Our latest reviews
War Dances by Sherman Alexie
Early this year, I stumbled on a story in The New Yorker that blew me away. It made me laugh. It intrigued me. It made me think, it made me question. And it got me, deep down, at my emotional…
Preincarnate by Shaun Micallef
If Preincarnate had asoundtrack, Danny Elfmanwould have composed it,with lyrics provided by BarryHumphries and the film clipmade by the boys behind The League of Gentlemen. Thisbook sees Shaun Micallefswing a sledgehammer through the fourth(and fifth) wall in order to…
Moonlight Mile by Dennis Lehane
Patrick Kenzie and wifeAngela Gennaro shared along and eventful history ofcriminal investigations anddetective work beforebecoming lovers and settlingdown as parents. These days,she battles boredom as astay-at-home housewife and he takes onsafe and soulless cases in the hopes oflanding job security…
Griffith Review 30: The Annual Fiction Edition edited by Julianne Schultz
Julianne Schultz’s editorial highlights the difficulty of reading a cohesive narrative from the recent federal election, bombarded as we were with newspaper, television, radio and internet stories, each superseding the other in the static of campaigning. ‘Journalism,’ she writes, ‘may…
The Empty Family by Colm Tóibín
Collections of shortstories, poems and essays,sit on my shelves,happily; but not oftenread from cover tocover. Like a rich,satisfying Christmascake, lovingly preparedand respectfully and moderatelyconsumed, such collections are bestcommenced and enjoyed in small doses.
Colm Tóibín’s new collection of nineshort stories…
National Ransom by Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello is back with members of the Imposters and Sugarcanes to present us with a bit of bluegrass meets rock’n’roll. His album harks back to the US financial crisis of the 1930s, a bit of history repeating itself, Costello…
Somebody to Love by Steve Holden
Three bodies lie in the roomsof a funeral home in aTasmanian town, waiting tobe prepared for burial. Duringher careful reconstruction ofthe remains, the morticianreflects upon her transitionfrom male to female, uponher life, and upon the love she feels for one…
Various Small Fires: Paris Wells
Super-cute Melbournesongstress Paris Wells isback with her sophomorerelease Various Small Fires,a fun, playful record withbeautiful, soulful moments.
After listening to her first albumKeep It, then playing through her latestalbum, I realised just how much this ladyhas matured…
The Age of Adz by Sufjan Stevens
I said to a good friendtoday, while we were bothlistening intently to thisalbum, that it wouldn’t bewrong to place SufjanStevens in the classicalsection of our store. Of course, that won’thappen within this millennium, but we wereboth amazed at the layers…
Stalin Ate My Homework by Alexei Sayle
Like many of my generation, I first encountered the absurdist stylings of Alexei Sayle on The Young Ones. Many would say there were four main characters in that show, but to me Sayle’s hyperactive, psychotic andsometimes homicidal landlord Mr…
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