Sometimes we need a book like we need to take a deep breath: to recompose, relax and bring a little bit of presence and perspective into our day. This is the effect Life Lessons From Byron had on me. By no means a full biography, but author Matthew Bevis takes snippets from Byron’s poetry and life to showcase his continuing relevance. I never studied the Romantic poets at school – with the exception of Keats at university – but when I read them in my own time, I was surprised to discover I didn’t really enjoy them all that much*. Bevis has convinced me, at least in Byron’s case, that perhaps I should try again.
In previous books David Gillespie has taken on sugar, vegetable oil, and the diet industry and his latest, Free Schools: How to get a great education for your kids without spending a fortune, addresses that thorny and contentious issue that is the Australian education system. With the release of the federal budget this week, and the sad, sorry fact that education got a square kick in the nuts (as did most areas, and people for that matter), I think this is a timely read. I haven’t started it yet, I admit, but if you’d like to hear more about the subject, here’s a 56 minute interview Gillespie did on ABC radio back in January.
I also haven’t started The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden yet, but have heard positive recommendations for Jonasson’s work, so I’m keen to familiarise myself better with it.
And last, the current behemoth in the book world, The Fault in Our Stars, lent to me to read by the darling Cat.
I… well.
First, did I cry? Yes. Did I like it? Yes.
It’ll be hard to write beyond that, because I’ve literally – as I type this – just finished. So I’m awash with those raw, tangly parts of an emotional reading experience that can take a while to distill into lucid opinion. I predicted what was going to happen ahead of time, but the overall structure, notably the ending, was crafted exceptionally well. I did wonder at the dialogue between the two teenage boys at the start as they were playing video games (I’ve been in a a room with gaming teenagers many times, and I have rarely, if ever, heard them speak in full sentences to one another while doing so), but that is a minor detail. I liked all the characters, especially the strength of Hazel and also that of the parents. Those were the parts I found heart wrenching… when you put yourself in their position. Ugh. Tears again. Excuse me…
What are you reading this month?
*Matthew Arnold, who wrote my favourite poem, is sometimes classified as a Romantic, but as he was born in 1822, I think this technically makes him too young.
