fourtriplezed 's Reviews > 2017 on Goodreads
2017 on Goodreads
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I was blessed with some superb fiction this year.
A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James and The Sellout by Paul Beatty both won the Man Booker and long may, in my opinion, that award provide such profoundly brilliant reading. I also read some wonderful Australian literature that left me impressed in a manner that had me salivating for more. Tirra Lirra by the River by Jessica Anderson, Harlands Half Acre by David Malouf, A Descant For Gossips, Wake in Fright by Kenneth Cook and To The Islands by Randolph Stow showed my native literature at its finest. Add to that a play by David Ireland called Image in the Clay that I found profoundly interesting.
Honourable mentions include The Harp of the South by Ruth Park. If not for slight surgery sweet writing this would also have been mentioned above.
Last but not least is the magnificent Life and Fate by Vasily Grossman. For me a masterpiece.
On the nonfiction front this year was a letdown. The best was probably The Vandemonian Wars by Nick Brodie. This book was in fact a laborious read but had a significant story to tell. The Cultural Revolution by Frank Dikotter was of the standard of the previous 2 in his trilogy on China and a must read for anyone that has an interest in the subject. One book I really enjoyed was Everett Ruess : A Vagabond For Beauty that was a fascinating local tale of a young traveller who went missing in the Utah desert in 1934. A link to what I read in 2017. https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
This year I am making no promises to myself on what I read. Let what I am in the mood for be how it is.
A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James and The Sellout by Paul Beatty both won the Man Booker and long may, in my opinion, that award provide such profoundly brilliant reading. I also read some wonderful Australian literature that left me impressed in a manner that had me salivating for more. Tirra Lirra by the River by Jessica Anderson, Harlands Half Acre by David Malouf, A Descant For Gossips, Wake in Fright by Kenneth Cook and To The Islands by Randolph Stow showed my native literature at its finest. Add to that a play by David Ireland called Image in the Clay that I found profoundly interesting.
Honourable mentions include The Harp of the South by Ruth Park. If not for slight surgery sweet writing this would also have been mentioned above.
Last but not least is the magnificent Life and Fate by Vasily Grossman. For me a masterpiece.
On the nonfiction front this year was a letdown. The best was probably The Vandemonian Wars by Nick Brodie. This book was in fact a laborious read but had a significant story to tell. The Cultural Revolution by Frank Dikotter was of the standard of the previous 2 in his trilogy on China and a must read for anyone that has an interest in the subject. One book I really enjoyed was Everett Ruess : A Vagabond For Beauty that was a fascinating local tale of a young traveller who went missing in the Utah desert in 1934. A link to what I read in 2017. https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
This year I am making no promises to myself on what I read. Let what I am in the mood for be how it is.
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December 31, 2017
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December 31, 2017
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Ted wrote: "ZZZ, I'm interested at your enthusiasm over the first two books you mention. I have both but for some reason(s) have been avoiding them. Jones' book is of course very long, and seems to have a repu..."
Hi Ted. The lingo hardly bothered me. If anyone has ever heard full on Jamaican Patios they would know this is very much low key in comparison to a couple of docos I have watched on Jamaican music where I needed subtitles. I found that the web was my freind initially and once understood the patios was very much part of the book. I recall when I finished I had no idea how to write a review of the book. I have just checked out my reading and I finished 688 pages in 12 days and that is a world record for me. What I suppose helped me was not only the writing but the story as well. I had got Exodus on release back in the day and had followed Marley's and with that Jamaica's political fireworks. James turning all this into a novel that has a complex cast of characters and plot line. All purely based on the attempted assassination of Marley and with that I found it spellbinding. James also effortlessly went from Jamaican Patois to US English seamlessly. Some small touches of humour throughout added, for example the CIA operatives son being so immersed in Jamaican culture that he had developed touches of patois and would mutter "Babylon business) when his old man gave him an upping.. Quotes from Marley's (and others) music added. Would read again.
I had thought that The Sellout would be a let down as I read both in quick succession. Nope. Was again immersed in its every word. I put a lot of work into The Sellout as it was about a subject I knew little about. It was not only funny but an education as well. I think my review is one of my better ones even if I say so myself lol.
I had an exceptional year novel wise.
Hi Ted. The lingo hardly bothered me. If anyone has ever heard full on Jamaican Patios they would know this is very much low key in comparison to a couple of docos I have watched on Jamaican music where I needed subtitles. I found that the web was my freind initially and once understood the patios was very much part of the book. I recall when I finished I had no idea how to write a review of the book. I have just checked out my reading and I finished 688 pages in 12 days and that is a world record for me. What I suppose helped me was not only the writing but the story as well. I had got Exodus on release back in the day and had followed Marley's and with that Jamaica's political fireworks. James turning all this into a novel that has a complex cast of characters and plot line. All purely based on the attempted assassination of Marley and with that I found it spellbinding. James also effortlessly went from Jamaican Patois to US English seamlessly. Some small touches of humour throughout added, for example the CIA operatives son being so immersed in Jamaican culture that he had developed touches of patois and would mutter "Babylon business) when his old man gave him an upping.. Quotes from Marley's (and others) music added. Would read again.
I had thought that The Sellout would be a let down as I read both in quick succession. Nope. Was again immersed in its every word. I put a lot of work into The Sellout as it was about a subject I knew little about. It was not only funny but an education as well. I think my review is one of my better ones even if I say so myself lol.
I had an exceptional year novel wise.
At any rate, I'm glad to see you thought highly of them both!