Comments for Shelf Tales

Comment on Wide Reading Year 10 by Shinhwa Raja

Shinhwa Raja — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 11:12:53 +0000

HI Markus i am your biggest fan your the messenger is a big hit in my view i really love your books i always collect money all out the year to buy your

Comment on Journey to the Stone Country by Marita Thomson

Marita Thomson — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 06:58:44 +0000

Golly, Dave, I don’t remember all those spitting references!! But the Panya scene was very memorable/visceral.

I also would like to know more about the stone artifact, but I think that was the point. I got the idea even the indigenous characters didn’t know, perhaps to their shame. Or perhaps they did and knew better than to talk about it. To me this represented the point at which the whitefella does not know (may never know) the blackfella.

Comment on Journey to the Stone Country by Dave standfield

Dave standfield — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 06:33:18 +0000

It was easy to read though I felt the text going in cycles, some groups of phrases kept appearing, like milestones.
I thought Miller used his charcaters as a microcosm of modern Australia. Annabelle-whitefella caught up in the struggle for a sort of reconcilliation,hobbled by both sides.
Bo-Iconic blackfella inspiring respect and awe in those who know or know of him.
Trace-pretty and fearless enough to be accepted by whitefellas.
Arner-silent, obese and gormless. No matter how Miller painted him, he gave me the shits, he did nothing. He represents the Murri youth today crippled by the grog and illness, obesity and american culture.
Panya-the poor bastard blackfella at the end, pissed and useless with nothing to do but hate.

Why did Miller have to include at least 2 references to EXPECTORATION on each page…A tracker wouldn’t have a difficult time running Bo down, he’d just have to follow the trail of gob hanging from ever damn thing. these constant detailed descriptions of Bo’s and others gobbing made me fairly queasy by the time I had reached the end but the scene where they visit old panya in her decrepit shack with her bucket of shit, encrusted with pus and spitting freely all over the place I was well queasy, well done Miller!

The book ends in a desolate situation and while the reader feels negative from the vitriol of Panya, and fair enough, she had a legitimate bone to pick, the protagonists move to Verbena, to higher ground and lie together. An apt metaphor for their act of reconcilliation.
As for the stone artifact, I’d like to have learnt a little more about it.

Comment on The Road by Cormac McCarthy by Marita Thomson

Marita Thomson — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 04:26:15 +0000

Just loved this as well. Although quite an unrelieved story of bad times (to put it mildly) the overall effect was strangely uplifting. Something about hope and beautiful writing I think. I listened to this one and look forward to reading it as well as the language was so poetic.

The film of this book is already in planning stages and there is some discussion about who will play the role of the man. (See: http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/film/2007/12/about_to_hit_the_road.html )

Comment on Wide Reading Year 10 by zpea

zpea — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 22:31:10 +0000

Hi All, I am now managing this site, but i have L Plates on . Please be patient with me and i am very much open to your help and suggestions. happy reading !

Comment on Wide Reading Year 10 by RIch

RIch — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 10:40:44 +0000

have just finished The Road by Cormac
mcarthy – outstanding

Comment on Wide Reading Year 10 by RIch

RIch — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 10:16:54 +0000

Have just finished RAW by Scott Monk -Not bad – although not as good as I expected it to be from what I had heard and read about it – good enough to consider reading one of his other novels though – I reckon I would have enjoyed this when I was a young fella more – I do kind of like the way the main character finds that there are no easy answers in life. I like the realism too – 2 good looking birds who are both in to him and neither situation ends up going well – a good lesson in shrugging your shoulders and getting on with it – just not well written enough for my fussy tastes

Comment on Wide Reading Year 10 by Chris Boylan

Chris Boylan — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 05:18:30 +0000

it is by Luke Rhinehart. the character is fictional, it is written like a diary or journal. it jumps and changes constantly.

Comment on Jamil’s Shadow by Rich

Rich — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 01:21:21 +0000

I read it too Nathan………finally. Have you read anything else recenty that youcould recommend??

Comment on Jamil’s Shadow by mgrathcantcatch

mgrathcantcatch — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 01:18:42 +0000

Thanks for the review Nathan. I read the book and enjoyed it. The rice pilaf sounded good. I think that was the key moment which started to soften Jamil’s heart. A lesson in life for sure. How about doing another review?