More Hell than Bliss

On holiday in Yamba currently, so able to read a bit. Staggered my way through Bliss which was quite hard going really. About Harry Joy in Hell. Nice enough ending though. Bought People of the Book today at the Yamba Bookshop. But might go back to the Patrick White book I started ages ago...

Bliss ...

Finished TheTax Inspector last night. Ending too weird and gruesome, rather OTT...

Tonight: Bliss.

Trying -and Loving - Peter Carey

Yes, I finished Holden's Performance a couple of nights ago. It was kind of a slow, gentle and ponderous read, a bit like the main character of the book. But beautifully imagined, such inventive writing, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Reading Holden, I really got a sense of the craft of a good fiction writer. It wasn't quite 'poetry' but the effort and cleverness of the writer, the left-of-field outlook on life was quite evident without being overstated; a very clever and eccentric writer. Give me more ...

And Carey is Murray Bail on acid. And exactly the opposite of what you'd expect from the cover of The Tax Inspector. It is out there! Full of crazy, yet ordinary, and very engaging characters. Loving it.

Bought Bliss at the Flinders Fair today - bargain at $2!

Yes, I know Peter Carey is famous and I really should have read at least one of his books by now; Illywhacker, Oscar and Lucinda... still, that's why I'm on this mission, to finally get around to all those books I really must read and discover a whole lot more!

Work (and winter bugs) gets in the way

I am still struggling my way through Holden's Performance and nearly at the end. Progress has been slowed by reading commitments of the work variety and the increased need for sleep (rather than reading long into the wee hours) due to winter bugs. I even took a study day today, to try and get on top of some of the work stuff!

Maybe tonight, I will polish off 'The Holden'.

Holden Prototype

Well, yes: Holden's Performance is sort of about cars. The story is set in post-war Adelaide which saw the introduction of, and beginning of the love affair with, the Australian-made car.

This particular car is the Holden Prototype Car No. 1 which became the definitive model for millions of Holden cars.
Photo credit: Dragi Markovic, see the National Museum of Australia website.


And I'm back in the driver's seat again, finished for now with things Singapore...