A lion is made up of the lambs he's digested, and I've been reading all my life.

The bus won't be far away now. Hobart GPO, Elizabeth Street. October 2011.

Just the one book finished this week, although that was enough to push me past my nominated 85 book challenge at the beginning of the year (more on that later).

This week it was Doris Lessing's The Fifth Child. Billed as a "contemporary gothic horror", it centres on the unravelling of a serene family-life upon the arrival of their fifth child.

I'm not sure about this book. I think that I can grasp the key themes: modern society's drift from its more brutal past, the notion of a maternal bond, the authoritarian character and the thin veneer of civility. I'm just not convinced of the characters. I'm not sure how I'm to feel about the characters, and hope that the sympathy I felt for the 'monster' at the centre of the piece is a fair result.

Nonetheless, it is a decent read and can be recommended. I'd avoid it if you're expecting a baby any time soon though...

Comments

Roddy said…

I am always in awe of the workmanship that went into the buildings of yesteryear. Somehow it looks so perfect.

28 October 2011 at 13:25

Leovi said…

Gorgeous blue sky with clouds and a great perspective. Nice photo.

28 October 2011 at 17:20

Mrsupole said…

Well since you mentioned monsters, can you see the one to the right of the clock tower? I swear I can even see the mouth full of teeth. Just ask anyone else if they see it. I am not sure if you meant to put it in there because of the book or if you just clicked and it is there because of the book. Just a scary thought.

God bless.

28 October 2011 at 19:17

Roddy said…

Cloud people I see! Or are they cloud monsters?

28 October 2011 at 21:11

Kris McCracken said…

Roddy, it needs a clean.

Leovi, I was waiting for the bus home.

Mrsupole, monsters surround us each and every day!

1 November 2011 at 14:15

Mad as hell

So there I was, arm hooked up to the machine, watching my plasma swirl away into a bag while the morning news dribbled across the screen like a bad fever dream. And what were they showing? A "riot" in Melbourne, allegedly. The sort of riot where the real thugs wear body armour, carry pepper spray and look like they just walked off the set of RoboCop. The people they were beating? A ragtag crew of teenagers and old hippies—probably fresh out of a drum circle, still smelling of patchouli. But sure, let's call it a riot. Now, here's where it really gets good. I mentioned this spectacle to a few people later, thinking maybe they'd share my outrage or, at the very least, give a damn. But no. What did I get instead? A smirk, a chuckle, and—oh, the pièce de résistance—"You should really just let it go." Let it go? Yeah, let me uncork a nice, overpriced cup of coffee, sit back with my legs crossed, and soak in the latest reality TV trash. Why bother caring when ...

Hold me now, oh hold me now, until this hour has gone around. And I'm gone on the rising tide, to face Van Dieman's Land

Theme Thursday again, and this one is rather easy. I am Tasmanian, you see, and aside from being all around general geniuses - as I have amply described previously - we are also very familiar with the concept of WATER. Tasmania is the ONLY island state of an ISLAND continent. That means, we're surrounded by WATER. That should help explain why I take so many photographs of water . Tasmania was for a long time the place where the British (an island race terrified of water) sent their poor people most vile and horrid criminals. The sort of folk who would face the stark choice of a death sentence , or transportation to the other end of the world. Their catalogue of crimes is horrifying : stealing bread assault stealing gentlemen's handkerchiefs drunken assault being poor affray ladies being overly friendly with gentlemen for money hitting people having a drink and a laugh public drunkenness being Irish Fenian terrorist activities being Catholic religious subversion. ...

Something unpleasant is coming when men are anxious to tell the truth.

This is the moon. Have I mentioned how much I adore the zoom on my camera? It's Theme Thursday you see, and after last week's limp effort, I have been thinking about how I might redeem myself. Then I clicked on the topic and discover that it was BUTTON. We've been hearing a lot about the moon in the past couple of weeks. Apparently some fellas went up there and played golf and what-not forty-odd years ago. The desire to get to the moon, however, was not simply about enhancing opportunities for Meg and Mog titles and skirting local planning by-laws in the construction of new and innovative golf courses. No, all of your Sputniks , "One small steps" and freeze dried ice cream was about one thing , and one thing only : MAD Now, I don't mean mad in terms of "bloke breaks record for number of scorpions he can get up his bum", no I mean MAD as in Mutual assured destruction . When I was a young man you see, there was a lot of talk about the type of m...

This will hurt me...

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