This will hurt me...

The city, as seen from atop the SkyTree, Sumida, Tokyo, Japan. April 2016. Earthlings by Sayaka Murata Oh my. My oh my. What is the right word to describe Earthlings? Disconcerting is close, but does not seem quite powerful enough. It's very Japanese and extraordinarily dark. I'm not sure what to make of the conclusion, but it somehow seems appropriate. It's as if Roald Dahl – in the fashion of George whipping up his marvellous medicine – grabbed a handful of David Lynch, a sprinkling of Mishima and four cups of Andrea Dworkin and minced with the setting on "gross-out". Not for everyone, but it will certainly stay with you. 

Gull on a rock, Rocky Cape National Park, Tasmania. April 2020. Growing Up Aboriginal in Australia by Anita Heiss (ed.) It is hard to directly compare a book such as this with works of literature, as collections of essays penned by a wide range of contributors (most of whom are not writers) are by their very nature uneven. That said, this is an affecting compilation of experiences of Australian Aboriginals: male and female, young and old, straight and gay, rich and poor (and everything in between). It can be hard going at points, and I must say it is a blunt reminder of the casual, everyday racism face by far too many in Australia. While I wasn't surprised at some of the tales, I was disheartened to hear that the experiences of some of the younger contributors were as appalling as those I grew up with. For example, I had hoped that the continued offhanded (to the point of ubiquitous) use of "abo" in daily life had disappeared by now. Seems not. While not quite the thing t...

  Bird on a wire. Geilston Bay, November 2020. There Was Still Love by Favel Parrett Ideally, I'd give this 3.5, but I have opted for three as I found the character of Malá Liška underdeveloped to the point of frustration. Given the novel balances the lives and extended families of the twin sisters, the Melbourne side of the equation is lopsided to diminish the story. Otherwise, it was a brisk and moving read.   ★ ★ ★ 1/2

Raindrops on a leaf. Geilston Bay, November 2020. Shuggie Bain  by Douglas Stuart It is hard to know where one is to start with this review. The only certainty is the unease with which its success must have brought the Glasgow Taxi Owners' Association. ' Loved ' is not really an appropriate word, given the dark and desolate subject matter. Yet as a work of art, it is both affecting and remarkable. Even in the blackest moments – and mark my words, things get mighty black – there is a sense of promise and hope that is never quite snubbed out. Our titular hero, as oddly aloof and outcast as he is, somehow weathers through a set of circumstances that would do most of us in. His journey puts even the most tormented of Dickens's characters to shame. The author has done a fantastic job ensuring that even the many villains of the piece have shades beyond the one-dimensional, perhaps aside from Shug Senior and Thatcher herself (although I hold a particular antagonism for the vil...