A Common Loss - Kirsten Tranter

I read Kirsten Tranter's debut novel, The Legacy, in 2010 and it was a hit for me. Even more so after meeting the author and hearing her talk about her process of writing fiction (why does this always seem to make a book or an author's body of work more appealing??).
Tranter's most recent novel, A Common Loss, follows a lot of the same themes as The Legacy, and like that book it also draws on a number of other literary inspirations but unfortunately for me it doesn't quite live up to the promise of the first book.
A Common Loss is set in the USA and tells the story of five friends who meet in college and continue a sometimes tentative and fraught friendship into their adult lives (Tranter talks about drawing on Donna Tartt's The Secret History in the formation of her novel). The main event for the group is the annual trip to Las Vegas where they enjoy the delights of that city while catching up on each others lives. As the book starts the group are planning their trip to Las Vegas but without one of their members who has died suddenly in the preceding year. It is the loss of this person that sparks a new dynamic within the friends - highlighting rifts, connections and secrets that were previously hidden.
Once again Tranter's writing style, characterisation and ability to weave a strong narrative captured me straight away - this is a book that you want to keep reading long into the night. The thing that didn't really capture me was the story itself - none of the characters were particularly likeable - and although this is something that doesn't normally bother me in a book for some reason it did with this one!
I would certainly recommend this book if you are looking for an engaging story that keeps you reading along but if you are looking for characters to connect with this might not be the book for you.

The Chemistry of Tears - Peter Carey

The latest Peter Carey novel, The Chemistry of Tears, seemed to be released with very little fanfare in Australia but I was totally captivated by it's title and cover and I bought it without even knowing a thing about it - very rare for me.
The book is the story of Catherine, a woman in her early 40's who works as a conservator with London's Swinburne Museum. As the book opens Catherine has just discovered the sudden death of her married colleague and secret lover of the past 13 years. The relationship has been a defining one for Catherine, even though the existence of it has not been able to be spoken about outside the two of them, and she is devastated by not only Matthew's death but by her inability to grieve openly for his loss.
In an attempt to console and distract her, Catherine's manager passes on to her a complex project involving the reconstruction of an elaborate mechanical bird. Catherine becomes obsessed with the project and by the the man who commissioned the machine in the 1850's, Henry Brandling. Henry's diaries are discovered by Catherine in amongst the boxes of the birds various parts and she becomes attached to them and the story they tell - the story of a father trying to cure his seriously ill child through the gift of a miracle.
This is a beautiful story, obscure and difficult to follow in parts but no less magical and transformative for the effort it takes at times to persist with the story. I was captivated by Catherine as a character - her pain and flaws as much as her courage and resilience.  Peter Carey does not always hit the mark for me but this time he absolutely did - I couldn't put this one down until I had read the last word.

Your Voice in my Head - Emma Forrest

Your Voice in my Head was probably a strange choice of reading for a day when I was home sick from my job as a mental health worker but I am trying to read a lot of memoir styles for my university work at the moment so I thought I would give it a try.
I had heard Emma Forrest speak at the Sydney Writers Festival earlier this year and I was really impressed and intrigued hearing her talk about the process she went through in writing this book - and the fall out from it being published.
Your Voice in my Head is Emma's story of her experience with bipolar disorder, depression and suicidality. Emma writes very openly and honestly about her experiences with alternating low moods and mania and the times in which things have become so desperate she has attempted to take her life. Following one serious suicide attempt Emma begins a therapeutic relationship with Dr R - it is a relationship that, as she states, will help to save her life.
This book is often self indulgent in its style and content - but I was expecting that from a memoir about such a deeply personal and affecting experience and in this case I think it only added to the genuineness and authenticity of the book. There are some lighter, and very funny, moments in the book too and this helped to break up some of the deep reflective segments. At the end there is a definite strong sense of hope - Emma continues to battle with her illness but she now has on board significant skills and resources to help her.

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close - Jonathan Safran Foer

I have to thank the lovely Claire for leading me to Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - it had been on my reading radar for a while but I wasn't truly tempted to pick it up until I had read her review. This is an amazing book to read but it is also a work of art - the narrative interspersed with photos, drawings and print techniques which add, rather than detract from the story.
The main character of the story is nine year old Oskar Schell - a bright, intelligent and curious boy living in post 9/11 New York with his mother with his grandmother across the street. Oskar's father was killed in the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centre and the story focuses on Oskar's attempt to somehow come to terms with the loss of his father and the huge impact his death has had on his family.
The character of Oskar is really the key to the success of this story - this is a boy who you can't help but empathise with - his pain is so acute and yet his humour and intelligence are still thriving - you want Oskar to somehow survive this trauma and make it out the other side.
I finished reading this book so long ago now that my memories of the intricacies of the plot have faded a little - but what hasn't dimmed is the emotional reaction I had while reading this book - sadness at the story being told but joy at the reading pleasure I was experience. You have to read this one for yourself.

The Swimmer - Roma Tearne

The Swimmer is yet another read I found through the Orange Prize Long List for 2011 and as I loved it so much I am relieved to see that it is the author's fourth novel - so I will now be able to go back and read her earlier books.

In some ways The Swimmer focuses intensely and directly on the lives of a few people but one of the things I loved about it was the way in which the author broadened her focus to allow the book to say so much more about important global issues such as fear, war, racism and the plight of refugee people.

One of the stories in The Swimmer is the story of 43 year old poet, Ria. Ria lives in a small English coastal village - separated from her husband after they were unable to have a child Ria is grieving the loss of her relationship and her sense of self while trying to write her next book of poetry. The house she lives in is a bequest from an uncle and aunt and is the cause of much conflict between her and her younger brother Jack who would like to see Ria sell the home and share the profits with him. Ria is tied to the home by her love for her uncle and aunt and her much beloved father who died when Ria was a child. The home is much more than a house to Ria - it brings her a sense of comfort and sanctuary. The house is also the place where Ria first meets Ben, a Sri Lankan doctor who has escaped the violence of his home country to come to England in the hope of building a peaceful and productive life for himself only to find that violence and prejudice has found him in this new country.

A tender, beautiful and tentative relationship begins to form between Ria and Ben and we learn more about each of their pasts through their getting to know each other.

I won't say anymore about the book for fear of ruining the drama for those of you who would like to read it for yourselves - and I would definitely encourage you to do this.

I felt this book carried so many powerful messages - on reflecting maybe it tried to cover too much for one small book but at the same time I felt that the narrative and the story itself never lost it's intensity or its purpose - a wonderful read.

Whatever You Love - Louise Doughty

Whatever You Love was named on the Orange Prize Long list for 2011 but I see it has not made it to the short list. I'm not sure how I feel about that - I think this book deserves a lot of praise and recognition but on the other hand I'm not sure that it is "short list worthy" (whatever that may entail!).

Whatever You Love is the story of Laura, her relationship with David and their two young children, Betty and Rees, and the moment her world comes crashing down when 9 year old Betty is killed after being hit by a car.

This book is intense in topic and feeling - the raw grief being demonstrated by Laura following Betty's sudden death felt empathic, gut wrenching and real. I have worked with families in a hospital setting following the sudden death of someone they loved and I don't think I have ever read a piece of fiction that more accurately captured that intense grief and pain that is expressed soon after the death.

The novel follows Laura trying to function in her day to day life after Betty's death. David had left the relationship some time ago (not in an amicable way) and has a new partner and baby - Laura is still grieving the loss of their relationship and "perfect family" when Betty's death occurs. Laura is also focused on gathering more information about the person who was driving the car that hit Betty and exacting some sort of revenge on them.

It was this part of the book that didn't ring as true for me. I could certainly empathise with and understand Laura's feeling of wanting to gain revenge for her loss - but the way her character went about it felt a little false - everything in the book up until this point had felt so true to life.

Aside from this disappointment I still found this book extremely moving and rich - not an easy read in terms of the feelings it can bring up but certainly a rewarding one.

Reading By Moonlight - Brenda Walker

Reading By Moonlight would have to be one of the most beautiful, lyrical and mesmerising books I have read in a long time. I have failed to get very much done today as I have been unable to tear myself about from this book.

Australian author and Professor of English, Brenda Walker has written Reading By Moonlight as a narrative of her journey through her diagnosis, treatment and recovery of breast cancer. What makes this slightly different from some other books of a similar focus is the way that Walker weaves her literary background and love of books and writing into her story - in a way, given that this is her background it would have been virtually impossible to exclude it.

Walker divides the book into five sections; surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, reconstruction and survival - whilst each section is part of a single narrative they also have their own individual feel and sense - which Walker describes through her own emotions and remembrances of the times but also on her recollection of the books she chooses to read through each period.

Some of the books and authors that Walker relies on to support her through this journey and ones that she shares with us in Reading By Moonlight include, The Hours - Michael Cunningham, Anna Karenina - Tolstoy, The Tale of Genji - Murasaki Shikibu, Voss - Patrick White, Edgar Allan Poe and her own novel in progress at the time - The Wing of Night. Each book and author discussed is done so in just enough detail so that the connection between that being discussed and Walker's own current situation is clear - although you never feel you are being preached at.

The book is sad and yet hopeful at the same time - and now only because Walker is able to end her book with a chapter called Survival.

There are so many wonderful, true and inspiring quotes I could leave you with from this already favourite book of mine but I will choose this one;

"To be honest I would rather tell you about books. A good book laces invisible fingers into the shape of a winter armchair or a hammock in the sun. I'm not talking about comfort, necessarily, but support. A good writer might take you to strange and difficult places, but you're in the hands of someone you trust".

So true, and I now add Brenda Walker high on the list of authors I trust.

The Book of Lost Things - John Connolly

The Book of Lost Things was a book I had heard and read a lot about - I wasn't sure if it was really going to be my cup of tea but everything I was reading about it sounded fantastic so I decided to give it a go - and I'm so glad I did.

The book starts of in "our" world which is actually England at the beginning of WW2. We learn about a boy called David;

Once upon a time - for that is how all stories should begin - there was a boy who lost his mother.

David is a 12 year old boy with a great love for books and stories. He lives in London with his mother and father and life is great - until his mother dies after a slow and painful illness. The voice of David as he tells the story of the life and death of his mother is poignant and innocent. As his mother is dying David starts to engage in various rituals and routines in the hope that this will save his mother;

He created a routine, and he tried to keep to that routine as closely as possible, because he believed in part that his mother's fate was linked to the actions he performed. He would always get out of bed by putting his left foot on the floor first, then his right. He always counted up to twenty when he was brushing his teeth, and he always stopped when the count was completed.

Of course, these routines do not stop David's mother from dying and he is left devastated by her loss - turning to the beloved stories that they shared when his mother was alive for comfort and protection from his grief. David's father eventually takes another partner, Rose, and David and his father go to live with Rose on the outer edges of London when his baby half-brother, Georgie, is born.

David does not feel connected to his new life or his new family at all - he grieves for the loss of his mother and his life. It is then that David begins to hear his books whispering and speaking to him - talking to him of other lands and stories that sound much more inviting than his own.

Through the actions of a German air raid David comes upon the opportunity to pass through to another land through the sunken garden at the bottom of his yard. This new land is filled with demons, beasts and challenges for David - as well as protectors and friends.

I saw this story as a metaphor for a journey through grief and loss for David - he has to take the hard, painful way through to find some acceptance of his life as it currently is.

This is a beautiful, haunting (and at times scary!) story which I loved - highly recommended.

Stanley and Sophie - Kate Jennings

I first heard about Stanley and Sophie when I was travelling to Sydney by train one day and was listening to the ABC Radio National program - The Book Show. The author, an Australian born, Kate Jennings was giving an interview about the book and the writing process for it.

The book's title comes from the names of Kate's two Border Terrior's, Stanley and Sophie, who come to live with her in her New York apartment after the death of her husband.

The book is structured into very small chapters, small snippets of Kate's life with these two beloved animals.

I'm not a dog person at all - I'm a cat girl through and through - but I found reading about the impact of these animals presence on the author very interesting. The second half of the book, when the author travels to Indonesia to spend time with her brother, was a little boring and aimless to me and I must admit I lost interest a little.

A cute, meaningful book looking at the relationships between people and their animals and the impact of grief on our lives.

The Year of Magical Thinking - Joan Didion

The Year Of Magical Thinking has been a book I have been meaning to read for quite some time. I bought it ages ago and have carried it around with me on various trips and holidays - it has been waiting to be opened.

I finally opened it last week and have basically finished it in two sittings. Joan Didion's writing about the sudden death of her husband and the serious and prolonged illnes of her daughter is haunting. Her grief is palpable and heartbreaking. The magical thinking of the title refers to the belief Joan continues to hold following the death of her husband John that he will return to be with her even though she clearly understands that he has died, that he is dead. In one part of the book she writes about not wanting to give away his shoes as he will need those shoes when he returns.

This book resonated with some of my own experiences of grief and certainly some of the experiences of grief that I have been privledged to hear from my clients in the past.

Heartbreaking and honest I would definitely recommend this book to others.

Writing and Reading

I have been away at a writing retreat this week. Not quite as fun as it might sound at first. It was actually a writing retreat for work so the type of writing we were concentrating on was academic writing. Still, it did make me think about writing in general and how I would like to start really picking it up again.

I've also been starting a few different books - not actually finishing any but hope to rectify that before the weekend is over!

I have started The Year of Magical Thinking By Joan Didion. I haven't read any of Didion's work before but have been drawn to this one because of it's focus on grief - the author wrote the book following the sudden death of her husband and daughter.

This book has been turned into a one woman play currently playing in Australia - I would love to go and see it but haven't been able to arrange it as yet - and I did want to finish the book before seeing the play.

The other book I have started is called Stanley and Sophie by Kate Jennings. I am not really a dog person but I was driven to buy this book after hearing the author speak on the ABC Radio National Book Show about writing this book following the death of her husband and 9/11 in New York.

Living and Loving

I had a lovely experience today listening to the Sydney Pen Reading at Customs House Library by Virginia Lloyd author of The Young Widow's Book of Home Improvement which I have written about in earlier posts.

Virginia read small sections of her book and spoke about her book being classified as a "grief and loss" book (as I have been doing when talking about it to people!) when she herself sees it as a book about "living and loving". I really like this classification of the book - I think it perfectly captures how you see the events of the book and although grief is a very present emotion and passage the overarching theme that hits you is the amount of love this couple have for one another and their lives.

I felt very honoured to have been able to hear Virginia speak about her book and her experiences in person today.

Life and Death

I have spent some time away from blogging this week - not really by design - work, reading and life in general just sort of took over. I think I was also suffering from the "post holiday blues" a little and felt I should wallow a little in that emotion!

I actually finished The Young Widow's Book of Home Improvement By Virginia Lloyd last weekend but I felt I needed some time to digest it's story and beauty before I wrote about it and how it impacted upon me.

I have worked as a bereavement counsellor in the past and have experienced my own personal losses and my upcoming PhD research will be conducted into the area of grief and loss. It is a topic I do a lot of reading and thinking about.

This book is one of the most amazing first person accounts I have read. I was so moved by Virginia's story surrounding the meeting of her husband and his death from cancer only 11 months after their marriage. Virginia talks on her blog about not wanting the story to come across as "all gloom and doom" and I believe she truly succeeds in this. I felt the story was full of life and hope as Virginia writes about the physical and emotional aspects of caring for John as the cancer consumes his body and about the grief that then consumes her after John dies.

Whilst I found the whole book amazing the part that impacted on me the most was near the end of the book when Virginia writes about John's last moments before death. He is in hospital and Virginia is with him but what makes the moment so beautiful is the way that Virginia lies beside John in his hospital bed (due to John's illness they had been unable to sleep in the same bed for the majority of their marriage). Virginia writes:

I climbed over the rails of the hospital bed and lay the full length of my body against his. John and I were lying together again, as husband and wife.

The honesty with which Virginia writes her story is probably the thing that makes you connect with the story, and with her, so strongly.

As a health worker, lecturer but mostly as a person this book has moved me and I would certainly recommend it to anyone wanting to connect with a story that makes us think and reflect on our own experiences of life and death in an honest, raw and compassionate way.