There have been many enjoyable reads this year. The Boat by Nam Le got 2011 off to a great start with a collection of disperse and riveting ‘long’ shorts. I then had the pleasure of re-visiting two of Peter Carey’s great novels in Oscar and Lucinda and Illywhacker. One of the standouts of the year was That Deadman Dance by Kim Scott, winner of the Miles Franklin. I thoroughly enjoyed David Mitchell’s Ghostwritten – so clever and absorbing, the way the inter-linkages worked was very impressive. Then onto another debut novel, this time from an Australian, with Favel Parret’s wonderful Past the Shallows. There was time for some great classics too, like Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, and Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Later in the year I was thrilled and appalled by Jamrach’s Menagerie by Carol Birch – what a ride! And speaking of rides, what a way to end the year with The Savage Detectivesby Roberto Bolaño: part road story, part loss of innocence, every part fantastic. You can find the reviews of any of these by searching or by clicking on the tags at the end of this post.
What were your favourites this year?
As for 2012, I’m not about to go in for any challenges. I just plan on reading more classics, both old – Anna Karenina – and more recent – Bolaño’s epic 2666. And I shall keep abreast of some hot-off-the-press works. Apart from that, I shall go where the wind takes me.
I hope you join me for future musings!
All the best for the new year.
John
Musings of a Literary Dilettante's Blog 