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3.42 AVERAGE
3.42 AVERAGE
I was excited to read this because it's two halves and you can read either one first!, but in the end I wasn't super wild about it. the Lyle sections reminded me of The Hamilton Case (or the other way around?) because of how much he's trying to adhere to the desired future values etc.
This is essentially a book on 2 halves intriguingly you get to choose which book you would like to read first the past with the main character Lili or the future with the main characters Lyle
I don’t read book blurb before reading so just randomly chose Lili first .
I did like both books but strongly preferred Lyle which was a far more unique book that Lili which was written in a style I’m more comfortable with .There were few links between the books and I wasn’t really sure that either gained much by being paired in this way apart from the fun of deciding for yourself which to read first which was a bit gimmicky
The lili book felt like a book I’d read before a young girl grows to adulthood whilst travelling the world and experiencing the biases that were found in the 80s and still around today .The book touches on racism sexism and sexuality biases .I didn’t feel this book was that special ,it was well written with a clear flowing prose style and good characters but not a huge story or plot line ,very little surprising
The Luke book however was very different I was quickly pulled into a future Australia with race ,migrant and climate issues marking the country out as a pariah by more moderate societies .
Apart from a stumble of mine when I assumed the temperature they were talking about of 52degrees was in Fahrenheit and a bit chilly when in fact it was Celsius and boiling ,I quickly picked up on the dystopian atmosphere .
I found the Lyle book a fantastic read i was reading it during the COP 26 climate conference in Glasgow in 2021 and the future world read so true and so scary I was hooked ..The storyline of the elderly mothers push into euthanasia was shocking
In summary I liked the Lyle section of the book far more than the Lili and would have preferred it as a stand alone book I didn’t see that it gained much with the pairing .I did enjoy both and would recommend
I read an early copy on NetGalley Uk the book is published January 2022
I don’t read book blurb before reading so just randomly chose Lili first .
I did like both books but strongly preferred Lyle which was a far more unique book that Lili which was written in a style I’m more comfortable with .There were few links between the books and I wasn’t really sure that either gained much by being paired in this way apart from the fun of deciding for yourself which to read first which was a bit gimmicky
The lili book felt like a book I’d read before a young girl grows to adulthood whilst travelling the world and experiencing the biases that were found in the 80s and still around today .The book touches on racism sexism and sexuality biases .I didn’t feel this book was that special ,it was well written with a clear flowing prose style and good characters but not a huge story or plot line ,very little surprising
The Luke book however was very different I was quickly pulled into a future Australia with race ,migrant and climate issues marking the country out as a pariah by more moderate societies .
Apart from a stumble of mine when I assumed the temperature they were talking about of 52degrees was in Fahrenheit and a bit chilly when in fact it was Celsius and boiling ,I quickly picked up on the dystopian atmosphere .
I found the Lyle book a fantastic read i was reading it during the COP 26 climate conference in Glasgow in 2021 and the future world read so true and so scary I was hooked ..The storyline of the elderly mothers push into euthanasia was shocking
In summary I liked the Lyle section of the book far more than the Lili and would have preferred it as a stand alone book I didn’t see that it gained much with the pairing .I did enjoy both and would recommend
I read an early copy on NetGalley Uk the book is published January 2022
challenging
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’m really confused; Only connection between the two stories I can establish is a passing comment that Lyle’s mum was Lily’s cousin (?).
First half: the writing was great, felt like classic literature.
Second half: modern dystopian, was interesting but kept losing me.
Nope, I am still really confused…
First half: the writing was great, felt like classic literature.
Second half: modern dystopian, was interesting but kept losing me.
Nope, I am still really confused…
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Islamophobia
Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic
funny
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
The final of my Sydney spotlight reads and I definitely saved the best for last. One of my favourite things about Michelle de Kretser’s writing is just how effortless it feels to the reader. Her writing feels this way despite how much is going on at a sentence level and at an architectural level. I tumbled into the first part (I started with the historical section ((Lili)) and then read the near future section ((Lyle))) and there was no looking back. Ali Smith utilised a similar dual format in How to be both and de Kretser herself has been interested in dual narratives before. The scary monster that raised its ugly head most strongly for me was racism – this is a truly excellent novel about race. De Kretser has never shied away from the political in her work and here she asks us to look deep within our Bowie-loving, immigrant wary selves and ask some difficult questions. Her writing looks at us, our country, ourselves in ways that reveal how wrong things were, are and might yet be.
challenging
dark
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Well I clearly missed the point cos what the fuck? Shoulda been titled as short stories cos I canny find a link between them to save my life?!