This will hurt me...

Cat. Theatre Royal car park, Campbell Street, Hobart. September 2013. Sunday Book Club? That's right, SUNDAY Book Club! Great Granny Webster , Caroline Blackwood: What an odd little book. Essentially a psychological analysis of how one person (in this case the obdurate matriarch of a clan) can inflict emotional damage across generations. The titular Great Granny is stuck in the "correctness" of her own Victorian youth. Her daughter is driven mad and talks to the fairies. Her granddaughter parties all night, smokes all day, and parties obsessively. She also constantly attempts suicide. Deceptively concise, this one is a sleeper. Recommended. B . Strangers on the 16:02 , Priya Basil: A short novel, this reads more like synopsis for a new novel than a complete work. Painted in broad strokes, it does a reasonable job in constructing three very different characters, reaching a climax between the three, then it ends. Frustrating. C- . I, Claudius , Robert Graves: R...

Someone has put some wood in this wall! The Theatre Royal, Hobart. December 2010. Two books, both written within the same period, with similar themes, but both very different from each other. The first is Defeat Into Victory by William Slim. Bill Slim, or – to give him his proper title – Field Marshal William Joseph Slim, 1st Viscount Slim, KG, GCB, GCMG, GCVO, GBE, DSO, MC, KStJ, has been described by some as perhaps the greatest commander of the twentieth century. Defeat into Victory is his account of the retaking of Burma by Allied forces during the Second World War first published in 1956. Slim was the commander of the British 14th Army that, in concert with American and Chinese forces, defeated the Imperial Japanese Army during the Burma Campaign. But don’t let that put you off! Slim's most notable characteristic is his lack of ego. Unlike many (most?) other accounts of this type, Slim consistently makes reference to his mistakes, errors in planning or judgement, and his def...

I suspect that there was once a door here. Theatre Royal, Hobart. December 2010. As promised, here is Today's Sunday Top Five Seven, Nine Wonderful Uses For The Marvellous Oil Of The Genus Eucalyptus ! Eucalyptus oil also has anti-inflammatory and analgesic qualities as a topically applied liniment ingredient! Eucalyptus oil is also used in personal hygiene products for antimicrobial properties in dental care and soaps! Eucalyptus oil can be applied to wounds to prevent infection! Eucalyptus oil can also be as an insect repellent and biopesticide! Eucalyptus oil has been used as an effective way of killing dust mites! Eucalyptus oil is used in flavouring lollies, sweeties, candies and soft drink! Eucalyptus oil is also used as a fragrance component to impart a fresh and clean aroma in soaps, detergents, lotions and perfumes! Eucalyptus oil prevents the separation problem with ethanol and petrol fuel blends! Eucalyptus oil has a respectable octane rating and can be used as a fuel i...

Things are looking up at the Theatre Royal. Campbell Street, Hobart. November 2010. Lists and numbers, numbers and lists. Off the top of my head, here is a four by four [4 X 4]: Four Movies I Could Watch Again and Again: The Thin Red Line Flying High (US title: Airplane ) The Outlaw Josey Wales Finding Nemo Four Authors I Enjoy: Ernest Hemingway Heinrich Böll Pat Barker Andrey Kurkov Four Places I Have Travelled To: London Berlin Prague Stanley Four of My Favourite Foods: Pizza Gulyás Hot chips Cheese!