Life of Pi – Yann Martel

I found this Man Booker Prize Winner for 2002 to be well written, but, given the rave reviews I received from friends, I thought that it fell a bit short. I am open to the possibility that my expectations were just too high, but still I was disappointed.

Anyway, on to the story. I really enjoyed the first part of the book where India and the philosophy of religion are discussed. I found Pi’s adherence to four religions enlightening and was interested by the science discussion and how Pi was lead to his career choice.

While I found the middle of the book imaginatively written, I did think that it dragged a little too long (Sorry to all you lovers of this book!). I was interested by the alpha male play-out but was totally lost by the digestive island!

The final part of the book, after Pi’s rescue, contained an interesting twist and I was grateful for that. I believe that this was a great story, but not one I will be reading again. Having said that, I would recommend that everyone at least give it a go as so many other have loved it