BOOKS.
Dubbo Weekender | Friday 03.06.2016 to Sunday 05.06.2016 Allen. The solution: drug-induced amnesia. When it leads to a one-man killing spree, this “solution” soon transpires to be anything but. Opening the novel with editor’s and author’s notes, as well as extracts from oral narratives, shows Means’ ambition to push the boundaries of speculative fiction, not to mention lending an air of authenticity to the tale. Hystopia is an engaging portrait of a troubled mind, which asks a lot of its reader. At times the narrative feels disjointed and disorienting. But maybe that’s the point. 7/10 (Review by Rachel Farrow) The Pier Falls by Mark Haddon is published in hardback by Jonathan Cape. THIS collection of short stories by the bestselling author of The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The NightTime attempts to demonstrate the writer’s versatility and range, with a mix of sci-fi, mythological fantasy
and working class social realism to boot. Haddon’s willingness to vary the genres he works in might be seen by some as brave or admirable, but collectively it’s clunky. There’s little evidence of theme running through the collection – which leaps from an expedition to Mars, to the confinement of a 30-stone man – other than the dark undertones each story carries, and I’m left wondering why these stories were chosen to be together and how their order was decided. Standing alone, each story would be engaging, indeed the titular story, about the collapse of a seaside pier, is first out of the gates and fresh, but when read in close succession, Haddon’s present tense delivery becomes a bit too monotonous and repetitive with a whiff of tedium about it. 4/10 (Review by Wayne Walls)
NON-FICTION Animal: The Autobiography Of A Female Body by Sara Pascoe is published in paperback by Faber & Faber.
What’s so funny about that? HE media programs of current times don’t seem to produce the laughs and humour of years past. Searching publishers’ catalogues for new books that could be categorised as “humour”, it becomes evident that there isn’t much of “that stuff” about these days. But that doesn’t stop us from showing the titles being reprinted or new editions and material on past characters. A clear example of this is “Footrot Flats” which, for the past five years, has come through with new material. From the secondhand shelves comes the 1988 Diary of Sir Humphrey Appleby with his notes in “Yes, Prime Minister”. Appropriate in the current political jousting scene, the cover shows a note headed “The Campaign for Freedom of Information” which is stamped in the corner with “Confidential, Restricted, Not to be Disclosed”. And a polite note at the end of the invitation acceptance runs, “We note your proviso that you intend to work for the freedom of information whenever it is in the public interest.” On the 14th of March there is an entry of wisdom that says, “A good political speech is not one which you can prove that the man is telling the truth: it is one where no one else can prove he is lying.” And, “You can’t put a nation’s interest at risk just be-
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cause of some silly sentimentality about justice.” (Not really funny.) Another book from the land of humorous TV programs is “Big Book of British Comedy Greats” by Michelle Brachet. Some of our favourites – Rowan Atkinson, Ronnie Barker, Peter Cook, John Cleese, Ronnie Corbett and others – and even Charlie Chaplin are featured here. “Dad’s Army” by Graham McCann collects several of the episodes of that program in narrative form, reminding us of Captain Mainwaring, Sergeant Wilson and Lance-Corporal Jones and their roles. An Australian tale mixing humour and some drama is “Don’t Tell my Mother I Work on the Rigs – She thinks I am a piano player in a Whorehouse” by Paul Carter, and there are plen-
ty of chuckles in this. Step back to the 1950s and read books written by Nino Carlotta. It was a time when European immigrants were coming to Australia, and Carlotta (the nom de plume of John O’Grady) wrote books which reflected the troubles the Italians (in this case) had in settling into life here. “Gone Troppo” covers a new arrival in the Proserpine and Molle Island holiday locations. The late comedian Robin Williams, known around the world for his wit and humour, wrote the foreword for Gary Larson’s edition. He says, “Gary Larson is the best of a weird breed... Whenever I read ‘The Far Side’ I feel I’m watching a National Geographic special on Prozac – talking sharks, cigar smoking termites, lustful flies, squirrels
` From the 1988 Diary of Sir Humphrey Appleby, there is an entry of wisdom that says, “A good political speech is not one which you can prove that the man is telling the truth: it is one where no one else can prove he is lying.” a
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ARE we human, or animal? Well, a bit of both according to Sara Pascoe. Her literary debut takes an intelligent look at behaviour and evolutionary characteristics, and asks whether our genetic make-up or cultural background defines our gender and sexuality. It’s a bold move for a comedian to release a semibiographical memoir which offers such scientific detail – realistically we open celeb-written puff-pieces expecting fluffy, self-indulgence which aims to be the Christmas bestseller, or gather column inches (yes, My Booky Wook, we’re looking at you). In contrast, Pascoe has written a truly intelligent, interesting and well-balanced ‘Autobiography of a Female Body’ which uses wit to soften the blow on the scientific prose. And that’s a wonderful thing – however you should venture into reading armed with the knowledge that this is not the light read you might expect. It’s a funny, frank exploration of human behaviour, and an absolute delight. 8/10 (Review by Holly McKenzie)
ADVERTORIAL
From the bookshelves by Dave Pankhurst The Book Connection in a cop’s uniform, cows with attitudes. He approaches a boll weevil, hands it a contract and says, ‘I’d like to sketch you for my next cartoon. Who’s your agent?’” It depends on the factors that make you smile, chuckle, even laugh. Ian Allen has collected a book full of material in “Grumpy Old Git Jokes”. It is divided into subject categories – in Banking there is one which says: What do you do if 100 bankers are up to their necks in sand? More Sand!” In the Old People’s section, it relates the story of two old gits who go to a solicitor to make their wills. “Right,” says the solicitor, “who wants to go first.” And one piece of advice runs: “Always start the day with a smile – you might as well get it over with!” The stories in Sandy Thorne’s books will raise more than a chuckle. “Battler, Plus Battler’s Block” is the tale of Battler O’Brien who had been a battler all his life. He had been droving sheep with his missus on far west stock routes. And then he went into a land ballot – he finished up with a 50,000-acre block in the back country. It is full of chaos, calamity, colossal cock-ups, crazy scrub-happy characters, crooked cockies and politically incorrect
conversations. “Laugh Yer Guts Out” has more yarns from out back of Bourke where some of the best yarn-tellers in the outback get together in the local pub. All up, Sandy has written nine books and sold a total of 400,000 – a real achievement. Youngsters can teach us something about things that are funny. In “501 Great Aussie Jokes” there is a collection sponsored by Camp Quality with the caption “laughter is the best medicine”. There is a “Marvellous Joke Book” with over 500 jokes from Roald Dahl. On the cover it questions, “What do you give a sick parrot?” And the answer, “Tweetment”. Robert Myers has collected “365 Knock-Knock Jokes” which provides page after page of rib-ticklers. In a collection of short stories, nine Australian children’s authors have written “Laugh Your Head off” featuring funny stories for all kinds of kids. Another way of appreciating a humorous comment comes from comedian Jerry Seinfeld whose thought for today is: “A bookstore is one of the only pieces of evidence we have that people are still thinking.” Enjoy your browsing, Dave Pankhurst.