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497 reviews
Familiar Things by Hwang Sok-yong
Five stars … Readers expecting this novel to develop into a savage take on Seoul slum life will be disappointed … [Hwang Sok-Yong] wants to tell a different story altogether. Familiar Things turns out to be less about simple disposal than movement between different worlds … resonant.
The Daily Telegraph
Hwang Sok-yong is one of South Korea's foremost writers, a powerful voice for society's marginalised, and Sora Kim-Russell's translations never falter.
Deborah Smith, Translator of The Vegetarian
A powerful examination of capitalism from one of South Korea’s most acclaimed authors … [Hwang] challenges us to look back and reevaluate the cost of modernisation, and see what and whom we have left behind.
The Guardian
Undoubtedly the most powerful voice in Asia today.
Kenzaburo Oe, Winner of the Novel Prize for Literature
[A] vivid depiction of a city too quick to throw away both possessions and people.
Financial Times
Sora Kim-Russell’s translation moves gracefully between gritty, whiffy realism and folk-tale spookiness.
The Economist
In Familiar Things, the great Korean writer embraces the social realities of his country. It is the opposite of the economic miracle that he paints for us here. Beyond simple naturalism, Hwang Sok-yong mixes into the actual, the magic of a popular culture steeped in the spiritual.
Livreshedbo
A great political book, a plea for a country under the boot of a general, a country embroiled in a fierce power struggle, where ideology has been devoured by productivity, where human beings are nothing more than bellies to be filled for the benefit of industrial producers ... Grandma Willow in her dementia rails, “You're despicable! Do you think you live alone here? You men may all disappear, nature will continue to exist!” Let's hope so!
Critiques Libres
Hwang Sok-yong is one of the most read Korean writers in his country, and best known abroad. An activist for democracy and reconciliation with the North, in his books he melds his political fights with the Korean cultural imagination.
Le Monde
Familiar Things is a poignant novel that depicts decay and regeneration … A sense of menace pervades the novel. But the relationship that develops between Bugeye and Baldspot, who he comes to adopt as his younger brother, is heartwarming.
The Big Issue
Hwang Sok-yong is an endearing author. For his perspective on people and things, for the instinctive modesty of his characters as well as his ability to “capture” — to return through fiction — the contemporary history of his country. Even more, to embody it.
La Croix
Reality, fiction and fantasy mix closely, giving his writing unparalleled power. Hwang Sok-yong’s empathy for his heroes is always accompanied by a fierce rage against the powerful.
Le Monde Diplomatique
While it invokes South Korean history, culture, mythology and folklore, this slim novel is unmistakably universal in its reach, contemporary in its appeal, and packs an emotional punch that reverberates long after reading.
South China Morning Post
Familiar Things is both tragic and heartrending.
The Skinny
Galvanized by Nobel Prize-winner Kenzaburo Oe’s resounding endorsement—‘undoubtedly the most powerful voice in Asia today’—and master translator Sora Kim Russell’s exquisite rendition, Hwang’s latest anglophonic import is surely poised for western success.
Terry Hong, Booklist
As one of the country’s most prominent novelists, Hwang has never shied away from controversy ... With Familiar Things, Hwang turns his attention to the underside of South Korea’s remarkable economic development, namely, the vast underclass it has created.
John Feffer, Boston Review
Hwang’s writing is rich with symbolism, cautionary lessons, and the potential for redemption.
World Literature Day
[A] cautionary tale, both a mirror and a portent for our own world.
Fionn Mallon, Los Angeles Review of Books
Familiar Things walks a perfect path between realism and the supernatural.
Annie Smith, A Bookish Type
Familiar Things is a fine little novel, showing a crushing, grim reality in which the resilient human spirit and imagination makes do.
M.A.Orthofer, The Complete Review
[A] quick read with a gut punch at the end. Folklore meets tragic existence.
Lolly Dandeneau, Edelweiss
An absolute delight.
Sarah-Hope Parmeter, Edelweiss
In the tradition of social realism, Familiar Things reveals aspects of our current throw-away system that are intentionally kept out of sight. But it is not only a Jungle-esque activist exposé. It is also an engaging coming-of-age portrait.
Emma Schneider, Full Stop
The Daily Telegraph
Hwang Sok-yong is one of South Korea's foremost writers, a powerful voice for society's marginalised, and Sora Kim-Russell's translations never falter.
Deborah Smith, Translator of The Vegetarian
A powerful examination of capitalism from one of South Korea’s most acclaimed authors … [Hwang] challenges us to look back and reevaluate the cost of modernisation, and see what and whom we have left behind.
The Guardian
Undoubtedly the most powerful voice in Asia today.
Kenzaburo Oe, Winner of the Novel Prize for Literature
[A] vivid depiction of a city too quick to throw away both possessions and people.
Financial Times
Sora Kim-Russell’s translation moves gracefully between gritty, whiffy realism and folk-tale spookiness.
The Economist
In Familiar Things, the great Korean writer embraces the social realities of his country. It is the opposite of the economic miracle that he paints for us here. Beyond simple naturalism, Hwang Sok-yong mixes into the actual, the magic of a popular culture steeped in the spiritual.
Livreshedbo
A great political book, a plea for a country under the boot of a general, a country embroiled in a fierce power struggle, where ideology has been devoured by productivity, where human beings are nothing more than bellies to be filled for the benefit of industrial producers ... Grandma Willow in her dementia rails, “You're despicable! Do you think you live alone here? You men may all disappear, nature will continue to exist!” Let's hope so!
Critiques Libres
Hwang Sok-yong is one of the most read Korean writers in his country, and best known abroad. An activist for democracy and reconciliation with the North, in his books he melds his political fights with the Korean cultural imagination.
Le Monde
Familiar Things is a poignant novel that depicts decay and regeneration … A sense of menace pervades the novel. But the relationship that develops between Bugeye and Baldspot, who he comes to adopt as his younger brother, is heartwarming.
The Big Issue
Hwang Sok-yong is an endearing author. For his perspective on people and things, for the instinctive modesty of his characters as well as his ability to “capture” — to return through fiction — the contemporary history of his country. Even more, to embody it.
La Croix
Reality, fiction and fantasy mix closely, giving his writing unparalleled power. Hwang Sok-yong’s empathy for his heroes is always accompanied by a fierce rage against the powerful.
Le Monde Diplomatique
While it invokes South Korean history, culture, mythology and folklore, this slim novel is unmistakably universal in its reach, contemporary in its appeal, and packs an emotional punch that reverberates long after reading.
South China Morning Post
Familiar Things is both tragic and heartrending.
The Skinny
Galvanized by Nobel Prize-winner Kenzaburo Oe’s resounding endorsement—‘undoubtedly the most powerful voice in Asia today’—and master translator Sora Kim Russell’s exquisite rendition, Hwang’s latest anglophonic import is surely poised for western success.
Terry Hong, Booklist
As one of the country’s most prominent novelists, Hwang has never shied away from controversy ... With Familiar Things, Hwang turns his attention to the underside of South Korea’s remarkable economic development, namely, the vast underclass it has created.
John Feffer, Boston Review
Hwang’s writing is rich with symbolism, cautionary lessons, and the potential for redemption.
World Literature Day
[A] cautionary tale, both a mirror and a portent for our own world.
Fionn Mallon, Los Angeles Review of Books
Familiar Things walks a perfect path between realism and the supernatural.
Annie Smith, A Bookish Type
Familiar Things is a fine little novel, showing a crushing, grim reality in which the resilient human spirit and imagination makes do.
M.A.Orthofer, The Complete Review
[A] quick read with a gut punch at the end. Folklore meets tragic existence.
Lolly Dandeneau, Edelweiss
An absolute delight.
Sarah-Hope Parmeter, Edelweiss
In the tradition of social realism, Familiar Things reveals aspects of our current throw-away system that are intentionally kept out of sight. But it is not only a Jungle-esque activist exposé. It is also an engaging coming-of-age portrait.
Emma Schneider, Full Stop
The Dictionary of Animal Languages by Heidi Sopinka
With stunning prose, lavish details, deep wisdom, and emotional precision, reading this book is like falling in love — my interest in everything else was lost.
Claire Cameron, Author of The Last Neanderthal
The Dictionary of Animal Languages is such a special book, suffused with an almost painterly intelligence. Sopinka’s characters experience the world with an intensity we associate with children and visionaries. Watching them navigate the difficulties of the humdrum and the glamorous both is a distinctive, if unsettling, pleasure.
Rivka Galchen, Author of American Innovations and Atmospheric Disturbances
Not only a dictionary of animal language, but also an atlas of the human heart, Heidi Sopinka’s gorgeous debut novel maps the difficult territory between history and memory, love and loss.
Johanna Skibsrud, Author of The Sentimentalists
The Dictionary of Animal Languages shifts between past and present, across beautifully-rendered landscapes and soundscapes. In the foreground in sharp focus, an inner world, the story of a woman’s life, a life spent in rebellion from society, domesticity, and definition. Sensual and sensory, this is a story about the strength of the human spirit and it is about bodies, desire, and irrevocable loss, told in prose that is fresh, urgent and lyrical. A passionate and compelling debut.
Anna Thomasson, Author of A Curious Friendship
[A] brilliant book.
In the Moment
A rich, painterly novel, a space where image and sound and the powers of the written word meet and mingle.
Brixton Review of Books
[T]ransfixing.
Another Magazine
[P]atient readers will find, as I did, that a bit of mystery about what exactly happened is just enough bait to keep them going until they’ve gotten to know Ivory so well that the last third or so of the book is emotionally devastating in the best way. This book is a powerful and brilliantly constructed story about loss, love, and communication of all types.
Annie Smith, Utah Valley University Library, Edelweiss
A stunning novel with quiet, prayerful prose to take your breath away. Sopinka flawlessly inhabits the rich inner world of her characters as if she could shed her own skin. Powerful in a soft way, like the static electricity before a storm.
Laura Graveline, Brazos Bookstore, Edelweiss
Elements in the book build and shift, weaving together to create a vivid and powerfully human reckoning of a life, of ageing and loss, of a century of conflict, and of the relationship between the natural and the industrial world.
Toronto Star
[M]ade me push past my own expectations of literature.
Nichole Perkins, The 2019 Tournament of Books
[T]he language of Sopinka’s Dictionary ... makes me feel I’m walking through lush dreamscapes from an art museum’s walls.
Rion Amilcar Scott, The 2019 Tournament of Books
[R]ead it in two sittings, and completely enjoyed myself ... the depth to which I could slip into Ivory’s point of view, the rhythms of her emotional responses, was a dealmaker for me. And the fact that the story’s way of evincing feeling and thought felt more evoked than stated—there was just so much in this novel that held me.
Rosecrans Baldwin, The 2019 Tournament of Books
Sopinka isn’t just a terrific writer, she’s a great thinker. Her writing has particular sway and grace when she writes about the natural world.
Christy Heron-Clark, The 2019 Tournament of Books
Claire Cameron, Author of The Last Neanderthal
The Dictionary of Animal Languages is such a special book, suffused with an almost painterly intelligence. Sopinka’s characters experience the world with an intensity we associate with children and visionaries. Watching them navigate the difficulties of the humdrum and the glamorous both is a distinctive, if unsettling, pleasure.
Rivka Galchen, Author of American Innovations and Atmospheric Disturbances
Not only a dictionary of animal language, but also an atlas of the human heart, Heidi Sopinka’s gorgeous debut novel maps the difficult territory between history and memory, love and loss.
Johanna Skibsrud, Author of The Sentimentalists
The Dictionary of Animal Languages shifts between past and present, across beautifully-rendered landscapes and soundscapes. In the foreground in sharp focus, an inner world, the story of a woman’s life, a life spent in rebellion from society, domesticity, and definition. Sensual and sensory, this is a story about the strength of the human spirit and it is about bodies, desire, and irrevocable loss, told in prose that is fresh, urgent and lyrical. A passionate and compelling debut.
Anna Thomasson, Author of A Curious Friendship
[A] brilliant book.
In the Moment
A rich, painterly novel, a space where image and sound and the powers of the written word meet and mingle.
Brixton Review of Books
[T]ransfixing.
Another Magazine
[P]atient readers will find, as I did, that a bit of mystery about what exactly happened is just enough bait to keep them going until they’ve gotten to know Ivory so well that the last third or so of the book is emotionally devastating in the best way. This book is a powerful and brilliantly constructed story about loss, love, and communication of all types.
Annie Smith, Utah Valley University Library, Edelweiss
A stunning novel with quiet, prayerful prose to take your breath away. Sopinka flawlessly inhabits the rich inner world of her characters as if she could shed her own skin. Powerful in a soft way, like the static electricity before a storm.
Laura Graveline, Brazos Bookstore, Edelweiss
Elements in the book build and shift, weaving together to create a vivid and powerfully human reckoning of a life, of ageing and loss, of a century of conflict, and of the relationship between the natural and the industrial world.
Toronto Star
[M]ade me push past my own expectations of literature.
Nichole Perkins, The 2019 Tournament of Books
[T]he language of Sopinka’s Dictionary ... makes me feel I’m walking through lush dreamscapes from an art museum’s walls.
Rion Amilcar Scott, The 2019 Tournament of Books
[R]ead it in two sittings, and completely enjoyed myself ... the depth to which I could slip into Ivory’s point of view, the rhythms of her emotional responses, was a dealmaker for me. And the fact that the story’s way of evincing feeling and thought felt more evoked than stated—there was just so much in this novel that held me.
Rosecrans Baldwin, The 2019 Tournament of Books
Sopinka isn’t just a terrific writer, she’s a great thinker. Her writing has particular sway and grace when she writes about the natural world.
Christy Heron-Clark, The 2019 Tournament of Books
The Dictionary of Animal Languages by Heidi Sopinka
The Dictionary of Animal Languages is such a special book, suffused with an almost painterly intelligence. Sopinka's characters experience the world with an intensity we associate with children and visionaries. Watching them navigate the difficulties of the humdrum and the glamorous both is a distinctive, if unsettling, pleasure.
Rivka Galchen, Author of American Innovations and Atmospheric Disturbances
Not only a dictionary of animal language, but also an atlas of the human heart, Heidi Sopinka's gorgeous debut novel maps the difficult territory between history and memory, love and loss.
Johanna Skibsrud, Author of The Sentimentalists
The Dictionary of Animal Languages shifts between past and present, across beautifully-rendered landscapes and soundscapes. In the foreground in sharp focus, an inner world, the story of a woman’s life, a life spent in rebellion from society, domesticity, and definition. Sensual and sensory, this is a story about the strength of the human spirit and it is about bodies, desire, and irrevocable loss, told in prose that is fresh, urgent and lyrical. A passionate and compelling debut.’
Anna Thomasson, Author of A Curious Friendship
With stunning prose, lavish details, deep wisdom, and emotional precision, reading this book is like falling in love — my interest in everything else was lost.
Claire Cameron, Author of The Last Neanderthal
[P]atient readers will find, as I did, that a bit of mystery about what exactly happened is just enough bait to keep them going until they’ve gotten to know Ivory so well that the last third or so of the book is emotionally devastating in the best way. This book is a powerful and brilliantly constructed story about loss, love, and communication of all types.
Annie Smith, Utah Valley University Library, Edelweiss
A stunning novel with quiet, prayerful prose to take your breath away. Sopinka flawlessly inhabits the rich inner world of her characters as if she could shed her own skin. Powerful in a soft way, like the static electricity before a storm.
Laura Graveline, Brazos Bookstore, Edelweiss
Elements in the book build and shift, weaving together to create a vivid and powerfully human reckoning of a life, of ageing and loss, of a century of conflict, and of the relationship between the natural and the industrial world.
Toronto Star
[M]ade me push past my own expectations of literature.
Nichole Perkins, The 2019 Tournament of Books
[T]he language of Sopinka’s Dictionary ... makes me feel I’m walking through lush dreamscapes from an art museum’s walls.
Rion Amilcar Scott, The 2019 Tournament of Books
[R]ead it in two sittings, and completely enjoyed myself ... the depth to which I could slip into Ivory’s point of view, the rhythms of her emotional responses, was a dealmaker for me. And the fact that the story’s way of evincing feeling and thought felt more evoked than stated—there was just so much in this novel that held me.
Rosecrans Baldwin, The 2019 Tournament of Books
Sopinka isn’t just a terrific writer, she’s a great thinker. Her writing has particular sway and grace when she writes about the natural world.
Christy Heron-Clark, The 2019 Tournament of Books
Rivka Galchen, Author of American Innovations and Atmospheric Disturbances
Not only a dictionary of animal language, but also an atlas of the human heart, Heidi Sopinka's gorgeous debut novel maps the difficult territory between history and memory, love and loss.
Johanna Skibsrud, Author of The Sentimentalists
The Dictionary of Animal Languages shifts between past and present, across beautifully-rendered landscapes and soundscapes. In the foreground in sharp focus, an inner world, the story of a woman’s life, a life spent in rebellion from society, domesticity, and definition. Sensual and sensory, this is a story about the strength of the human spirit and it is about bodies, desire, and irrevocable loss, told in prose that is fresh, urgent and lyrical. A passionate and compelling debut.’
Anna Thomasson, Author of A Curious Friendship
With stunning prose, lavish details, deep wisdom, and emotional precision, reading this book is like falling in love — my interest in everything else was lost.
Claire Cameron, Author of The Last Neanderthal
[P]atient readers will find, as I did, that a bit of mystery about what exactly happened is just enough bait to keep them going until they’ve gotten to know Ivory so well that the last third or so of the book is emotionally devastating in the best way. This book is a powerful and brilliantly constructed story about loss, love, and communication of all types.
Annie Smith, Utah Valley University Library, Edelweiss
A stunning novel with quiet, prayerful prose to take your breath away. Sopinka flawlessly inhabits the rich inner world of her characters as if she could shed her own skin. Powerful in a soft way, like the static electricity before a storm.
Laura Graveline, Brazos Bookstore, Edelweiss
Elements in the book build and shift, weaving together to create a vivid and powerfully human reckoning of a life, of ageing and loss, of a century of conflict, and of the relationship between the natural and the industrial world.
Toronto Star
[M]ade me push past my own expectations of literature.
Nichole Perkins, The 2019 Tournament of Books
[T]he language of Sopinka’s Dictionary ... makes me feel I’m walking through lush dreamscapes from an art museum’s walls.
Rion Amilcar Scott, The 2019 Tournament of Books
[R]ead it in two sittings, and completely enjoyed myself ... the depth to which I could slip into Ivory’s point of view, the rhythms of her emotional responses, was a dealmaker for me. And the fact that the story’s way of evincing feeling and thought felt more evoked than stated—there was just so much in this novel that held me.
Rosecrans Baldwin, The 2019 Tournament of Books
Sopinka isn’t just a terrific writer, she’s a great thinker. Her writing has particular sway and grace when she writes about the natural world.
Christy Heron-Clark, The 2019 Tournament of Books
Grandma Z by Daniel Gray-Barnett
This book will inspire and reinforce the importance of fun in growing up and lead you to believe that every day can be “unordinary”.
Herald Sun
Grandma Z celebrates the power of vivid imagination, and the illustrations are absolutely spectacular, with bold colours and strong brushstrokes that convey a magical world … Daniel Gray-Barnett … has created something entirely unique that is both readable and a visual feast.
Angela Crocombe, Books+Publishing
You won’t find Grandma Z with curlers and knitting needles. Run-of-the-mill for this gregarious granny involves motorcycles, rock climbing, a dragon’s tooth horn, dancing Icelandic ponies and afternoon tea at a palace – all while wearing a furry blue trench coat.
Melanie Kembrey, The Saturday Age
Herald Sun
Grandma Z celebrates the power of vivid imagination, and the illustrations are absolutely spectacular, with bold colours and strong brushstrokes that convey a magical world … Daniel Gray-Barnett … has created something entirely unique that is both readable and a visual feast.
Angela Crocombe, Books+Publishing
You won’t find Grandma Z with curlers and knitting needles. Run-of-the-mill for this gregarious granny involves motorcycles, rock climbing, a dragon’s tooth horn, dancing Icelandic ponies and afternoon tea at a palace – all while wearing a furry blue trench coat.
Melanie Kembrey, The Saturday Age
The Master Plan: my journey from life in prison to a life of purpose by Chris Wilson, Bret Witter
Chris Wilson is a remarkable person who, through his struggles and accomplishments, has much to teach us all. The Master Plan is an incredibly moving book that will change the way you look at the criminal justice system.
Senator Bernie Sanders
The Master Plan adds a personal narrative to Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow, making it equally important. Chris Wilson is our generation's go-to voice on mass incarnation and redemption. Not only does he brilliantly articulate his struggle, he offers a clear path to what needs to be done if we truly want reform. The difference between Wilson and other scholars is that he doesn't only talk about the ills of the system — he's survived that system and changed his life, and now spends his time helping other people do the same. This book will change the world.
D Watkins, bestselling author of The Beast Side and The Cook Up
A brutally confessional indictment of mass incarceration America.
Taylor Branch, Pulitzer Prize winning author of Parting the Waters
The Master Plan is a bright light in a moment of moral darkness. Chris Wilson’s story is both a triumph and a call to arms on behalf of the incarcerated. It is a love letter to the millions of people like him, languishing because of our inaction. With The Master Plan, Chris makes it clear he will not allow them to be forgotten.
Nathtalie Molina Niño
I’ve admired Chris Wilson’s work with the underprivileged and returning citizens for the last three years, but as this book proves, you don't really know a man until you understand his struggle. Do not miss this story of redemption, empowerment and giving back. It can change your life.
Van Jones, TV show host and author of Beyond the Messy Truth
This is a brave book, full of thought-provoking insight on criminal justice, the modern prison system and the possibility of redemption. And yet, what sticks with me most is the beautiful, heartbreaking mother-son relationship. There is nothing more powerful than meeting the people we label to dismiss — addicts, criminals, convicts, etc — and getting deeply enmeshed in their struggles, successes and too-often-unrealised dreams. Thank you, Chris Wilson, for taking us into the cave, so that we can better understand the light.
Beth Macy, author of Dopesick
Uplifting … Wilson candidly shares the eye-opening details of his time in prison with a prose style that moves with directness and refreshingly unfettered honesty … A smoothly written memoir steeped in positive reinforcement and hope for the future.
Kirkus
The Master Plan is less of a roadmap and more of a philosophy that we should all take to heart: we are all better than our worst decision, our sense of justice should honour the redemptive possibilities inherent in every person, and our destinies are truly intertwined.
Wes Moore, author of The Other Wes Moore
Inspiring without being preachy, Wilson’s manifesto will greatly appeal to today’s youth.
Publishers Weekly
Truly inspiring … Wilson engagingly tells his riveting story while also exposing corrupt justice practices … Highly recommended [for] anyone who loves an uplifting life story.
Booklist
While behind bars, Wilson started a business, earned a GED and an associate's degree. Wilson wasn't a natural student, but he was determined. To pass a qualifying exam, he took and failed one math problem 67 times, eventually passing on his 68th try … Wilson's voice comes through loud and clear in this memoir that should have wide appeal.
Library Journal
Senator Bernie Sanders
The Master Plan adds a personal narrative to Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow, making it equally important. Chris Wilson is our generation's go-to voice on mass incarnation and redemption. Not only does he brilliantly articulate his struggle, he offers a clear path to what needs to be done if we truly want reform. The difference between Wilson and other scholars is that he doesn't only talk about the ills of the system — he's survived that system and changed his life, and now spends his time helping other people do the same. This book will change the world.
D Watkins, bestselling author of The Beast Side and The Cook Up
A brutally confessional indictment of mass incarceration America.
Taylor Branch, Pulitzer Prize winning author of Parting the Waters
The Master Plan is a bright light in a moment of moral darkness. Chris Wilson’s story is both a triumph and a call to arms on behalf of the incarcerated. It is a love letter to the millions of people like him, languishing because of our inaction. With The Master Plan, Chris makes it clear he will not allow them to be forgotten.
Nathtalie Molina Niño
I’ve admired Chris Wilson’s work with the underprivileged and returning citizens for the last three years, but as this book proves, you don't really know a man until you understand his struggle. Do not miss this story of redemption, empowerment and giving back. It can change your life.
Van Jones, TV show host and author of Beyond the Messy Truth
This is a brave book, full of thought-provoking insight on criminal justice, the modern prison system and the possibility of redemption. And yet, what sticks with me most is the beautiful, heartbreaking mother-son relationship. There is nothing more powerful than meeting the people we label to dismiss — addicts, criminals, convicts, etc — and getting deeply enmeshed in their struggles, successes and too-often-unrealised dreams. Thank you, Chris Wilson, for taking us into the cave, so that we can better understand the light.
Beth Macy, author of Dopesick
Uplifting … Wilson candidly shares the eye-opening details of his time in prison with a prose style that moves with directness and refreshingly unfettered honesty … A smoothly written memoir steeped in positive reinforcement and hope for the future.
Kirkus
The Master Plan is less of a roadmap and more of a philosophy that we should all take to heart: we are all better than our worst decision, our sense of justice should honour the redemptive possibilities inherent in every person, and our destinies are truly intertwined.
Wes Moore, author of The Other Wes Moore
Inspiring without being preachy, Wilson’s manifesto will greatly appeal to today’s youth.
Publishers Weekly
Truly inspiring … Wilson engagingly tells his riveting story while also exposing corrupt justice practices … Highly recommended [for] anyone who loves an uplifting life story.
Booklist
While behind bars, Wilson started a business, earned a GED and an associate's degree. Wilson wasn't a natural student, but he was determined. To pass a qualifying exam, he took and failed one math problem 67 times, eventually passing on his 68th try … Wilson's voice comes through loud and clear in this memoir that should have wide appeal.
Library Journal
Made in Sweden: How the Swedes Are Not Nearly So Egalitarian, Tolerant, Hospitable or Cozy as They Would Like to (Have You) Think by Elisabeth Åsbrink
This quirky inventory of Swedish values explores the shades of grey behind the branding of Sweden as the shiny home of ABBA and Volvo ... But it’s not all Bergmanesque gloom. Åsbrink also celebrates Swedes’ sacred relationship with nature, the achievements of its social reformers and the indefatigable biologist Carl Linnaeus.
Fiona Capp, Sydney Morning Herald
Challenging and stimulating on Swedish words … In common with Orwell she condemns chauvinism, but leaves room for patriotism, as love for a specific place, or language, matters as such one would not want to force upon others.
Göteborgs-Posten
Åsbrink as ever writes with clarity, sometimes incisive and poignant, and always with a great curiosity…The chapter on what the Swedes knew or did not know of the Holocaust is one of the most eloquent literary executions of Jan Guillou that has ever been written, this on his quite recent assertion that the Swedes did not hear of the genocide until after 1945.
Expressen
Åsbrink’s book is a singular achievement. It reveals more about the Swedes than it does Sweden. More on values, more on language and the world of ideas than on dates, or regencies and their length. The line of thought is unrestrained, leaping between different eras as it stumbles across parallels, the broad strokes of narrative freely punctuated with anachronism and digression, and as a work of reference for those of us who mostly spent our history lessons looking out of the classroom window, it is unbeatable.
Västerbottens-Kuriren
I hope Made in Sweden becomes a widely read book.
Smålandsposten, Barometern
This handsome little book surveys the things that have made Sweden the place it is today, from the suffragette who was Jane Austen’s “literary soul sister” to the “interesting lie” of Swedish neutrality during World War II.
The Weekend West
Fiona Capp, Sydney Morning Herald
Challenging and stimulating on Swedish words … In common with Orwell she condemns chauvinism, but leaves room for patriotism, as love for a specific place, or language, matters as such one would not want to force upon others.
Göteborgs-Posten
Åsbrink as ever writes with clarity, sometimes incisive and poignant, and always with a great curiosity…The chapter on what the Swedes knew or did not know of the Holocaust is one of the most eloquent literary executions of Jan Guillou that has ever been written, this on his quite recent assertion that the Swedes did not hear of the genocide until after 1945.
Expressen
Åsbrink’s book is a singular achievement. It reveals more about the Swedes than it does Sweden. More on values, more on language and the world of ideas than on dates, or regencies and their length. The line of thought is unrestrained, leaping between different eras as it stumbles across parallels, the broad strokes of narrative freely punctuated with anachronism and digression, and as a work of reference for those of us who mostly spent our history lessons looking out of the classroom window, it is unbeatable.
Västerbottens-Kuriren
I hope Made in Sweden becomes a widely read book.
Smålandsposten, Barometern
This handsome little book surveys the things that have made Sweden the place it is today, from the suffragette who was Jane Austen’s “literary soul sister” to the “interesting lie” of Swedish neutrality during World War II.
The Weekend West
(Definitely) The Best Dogs of All Time by Jadan Carroll
The book features 42 furry, bald, cuddly and fluffy four-legged friends, and is ideal for anyone who wants to delve into the relationship between humans and dogs. Canines in the book vary in breed, size and nature, with Carroll explaining how each dog embodies the best of human nature.
Herald Sun
Carroll writes about a selection of dogs with great affection and wit, accompanied by Molly Dyson’s wonderful artworks.
Daily Telegraph
Captivating, and often moving … [A] gently humorous book, with stylishly lush illustrations by Molly Dyson … Sometimes, if I’m lucky, a dog will attach itself to me, accompanying me for a few metres, before its owner calls it back. It is impossible to finish this walk without a huge smile on your face. The same is true of reading Carroll.
Shelley Gare
A jolly little hardback.
Stephen Romei, Weekend Australian
Herald Sun
Carroll writes about a selection of dogs with great affection and wit, accompanied by Molly Dyson’s wonderful artworks.
Daily Telegraph
Captivating, and often moving … [A] gently humorous book, with stylishly lush illustrations by Molly Dyson … Sometimes, if I’m lucky, a dog will attach itself to me, accompanying me for a few metres, before its owner calls it back. It is impossible to finish this walk without a huge smile on your face. The same is true of reading Carroll.
Shelley Gare
A jolly little hardback.
Stephen Romei, Weekend Australian
Invented Lives by Andrea Goldsmith
Goldsmith is a masterful storyteller who explores the complex themes of identity and love in her latest novel. Invented Lives deserves a wide audience.
Mark Rubbo, Readings
It is a fabulous book ... It lives on ...What I really loved was the changing seasons of all the characters, their inner beings, their outer beings, their strengths.
Drusilla Modjeska
This is a compassionate and thoughtful depiction of one aspect of multicultural Australia … Invented Lives will appeal to fans to Australian literary fiction for its depiction of rich inner lives, and the conflict between desire and reality.
Louise Omer, Books+Publishing
One of the best books I’ve read in ages. A dizzy pleasure to read a book with such a compelling story … Exquisitely told.
Mem Fox
I liked Invented Lives a lot. It continually held my attention in a way that made me reflect on both my life and the contemporary world. Goldsmith’s writing is extremely assured. The logic of her narrative is impeccable, moving the reader back and forth in a seamless manner. Her characters are authentic (their speech and thoughts are so articulate, perhaps a testament to Goldsmith’s earlier career as a speech pathologist) and her settings very evocative of era and place.
J–Wire, Geoffrey Zygier
In her latest novel, [Andrea Goldsmith] tackles the idea and experience of exile from a surprising perspective.
Jane Sullivan, The Saturday Age
[A] complex and nuanced book … Goldsmith’s novel shows careful research in its evocations of time and place … a thoughtful novel.
Andrew Fuhrmann, The Saturday Paper
Invented Lives is seamless historical fiction with attention to detail. It is a heartfelt and human story of exile, love and self-expression, all hypnotically captured by Goldsmith’s flare as a wordsmith … the work’s greatest feature, what truly sets it apart, is its evocative and emotive character construction. Each character is achingly … Goldsmith’s work is unforgettable, literary and beautiful, and profoundly resonates into modern life.
Mel O’Connor, Echo
Goldsmith writes powerfully about art, love, exile and being true to oneself.
Nicole Abadee, Sydney Morning Herald
Absorbing interior monologues, the convincing details of place and texture, the feel of the weather, all inserted into a larger, meticulously researched historical or ideological background ... The freshest, most impressive quality of Invented Lives is the ease with which Goldsmith quietly rescues narratives of immigration and boy-meets-girl from cliche and convention.
Judith Armstrong, Weekend Australian
Australian novelist Goldsmith offers an intricate and provocative examination of grief and identity wrapped up in a riveting family saga … Goldsmith's writing is enveloping and thought provoking … A beautiful novel that challenges readers with questions that have no simple answers.
Magan Szwarek, Booklist
Goldsmith’s accounts of Galina’s lonely struggles as she tries to find her amputated, landmarkless self in her new setting are wonderfully empathetic and nuanced, and allow for some penetrating comments on Australian attitudes.
Katharine England, Adelaide Advertiser
Her fiction shows characters living deeply, and in Invented Lives, her eighth novel, she does this with the level of skill we have come to expect ... Invented Lives is a novel bursting with references to books, writers and real letters with stamps, and features the famous noticeboard at Readings in Carlton. Goldsmith has always been excellent at conjuring place, and this Melbourne sparkles ... Goldsmith understands that a great deal of personal history is laced with tragedy, and accordingly she has managed, once again, to write a unique story that feels universal.
Louise Swinn, Sydney Morning Herald
This is a multi-layered story of a young Russian immigrant who introduces us to a host of Australian characters on her journey from the Soviet Union to Melbourne in the 1980s. True to expectations, the book offers a social and cultural travel guide through the era and its enormous changes. However, it is the Melbourne setting that will resonate with most readers ... A fascinating eye-opener for many readers.
Karina Barrymore, Herald Sun
Although set largely in Australia, the difficulties all emigrants experience could easily be set in New Zealand, making this book salutary for us all.
Felicity Price, Sunday Star Times
An engrossing read that melds genres and nations.
Jill Nicholas, Daily Post
Mark Rubbo, Readings
It is a fabulous book ... It lives on ...What I really loved was the changing seasons of all the characters, their inner beings, their outer beings, their strengths.
Drusilla Modjeska
This is a compassionate and thoughtful depiction of one aspect of multicultural Australia … Invented Lives will appeal to fans to Australian literary fiction for its depiction of rich inner lives, and the conflict between desire and reality.
Louise Omer, Books+Publishing
One of the best books I’ve read in ages. A dizzy pleasure to read a book with such a compelling story … Exquisitely told.
Mem Fox
I liked Invented Lives a lot. It continually held my attention in a way that made me reflect on both my life and the contemporary world. Goldsmith’s writing is extremely assured. The logic of her narrative is impeccable, moving the reader back and forth in a seamless manner. Her characters are authentic (their speech and thoughts are so articulate, perhaps a testament to Goldsmith’s earlier career as a speech pathologist) and her settings very evocative of era and place.
J–Wire, Geoffrey Zygier
In her latest novel, [Andrea Goldsmith] tackles the idea and experience of exile from a surprising perspective.
Jane Sullivan, The Saturday Age
[A] complex and nuanced book … Goldsmith’s novel shows careful research in its evocations of time and place … a thoughtful novel.
Andrew Fuhrmann, The Saturday Paper
Invented Lives is seamless historical fiction with attention to detail. It is a heartfelt and human story of exile, love and self-expression, all hypnotically captured by Goldsmith’s flare as a wordsmith … the work’s greatest feature, what truly sets it apart, is its evocative and emotive character construction. Each character is achingly … Goldsmith’s work is unforgettable, literary and beautiful, and profoundly resonates into modern life.
Mel O’Connor, Echo
Goldsmith writes powerfully about art, love, exile and being true to oneself.
Nicole Abadee, Sydney Morning Herald
Absorbing interior monologues, the convincing details of place and texture, the feel of the weather, all inserted into a larger, meticulously researched historical or ideological background ... The freshest, most impressive quality of Invented Lives is the ease with which Goldsmith quietly rescues narratives of immigration and boy-meets-girl from cliche and convention.
Judith Armstrong, Weekend Australian
Australian novelist Goldsmith offers an intricate and provocative examination of grief and identity wrapped up in a riveting family saga … Goldsmith's writing is enveloping and thought provoking … A beautiful novel that challenges readers with questions that have no simple answers.
Magan Szwarek, Booklist
Goldsmith’s accounts of Galina’s lonely struggles as she tries to find her amputated, landmarkless self in her new setting are wonderfully empathetic and nuanced, and allow for some penetrating comments on Australian attitudes.
Katharine England, Adelaide Advertiser
Her fiction shows characters living deeply, and in Invented Lives, her eighth novel, she does this with the level of skill we have come to expect ... Invented Lives is a novel bursting with references to books, writers and real letters with stamps, and features the famous noticeboard at Readings in Carlton. Goldsmith has always been excellent at conjuring place, and this Melbourne sparkles ... Goldsmith understands that a great deal of personal history is laced with tragedy, and accordingly she has managed, once again, to write a unique story that feels universal.
Louise Swinn, Sydney Morning Herald
This is a multi-layered story of a young Russian immigrant who introduces us to a host of Australian characters on her journey from the Soviet Union to Melbourne in the 1980s. True to expectations, the book offers a social and cultural travel guide through the era and its enormous changes. However, it is the Melbourne setting that will resonate with most readers ... A fascinating eye-opener for many readers.
Karina Barrymore, Herald Sun
Although set largely in Australia, the difficulties all emigrants experience could easily be set in New Zealand, making this book salutary for us all.
Felicity Price, Sunday Star Times
An engrossing read that melds genres and nations.
Jill Nicholas, Daily Post
Democracy in Chains: the deep history of the radical right's stealth plan for America by Nancy MacLean
It’s happening: the subversion of our democratic system from within. How did the political right do it? Nancy MacLean tells the long-overlooked story of the political economist who developed the playbook for the Koch brothers. James McGill Buchanan merged states rights’ thinking with free market principles and helped to fashion the inherently elitist ideology of today’s Republican Party. Professor MacLean’s meticulous research and shrewd insights make this a must-read for all who believe in government ‘by the people’.
Nancy Isenberg, Author of White Trash: The 400-Year Untold History of Class in America
This book is mesmerizing. Rarely have I encountered a work that speaks to such significant issues, with evidence rooted in conclusive new sources. In clear prose, MacLean reveals how a public once committed to social responsibility and egalitarian values became persuaded that only an unregulated free market could protect ‘liberty’ and ‘choice.’ Because of this, our once cherished democracy is now subject to attack. Everyone who wants to understand today’s confrontational politics should read this important book, now.
Alice Kessler-Harris, Author of In Pursuit of Equity: Women, Men, and the Quest for Economic Citizenship in Twentieth-Century America
How did we get to where we are today? How did corporations come to possess “rights?” How did democracy come to be defined as selfish individualism? Or money as free speech? Nancy MacLean’s Democracy in Chains provides the answers. It is essential reading in order to understand the ideas that billionaires use to justify their control of our political institutions. I can’t imagine a more timely or urgent book.’
Greg Grandin, Author of Fordlandia (Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize) and The Empire of Necessity (Winner of the Bancroft Prize)
Democracy in Chains leaves me with hope: Perhaps as books like MacLean’s continue to shine a light on important truths, Americans will begin to realise they need to pay more attention and not succumb to the cynical view that known liars make the best leaders.
New York Times Book Review
[MacLean] creates a chilling portrait of an arrogant, uncompromising, and unforgiving man … [she] offers a cogent yet disturbing analysis of libertarians’ current efforts to rewrite the social contract and manipulate citizens’ beliefs … An unsettling exposé of the depth and breadth of the libertarian agenda.
Kirkus Reviews
MacLean constructs an erudite, searing portrait of how the late political economist James McGill Buchanan (1919 - 2013) and his deep-pocketed conservative allies have reshaped — and undermined — American democracy … A thoroughly researched and gripping narrative, she exposes how Buchanan’s strategies shaped trends in government in favour of “corporate dominance” and against the welfare state … She has delivered another deeply important book … Her work here is a feat of American intellectual and political history.
Publisher’s Weekly (Starred Review)
For those who think the Tea Party, Freedom Caucus, and the alt-right are recent constructs, MacLean provides an extensive history lesson that traces the genesis of the right wing back to post-WWII doctrines … A worthy companion to Jane Mayer’s Dark Money, MacLean’s intense and extensive examination of the right-wing’s rise to power is perhaps the best explanation to date of the roots of the political divide that threatens to irrevocably alter American government.
Booklist (Starred Review)
A remarkable new book which argues that the radical right revolution engineered by Charles and his brother David is not just about accruing political and economic power, but about restricting democracy itself.
The New Republic
[A] vibrant intellectual history of the radical right … [MacLean] has dug deep into her material — not just Buchanan’s voluminous, unsorted papers, but other archives, too — and she has made powerful and disturbing use of it all … The behind-the-scenes days and works of Buchanan show how much deliberation and persistence — in the face of formidable opposition — underlie the anti-governing politics ascendant today. What we think of as dysfunction is the result of years of strategic effort.
The Atlantic
Democracy in Chains should be read by every thinking person in the United States. It is disturbing, revealing, and vitally important.
nyjournalofbooks.com
This sixty-year campaign to make libertarianism mainstream and eventually take the government itself is at the heart of Democracy in Chains … [MacLean] takes the time to meticulously trace how we got here … If you're worried about what all this means for America's future, you should be … And if someone you know isn't convinced, you have just the book to hand them.
NPR
[A] riveting, unsettling account of ‘Tennessee country boy’ James McGill Buchanan, key architect of today's radical right.
O, The Oprah Magazine
It’s the missing chapter: a key to understanding the politics of the past half century. To read Nancy MacLean’s new book, Democracy in Chains: the deep history of the radical right's stealth plan for America is to see what was previously invisible.
George Monbiot, The Guardian
Clear and compelling … timely.
The Sunday Post
A remarkable book … Democracy in Chains is a revelation, as politics and as history.
Jacobin
Nancy MacLean has done us a true and timely service.
New Internationalist
This book’s importance cannot be underestimated … powerful and disturbing.
Anthony Loewenstein, Weekend Australia
Explosive and controversial.
Canberra Times
Nancy MacLean’s Democracy In Chains: the deep history of the radical right’s stealth plan for America is a work of the utmost importance and makes a unique and outstanding contribution in understanding America, in both historic and contemporary terms. It forces us to engage with and think deeply about the use and abuse of power.
Economic and Labour Relations Review
Nancy Isenberg, Author of White Trash: The 400-Year Untold History of Class in America
This book is mesmerizing. Rarely have I encountered a work that speaks to such significant issues, with evidence rooted in conclusive new sources. In clear prose, MacLean reveals how a public once committed to social responsibility and egalitarian values became persuaded that only an unregulated free market could protect ‘liberty’ and ‘choice.’ Because of this, our once cherished democracy is now subject to attack. Everyone who wants to understand today’s confrontational politics should read this important book, now.
Alice Kessler-Harris, Author of In Pursuit of Equity: Women, Men, and the Quest for Economic Citizenship in Twentieth-Century America
How did we get to where we are today? How did corporations come to possess “rights?” How did democracy come to be defined as selfish individualism? Or money as free speech? Nancy MacLean’s Democracy in Chains provides the answers. It is essential reading in order to understand the ideas that billionaires use to justify their control of our political institutions. I can’t imagine a more timely or urgent book.’
Greg Grandin, Author of Fordlandia (Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize) and The Empire of Necessity (Winner of the Bancroft Prize)
Democracy in Chains leaves me with hope: Perhaps as books like MacLean’s continue to shine a light on important truths, Americans will begin to realise they need to pay more attention and not succumb to the cynical view that known liars make the best leaders.
New York Times Book Review
[MacLean] creates a chilling portrait of an arrogant, uncompromising, and unforgiving man … [she] offers a cogent yet disturbing analysis of libertarians’ current efforts to rewrite the social contract and manipulate citizens’ beliefs … An unsettling exposé of the depth and breadth of the libertarian agenda.
Kirkus Reviews
MacLean constructs an erudite, searing portrait of how the late political economist James McGill Buchanan (1919 - 2013) and his deep-pocketed conservative allies have reshaped — and undermined — American democracy … A thoroughly researched and gripping narrative, she exposes how Buchanan’s strategies shaped trends in government in favour of “corporate dominance” and against the welfare state … She has delivered another deeply important book … Her work here is a feat of American intellectual and political history.
Publisher’s Weekly (Starred Review)
For those who think the Tea Party, Freedom Caucus, and the alt-right are recent constructs, MacLean provides an extensive history lesson that traces the genesis of the right wing back to post-WWII doctrines … A worthy companion to Jane Mayer’s Dark Money, MacLean’s intense and extensive examination of the right-wing’s rise to power is perhaps the best explanation to date of the roots of the political divide that threatens to irrevocably alter American government.
Booklist (Starred Review)
A remarkable new book which argues that the radical right revolution engineered by Charles and his brother David is not just about accruing political and economic power, but about restricting democracy itself.
The New Republic
[A] vibrant intellectual history of the radical right … [MacLean] has dug deep into her material — not just Buchanan’s voluminous, unsorted papers, but other archives, too — and she has made powerful and disturbing use of it all … The behind-the-scenes days and works of Buchanan show how much deliberation and persistence — in the face of formidable opposition — underlie the anti-governing politics ascendant today. What we think of as dysfunction is the result of years of strategic effort.
The Atlantic
Democracy in Chains should be read by every thinking person in the United States. It is disturbing, revealing, and vitally important.
nyjournalofbooks.com
This sixty-year campaign to make libertarianism mainstream and eventually take the government itself is at the heart of Democracy in Chains … [MacLean] takes the time to meticulously trace how we got here … If you're worried about what all this means for America's future, you should be … And if someone you know isn't convinced, you have just the book to hand them.
NPR
[A] riveting, unsettling account of ‘Tennessee country boy’ James McGill Buchanan, key architect of today's radical right.
O, The Oprah Magazine
It’s the missing chapter: a key to understanding the politics of the past half century. To read Nancy MacLean’s new book, Democracy in Chains: the deep history of the radical right's stealth plan for America is to see what was previously invisible.
George Monbiot, The Guardian
Clear and compelling … timely.
The Sunday Post
A remarkable book … Democracy in Chains is a revelation, as politics and as history.
Jacobin
Nancy MacLean has done us a true and timely service.
New Internationalist
This book’s importance cannot be underestimated … powerful and disturbing.
Anthony Loewenstein, Weekend Australia
Explosive and controversial.
Canberra Times
Nancy MacLean’s Democracy In Chains: the deep history of the radical right’s stealth plan for America is a work of the utmost importance and makes a unique and outstanding contribution in understanding America, in both historic and contemporary terms. It forces us to engage with and think deeply about the use and abuse of power.
Economic and Labour Relations Review
Blue Lake: finding Dudley Flats and the West Melbourne Swamp by David Sornig
A scrubby sludge of lowland seeping through the centuries; three woebegone characters born two World Wars ago: everything nondescript and forgotten. Starting with these apparent dregs, David Sornig confects a wonderment of time travel, factual imagination, and the humane urge to bear witness.
Ross Gibson, Author of 26 Views of the Starburst World and Seven Versions of an Australian Badland
The destruction of the Blue Lake on the fringe of Melbourne has long been a sad symbol for me of the ugly order associated with the European conquest. But Sornig shows how in the “zone” of tameable mud that replaced this wondrous wetland, the soul of the country and an underground freedom miraculously survived.
James Boyce, Author of 1835: The Founding of Melbourne and The Conquest of Australian
Sornig uses the shifts in time, along with his own personal insights, to contemplate the way a city physically and culturally folds back on its past … Blue Lake is unusually searching; its indirect nature and focus on memory has traces of the elegance of V.S. Naipaul, W.G. Sebald, and Annie Dillard. 4.5 STARS
Books + Publishing
David Sornig wants to take you on a walk to where the past and the present seem to co-exist and the ghosts are just as real as the living.
Herald Sun
His insights and imaginings into the lives of Elsie, Lauder and Jack are tender and illuminating, and ensure the reader, whether they can locate the Zone itself, can know it through its inhabitants.
The Saturday Paper
Sornig is a precise writer, sometimes lyrical and sometimes direct, with a strong style that houses his many diverse methods of understanding a place he sometimes calls “the Zone”.
Ronnie Scott, Weekend Australian
Imaginatively constructed and with erudite first-person guidance, this is the kind of riveting non-fiction that deserves the term ‘creative’.
Anthony Lynch, ABR’s ‘Books of the Year 2018’
Blue Lake may be about West Melbourne, but armchair travellers elsewhere who are familiar with the pyscho-geographic urban writing of London’s Iain Sinclair will also appreciate David Sornig’s lyrical prose and eye for the forgotten places in our cities.
JourneyOnline, The Uniting Church of Queensland
[A] sprawling, era-traversing expose ... The true star of Sornig’s sordid story of neglect, squalor and life on the margins is the setting itself. Blue Lake is an attempt to discern the history of a place so bereft of understanding it defies identification.
Liam Fallon, Right Now
[Sornig] has done thorough newspaper and archival research … Blue Lake recreates a lost landscape and the contours of lost lives ... greatly enjoyed it.
Janet McCalman, University of Melbourne Labour History
Ross Gibson, Author of 26 Views of the Starburst World and Seven Versions of an Australian Badland
The destruction of the Blue Lake on the fringe of Melbourne has long been a sad symbol for me of the ugly order associated with the European conquest. But Sornig shows how in the “zone” of tameable mud that replaced this wondrous wetland, the soul of the country and an underground freedom miraculously survived.
James Boyce, Author of 1835: The Founding of Melbourne and The Conquest of Australian
Sornig uses the shifts in time, along with his own personal insights, to contemplate the way a city physically and culturally folds back on its past … Blue Lake is unusually searching; its indirect nature and focus on memory has traces of the elegance of V.S. Naipaul, W.G. Sebald, and Annie Dillard. 4.5 STARS
Books + Publishing
David Sornig wants to take you on a walk to where the past and the present seem to co-exist and the ghosts are just as real as the living.
Herald Sun
His insights and imaginings into the lives of Elsie, Lauder and Jack are tender and illuminating, and ensure the reader, whether they can locate the Zone itself, can know it through its inhabitants.
The Saturday Paper
Sornig is a precise writer, sometimes lyrical and sometimes direct, with a strong style that houses his many diverse methods of understanding a place he sometimes calls “the Zone”.
Ronnie Scott, Weekend Australian
Imaginatively constructed and with erudite first-person guidance, this is the kind of riveting non-fiction that deserves the term ‘creative’.
Anthony Lynch, ABR’s ‘Books of the Year 2018’
Blue Lake may be about West Melbourne, but armchair travellers elsewhere who are familiar with the pyscho-geographic urban writing of London’s Iain Sinclair will also appreciate David Sornig’s lyrical prose and eye for the forgotten places in our cities.
JourneyOnline, The Uniting Church of Queensland
[A] sprawling, era-traversing expose ... The true star of Sornig’s sordid story of neglect, squalor and life on the margins is the setting itself. Blue Lake is an attempt to discern the history of a place so bereft of understanding it defies identification.
Liam Fallon, Right Now
[Sornig] has done thorough newspaper and archival research … Blue Lake recreates a lost landscape and the contours of lost lives ... greatly enjoyed it.
Janet McCalman, University of Melbourne Labour History