Written before its time, this short story is about one woman's descent into madness. My throw away comment once finishing this (and as I read along toWritten before its time, this short story is about one woman's descent into madness. My throw away comment once finishing this (and as I read along to be honest with you) is that I'd go mad too locked away with no stimulation, and my child taken away from me! So as a reader in modern times, this to me reads as post natal depression. Untreated.
I am not a reader of the classics, and stumbled across this one from my friend Rosh. I have been looking for some shorter reads, so this one fits the bill.
Having a physician husband and brother, our protagonist has no hope, really, considering these men will make her decisions and take away her agency. Nervousness and the generalities related to this is the reason for her mental ill health as pronounced by these two experts.
Writing in her diary, and hiding this, we see her unravelling. She is very unwell and becomes enamoured with the ugly and smelly yellow wallpaper. This becomes a being to her and this becomes to eat into her brain, so to speak.
This is an unusual little story, and I'm not a huge fan of literature it was a little unappealing, but I happily rate three stars.
He is very careful and loving, and hardly lets me stir without special direction.
This special direction is what is alarming. Unable to see people, locked in a room, no outside influences. We all know this is a recipe for disaster. Interesting to know the author wrote this after her own experience with PND.
I read this via the Libby platform and my public library. ...more
This is my first Steinbeck novel. I needed a short audio, and I wondered how thus could be the case. It was unexpected, and clearly I need more.
The bThis is my first Steinbeck novel. I needed a short audio, and I wondered how thus could be the case. It was unexpected, and clearly I need more.
The beauty is in the sparseness, and amongst that sparseness shows so much that is good, but of course as is life, displays much that is bad.
George and Lennie are chasing the American dream. So obviously unattainable, but in this shows great hope. Childlike Lennie simply wants rabbits, and his simplicity needs to be monitored and translated by George, who has enormous love and patience for his friend.
Equal parts heartbreaking and heartwarming, the shock conclusion left me reeling. Thought provoking and highly recommended.
I listened to this via the Libby app and my public library....more
My interest in Australian women writers has always been keen, and if anything, it is a genre that is growing with interest.
Helen Garner is an author IMy interest in Australian women writers has always been keen, and if anything, it is a genre that is growing with interest.
Helen Garner is an author I should have read by now, so I did borrow this from work with interest. This is her debut, written in the 80's about drugs, sex, and more drugs and sex.
It is a meandering story that has no real clear storyline. Communal living, the blurred lines between emotional love and sex; all intertwined with addiction. Everyone seems to be drug affected, most of the time.
The protagonist, and young single mother of one, never seems to deal with her child (where is she most of the time?!) and there is no clear depth or oomph to the story.
This is an example of what it was like: '... danced till the floor was too packed for me to move, and then I danced on a chair. I went to a party, ate some sausage rolls with tomato sauce, drank a plastic glass of punch, came home, made myself a glass of Tia Maria and cream; fell into bed.' Do you see what I mean?!
Maybe I'm too young to 'get' this one, I was a boring child of the nineties!
I will read more of this authors work, I guess I am interested to see how she has grown with her craft. I'm just not sure about how I feel about it. Perhaps the author's more current work will be more enjoyable (to me)....more
What an Australian classic. This story captures the essence of the hard life of the Darcy family, Sydney in the mid nineteen hundreds. They were poor What an Australian classic. This story captures the essence of the hard life of the Darcy family, Sydney in the mid nineteen hundreds. They were poor and down trodden, they did not have anything to their names. What they did have in spades was a lot of love amongst the mess and slum that existed in Surry Hills during that time. Teenage pregnancy, alcoholism, racism (as I listened to an audio version I didn't take notes. But I loved a line between to young people in love discussing marriage, and wondering how the 'black skipped a couple of generations') and poverty was in abundance but this family loved each other and we were left with the impression they were wanting for nothing. The imagery of a young couple honeymooning in Narrabeen with pure delight was lovely. A short classic story, if readers haven't sought this genre before I'd recommend it. Excellent writing and it seems to me a perfectly captured era of the slums and mess and overwhelming love of a family who had naught in the way of materialistic pleasures. Maybe the youth of Australia could learn some things here. ...more
About time this ‘Aussie girl’ read this book, written by a fellow ‘Aussie girl’. Miles Franklin the iconic Australian author, has penned this classic,About time this ‘Aussie girl’ read this book, written by a fellow ‘Aussie girl’. Miles Franklin the iconic Australian author, has penned this classic, written when she was barely an adult herself. She was a woman born of another era. Her times were meant to be spent, toiling the land (or should I say house), performing house duties and supporting her family that was lacking money. She was better than that – well she knew she was better spent bettering herself and continuing the continuance of lifelong learning - she yearned to be able to write, perform music and use her cleverness for something better. Sybylla is 16 and this is ‘her’ story.
I am not overly romantic or have any grandiose visions of happily ever afters or needing a man to complete a picture of happiness, but even I was disappointed for her. Miles comments that there is no plot, as her life does not contain one – or anyone else that she knows has one either. There is too much work to be toiled than to have the luxury of a plot. Harry Beecham calling her Syb made me sad as he was lovely. There was also another lovely scene where Sybylla talks of Harry’s lovely large comforting hands. I borrowed the physical copy after listening to this on audio, but searching for a little paragraph to place the quote here was too hard!
An interesting classic that has its little bit of relevance today.
As an after thought, and after perusing a lovely hard copy that was donated to the University library where I work, I would not recommend listening to the audio version. Too much to be missed out on in regards to the poetry. ...more
