Solar

(by Ian McEwan) An amusing novel, in which the somewhat clunky cogs of plot are lubricated with humorous observations about the commercialisation of the Religion of Climate Change, the dopier aspects of feminism, sloth, urban myths, modern travel, class and scientific research. Unfortunately the oil fails the mechanism at the end, at which point it grinds to a rather noisy and unlikely meltdown. Worth reading but…I realised partway through that I had in fact read it before and could barely remember it.

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Nights at the Circus

(by Angela Carter) What a shame. This book seemed like something I would like. It has magic realism, lots of champagne and blizzards. But I didn’t like it at all. I give it two out of five stars. One is for the previously mentioned arbitrary aspects, and the other is for the original ideas and the occasional brilliance. The minus three are for the sheer tedium of it all (plod plod plod), the disconnectedness, the episodic structure and the perpetual showing off. Too much like a creative writing exercise in atmosphere. Endless attempts to shock and surprise. I just didn’t…

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Disgrace

(J.M. Coetzee) David Lurie, Capetown Professor of Communications (nee Romance Literature) catches his favourite escort in a domestic moment, causing her to retire for shame, so he starts a pilot ‘A’s for lays’ scheme that forces him from campus, pride (in self and deed) stopping him from recanting.  This episode could fill a novel in itself (shades of Kafka or Helen Garner here, as the University Board of Enquiry into the harassment charge, whilst containing some members who are Lurie’s allies or at least neutral, reveal, in time-honoured ivy league fashion, another quasi-judicial body with complete ignorance of the maxim…

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The Book Show

 Summer 2014, Ultimo TVC loves this show, although the initial set was a shameless rip off of “Hidden”.  A great argument for the national broadcaster, although surely the Fry-B-C could muck along for a few millions less?  We attended a taping some time back (incognito) and thus got stalker-close to Ms Byrne, Ms Hardy and Mr Steger plus guest. Jennifer Byrne is the perfect host – charming, open-minded, enthusiastic (but no pushover – she does generally not abide shite).  Marieke Hardy is P’s favourite, hardiest critic – she and P may share few opinions overall, but when she hates something,…

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Under the Skin

(by Michel Faber) OK, OK, we get the message, Mr Faber. You have confirmed something we all know. Sigh. But you also confirmed something else for us here at TVC – that in no circumstances, whatsoever, is it a good idea to hitchhike. TVC had seen the film before reading the book (the two share little in common other than the name), and had read a spoiler somewhere explaining just why Isserley works so hard to pick up male hitchhikers; so there were no real surprises. It would be better to come to this book with little foreknowledge. The story…

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