Friday, August 3, 2012

I learned far more from my father and from his library than I ever did at school - (Pg 210)


There was much that I liked about Jane Austen in Australia by Barbara Ker Wilson. It had however, one major downfall, there was no story or plot tying the whole thing together.

The story is fictional, and entertains the question, what if Jane Austen had visited Australia in 1803. Unfortunately, Jane Austen as protagonist was barely present at all, and there was no antagonist to speak of.

There were a number of great characters, and I loved the sense of time and place both in England and Australia. The story features some fantastic historic figures and events from Australia's colonial past, and contrasts them beautifully with English manners and lifestyle at the time.

I just wanted something to happen. There were so many little events and sub-stories that were interesting, however there really was no common thread tying them all together.

The book has given me a thirst to read other fictional stories set in Australia during this same period. It was a very fascinating and turbulent time, when the colony was just getting established. Any reccomendations would be truly welcomed.

 151 Days Remaining, 10 Books To Go

Expectant mothers are nowadays exhorted to play Mozart and read to their unborn babies - (Pg 19)


Monday's Child is Fair of Face by Steve Roud, is a lovely book to have as a reference sitting in your bookshelf, however it doesn't make for the best read.

It's constructed much like I remember constructing essays in University, badly and without much evidence to back up any comments or theories.

There was not a lot of evidence or support of where or how most of the beliefs and myths started and were perpetuated, there was a lot of guessing and not a lot of fact. In most cases I really wanted to know more about the history or the root of the myth but each saying or myth is touched on only briefly.

Like I mentioned previously, it's lovely to have it there. It has a good contents and index so if you want a little information on something you can quickly find it. It's also probably not the best book to read while pregnant or just after having a baby, especially if you are superstitious! There are a lot of myths that relate to childhood deaths and illnesses as a result of the times from which they came.

151 Days Remaining, 11 Books To Go