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14 oeuvres 121 utilisateurs 12 critiques

Œuvres de John Clanchy

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Clanchy, a distinguished short story writer has set himself a challenge with his first novel. The two parts referred to in the subtitle are very different from each other. The first takes the form of a writer, writing his own life as a work of fiction under the guise of it being a ‘friend’s story’. His sister hates it. She has no taste, is all I can say. It’s utterly engaging, and that applies even when he gets into the gross details of his bucks’ night. It isn’t at all easy to make those kinds of scenes work. Another aspect I was particularly taken with is the ease with which he writes about sport, without, let me hasten to say, ever being offputting for the reader whose eyes glaze over at the very word. There’s a hilarious scene with his marriage counsellor, which is no doubt informed by having been in that line of work himself.

The second part of the novel could not be more different from the first. Now death, not life is firmly at the centre of affairs and we are in the present, it is the author speaking of himself, not the author speaking of himself through his ‘friend’.

Rest is here:
https://alittleteaalittlechat.wordpress.com/2018/03/12/breaking-glass-a-novel-in...
… (plus d'informations)
 
Signalé
bringbackbooks | 2 autres critiques | Jun 16, 2020 |
Not one friend of mine on GR has read any book by this author. Having randomly plucked this off the shelf at a secondhand shop and never having heard of Clanchy myself, perhaps I should not be surprised. But he has won prizes in Australia and his books typically go through more than one edition.

None of which is surprising. These are highly accomplished examples of the short story form. Perhaps it is the counsellor in him, but I was struck in particular by his deep empathy with people of all types. Whether he is an elderly woman in a nursing home or a young man, an Australian or the family at the inn Van Gough stays at, he does it all to perfection. The stories are beguiling, credible, beautiful. Surprises have you saying, yes, of course, in that appreciative way when you should have seen it coming, but good writers make sure you don't.

At least four stars and I'm going to be reading more.
… (plus d'informations)
 
Signalé
bringbackbooks | 3 autres critiques | Jun 16, 2020 |
Sometimes I feel like writing one of those list books, even though I hate them.

This one would be called A Pile of Wonderful Books You Won't Read Before You Die. Because Nobody Does.

And John Clanchy would feature. Although I know lots of avid readers in Australia, the only one who even recognises the name isn't connected to his writing, it's because they both worked at the ANU. Sigh.

This is short stories and one episodic piece which is sixty-six pages. It concerns the Murphys and is called wait for it, pun coming: 'Murphy's Lore'.

On the dangers of reading.
No, it was the boy worried her. He got too much inside himself. It's not good all that rummacking about inside your own head, and reading, and him to the library three times this week already, books are all right in their own way there's value in books her own father would say and him never read one in his whole life, value in books, but you need to get out once in a while.

The boy asks if he can wear one of his father's detachable collars. The father is reluctantly interrogating him.
'What? What the devil are you talking about, boy? No, you can't. We're not here for collars. We're here about your lying tongue.'

'Well, later then?'

'Look, we'll have no more of your 'later'. This is the last time I'll ask you nicely. Your mother says you've been telling lies. Now I want a full list of the lies you've been telling. A full list, mind.'

Would they be here forever, then, and miss their tea?....

'Well,' his father was pulling at his arm, 'what lies?' Have you been telling more of your damn lies? Or not?'

That seemed to provide the best alternative so far. 'No,' he lied. He held his father's gaze.

'Well, let's leave the lying for the moment. Now what about all this money you've been stealing?'

'What money?'

They were unlikely to get any tea.

There is a marvellous section about a priest who teaches the boy and his friends at school. Perhaps it isn't allowed at the moment, writing sympathetically about a priest in the schoolroom, but it is hilarious and who knows, maybe it's good for the soul to read occasionally about a priest who isn't evil incarnate.
And how did they know Father Tierney was mad? He had been perfectly normal in their last chemistry lesson.

'God's gift to man, boys. Science is God's gift. I love Science,' he had roared from the big desk at the front with the bunsen burners and the enamel wash basins set deep into the wood and the silver fountains at the bottom which were supposed to spurt water up at great force to wash out the beakers and jars but only ever dribbled miserably. Terry O'Brien said he could do better lying on his back.

'What'll we make today?' Father Tierney rubbed his hands and stood grinning at them.

'Well, don't just sit there like a row of stone puddings. Participate,' he yelled, 'participate. This is your chance to share in God's wonderful bounty.'

Gavin O'Meara flicked through the pages of his exercise book, page after page of notes dictated by Father Tierney when science classes had been held in the library following the last explosion in the laboratories. His hand went up.

'At last. O'Meara?'

'Could we see,' he read, 'the startling effects of sulphuric acid on one of God's greatest gifts to man, copper?'

'What?'

'Could we see the startling effects...'

'No, certainly not. I've done that with the fourth form. It's not very interesting. What else? What else?'

'I'd like to see the hydrolitic process in action, particularly in relation to the long-term effects on zinc,' said one of the scholarship boys.

'Five hundred lines,' shouted Father Tierney.

'But Father...'

'Six.'

He waited, staring at the boy, daring him to speak again. Father Tierney loved a gamble.

The rest of this scene I've read a dozen times, would happily read it a dozen more - I hope I've tempted you to get the book, just to carry on.

the rest is here: https://alittleteaalittlechat.wordpress.com/2019/03/18/lie-of-the-land-by-john-c...
… (plus d'informations)
 
Signalé
bringbackbooks | 2 autres critiques | Jun 16, 2020 |
Sometimes I feel like writing one of those list books, even though I hate them.

This one would be called A Pile of Wonderful Books You Won't Read Before You Die. Because Nobody Does.

And John Clanchy would feature. Although I know lots of avid readers in Australia, the only one who even recognises the name isn't connected to his writing, it's because they both worked at the ANU. Sigh.

This is short stories and one episodic piece which is sixty-six pages. It concerns the Murphys and is called wait for it, pun coming: 'Murphy's Lore'.

On the dangers of reading.
No, it was the boy worried her. He got too much inside himself. It's not good all that rummacking about inside your own head, and reading, and him to the library three times this week already, books are all right in their own way there's value in books her own father would say and him never read one in his whole life, value in books, but you need to get out once in a while.

The boy asks if he can wear one of his father's detachable collars. The father is reluctantly interrogating him.
'What? What the devil are you talking about, boy? No, you can't. We're not here for collars. We're here about your lying tongue.'

'Well, later then?'

'Look, we'll have no more of your 'later'. This is the last time I'll ask you nicely. Your mother says you've been telling lies. Now I want a full list of the lies you've been telling. A full list, mind.'

Would they be here forever, then, and miss their tea?....

'Well,' his father was pulling at his arm, 'what lies?' Have you been telling more of your damn lies? Or not?'

That seemed to provide the best alternative so far. 'No,' he lied. He held his father's gaze.

'Well, let's leave the lying for the moment. Now what about all this money you've been stealing?'

'What money?'

They were unlikely to get any tea.

There is a marvellous section about a priest who teaches the boy and his friends at school. Perhaps it isn't allowed at the moment, writing sympathetically about a priest in the schoolroom, but it is hilarious and who knows, maybe it's good for the soul to read occasionally about a priest who isn't evil incarnate.
And how did they know Father Tierney was mad? He had been perfectly normal in their last chemistry lesson.

'God's gift to man, boys. Science is God's gift. I love Science,' he had roared from the big desk at the front with the bunsen burners and the enamel wash basins set deep into the wood and the silver fountains at the bottom which were supposed to spurt water up at great force to wash out the beakers and jars but only ever dribbled miserably. Terry O'Brien said he could do better lying on his back.

'What'll we make today?' Father Tierney rubbed his hands and stood grinning at them.

'Well, don't just sit there like a row of stone puddings. Participate,' he yelled, 'participate. This is your chance to share in God's wonderful bounty.'

Gavin O'Meara flicked through the pages of his exercise book, page after page of notes dictated by Father Tierney when science classes had been held in the library following the last explosion in the laboratories. His hand went up.

'At last. O'Meara?'

'Could we see,' he read, 'the startling effects of sulphuric acid on one of God's greatest gifts to man, copper?'

'What?'

'Could we see the startling effects...'

'No, certainly not. I've done that with the fourth form. It's not very interesting. What else? What else?'

'I'd like to see the hydrolitic process in action, particularly in relation to the long-term effects on zinc,' said one of the scholarship boys.

'Five hundred lines,' shouted Father Tierney.

'But Father...'

'Six.'

He waited, staring at the boy, daring him to speak again. Father Tierney loved a gamble.

The rest of this scene I've read a dozen times, would happily read it a dozen more - I hope I've tempted you to get the book, just to carry on.

the rest is here: https://alittleteaalittlechat.wordpress.com/2019/03/18/lie-of-the-land-by-john-c...
… (plus d'informations)
 
Signalé
bringbackbooks | 2 autres critiques | Jun 16, 2020 |

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Statistiques

Œuvres
14
Membres
121
Popularité
#164,307
Évaluation
½ 3.3
Critiques
12
ISBN
30
Langues
1

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