Disgrace by J.M Coetzee

I bought this book literally years ago but just never got around to reading it, even with all the awards it’s collected along the way – including the Booker Prize.  It’s a story that has achieved much fanfare and considering that now it’s been made into a movie starring John Malkovich, I thought I best take the plunge. 

It’s a short read, I knocked it over in a couple of days and have to admit my key motivation for reading it just now, was to do so before I went to see the film.  It’s excellent writing and the pages flew by – I can see why it’s collected recognition along the way.

The story is a little disturbing and I’ve heard someone promoting the film on ABC 774 say that you’re not expected to like David Lurie, the protagonist.  And I don’t like him which has unfortunately influenced my opinion of the book.  It’s set in post apartheid Africa so there’s themes of racism and sexism throughout which I didn’t mind so much, but also there’s an underlying level of cruelty, which didn’t work for me. 

I’m glad I read it, but I no longer care to see the movie adaptation.

QE34: Stop at Nothing the Life and Adventures of Malcolm Turnbull by Annabel Crabb

I picked this up the other morning in Readings.  I must say I don’t mind a bit of Annabel Crabb on Insiders or the occasional column of hers that I come across – I even read her book on the Labor party a few years back.  Her writing has a dry sense of humour and she has an ability to pick up on particular themes quite incisively.

The essay itself is quite readable, but it didn’t strike me as a particularly wonderful piece of writing – most of the information about MT is already in the public domain so there wasn’t anything new about the subject.  I’d knew nothing of ‘The Cat’ and found that episode quite amusing but beyond that I found it a little bland.  I think I was seeking more analysis – a little more detail but by the sound of it, the essay was formed around spending a few days following MT around Tasmania.  And no doubt there’s a word limit in this format of writing. 

Since I finished  reading this about a week ago, Peter Costello has resigned thereby leaving MT to lead the way but it seems the eruption of Ute-Gate might swing public opinion against him.  Almost ironic that what started as potentially one of the best week’s in his political career might end as one of worst.

The Last Supper by Charles McCarry

I don’t know how much more I can brag about Charles McCarry’s Paul Christopher series without annoying readers, so I’ll keep this brief. 

The Last Supper rivals The Tears of Autumn for page turning quality.  I couldn’t put this book down.  A fair dose of it is Christopher’s backstory – his parentage, how he entered the world of tradecraft, what makes him a successful spook etc. 

Again it’s multi-layered, touching on wartime Germany, the Cold War, Burma, Vietnam and Mao’s China.  I won’t give away any more – just make sure you read it – definitely worthwhile the time.