Blog Archives
No easy heroics, James Norcliffe
Shadow of the Mountain Anna Mackenzie Longacre Press, $18.99, ISBN 9781877460005 Smashed Mandy Hager Random House, $18.99, ISBN 9781869419424 Gool Maurice Gee Puffin, $19.95, ISBN 9780143304005 Each of these kidult novels tells a compelling story in a tightly written yet…
Tagged with: Anna Mackenzie, Issue 83, James Norcliffe, Longacre Press, Mandy Hager, Maurice Gee, Puffin, Random House, Spring 2008
Posted in Fiction, Literature, Review, Young adults
Posted in Fiction, Literature, Review, Young adults
The Dr Johnson of New Zealand literature, Michael Hulse
Book Self C K Stead Auckland University Press, $38.99, ISBN 9781869404123 It isn’t in the spirit of the age that a Goethe will still attract his Eckermann, or a Dr Johnson his Boswell. A companion free of all other commitments,…
Tagged with: Auckland University Press, C K Stead, Issue 83, Michael Hulse, Spring 2008
Posted in Literature, Non-fiction, Review
Posted in Literature, Non-fiction, Review
Mermaids, miners and mystics, Anne Else
Saltskin Louise Moulin Black Swan, $27.99, ISBN 9781869419608 Ribbons of Grace Maxine Alterio Penguin Books, $35.00, ISBN 9780143006442 Acts of Love Susan Pearce Victoria University Press, $29.99, ISBN 9780864735652 Three first (or at any rate, first published) novels, all by…
Tagged with: Anne Else, Black Swan, Issue 83, Louise Moulin, Maxine Alterio, Penguin Books, Spring 2008, Susan Pearce, Victoria University Press
Posted in Fiction, Literature, Review
Posted in Fiction, Literature, Review
A damn good shake up, Beryl Fletcher
Caging Skies Christine Leunens Vintage, $27.99, ISBN 9781869419578 Remember Me Derek Hansen HarperCollins, $34.99, ISBN 9780732287160 Miss Me a Lot Of Louise Wareham Leonard Victoria University Press, $30.00, ISBN 9780864735553 In New Zealand Books Autumn 2008, Elizabeth Caffin writes that…
Tagged with: Beryl Fletcher, Christine Leunens, Derek Hansen, HarperCollins, Issue 83, Louise Wareham Leonard, Spring 2008, Victoria University Press, Vintage
Posted in Fiction, Literature, Review
Posted in Fiction, Literature, Review
Into the labyrinth, Nicholas Reid
The Crocus Hour Charlotte Randall Penguin Books, $28.00, ISBN 9780143008927 Whatever criticism you make of Charlotte Randall’s novels, you cannot say that she has no sense of place. In The Crocus Hour, as in her four earlier novels, she ventures…
Tagged with: Charlotte Randall, Issue 83, Nicholas Reid, Penguin Books, Spring 2008
Posted in Fiction, Literature, Review
Posted in Fiction, Literature, Review
A child’s eye view Gavin Bishop
Back and Beyond: New Zealand Painting for the Young and Curious Gregory O’Brien Auckland University Press, $34.99, ISBN 9781869404048 This is a delicious book. As a child, I would have loved it. It reminds me of children’s books that were…
Tagged with: Auckland University Press, Gavin Bishop, Gregory O’Brien, Issue 83, Spring 2008
Posted in Art, Non-fiction, Review
Posted in Art, Non-fiction, Review
Unstill life, Linley Boniface
Rita Angus: An Artist’s Life Jill Trevelyan Te Papa Press, $69.99, ISBN 9781877385391 Reading Rita Angus: An Artist’s Life, it’s difficult not to be periodically overcome by frustration at Angus’ exasperating personality. The picture that emerges is of a woman…
Tagged with: Issue 83, Jill Trevelyan, Linley Boniface, Spring 2008, Te Papa Press
Posted in Biography, Non-fiction, Review
Posted in Biography, Non-fiction, Review
Behind the curtain, Michael Nicolaidi
The Theatre Royal: An Illustrated History Clerestory Press, $50.00, ISBN 9780958288804 Grand temples of pleasure and entertainment, rather like temples of prayer and meditation, have the power to galvanise a particular kind of angel when they come under threat of…
Tagged with: Clerestory Press, Issue 83, Michael Nicolaidi, Spring 2008
Posted in History, Non-fiction, Review
Posted in History, Non-fiction, Review
Championing the local, Margot Schwass
Posted in Comment