$23.95 – Paperback book / Univ Queensland Pr / ISBN:9780702235948
The End Of The World
Melbourne-based writer Paddy O’Reilly has both a great sense of humour and the tantalising ability to record the absurd. In this collection of short stories I loved ‘Speak to Me’, a quirky tale of a visiting alien kept in silk in a top drawer. In it, O’Reilly allows her character to be bewildered and accepting of life. It is in some ways the theme of all of these stories – to be bemused and calm. This is a trait that allows her characters to observe those around her, and also to record their own struggle with family, neighbours, language and drivers. This collection should be read in quiet moments when a dissection of everyday life is needed.
Christine Gordon is from Readings Carlton.