Before you read any further, please note that this review may contain spoilers.
I seem to be having a very Ned Kelly year, starting off with my daughters First Fleet assignment, in which Red Kelly, Ned's father, was the first Irish convict to be transported to the new colony. That was followed up with the musical Ned, in the fitting setting of the old Bendigo Gaol, which has been converted into the new Ulumbarra Theatre.
~130 years since the man was hanged for his crimes, his legend still lives on. The original Aussie Battler, trying hard to survive the harsh Victorian countryside, when everything was against him, his heritage, his upbringing, even his name. I don't know what it is with us Aussies, but we love a good underdog story, someone sticking it to the man, when most would have long given up. Ned Kelly seems to be the epitome of this.
Carey created a wonderful, well researched, flowing narrative. It was easy to imagine Kelly sitting down, writing out these letters, reliving his life in paper, in an open letter to his daughter. It was not hard to picture the beautiful yet dangerous countryside that the Kelly's and their various cronies roamed around, this is my home after all.
I am in awe of the distances they traveled on horseback. These trips take hours in a car on a freeway, though we don't have the joy of following ridges and dry creek beds. As much as I romanticise about travelling on horseback around this beautiful state, I can't imagine the conditions they must have deal with spending days travelling from one hideout to another, let alone in the heat of our Summer, the chill of our winter, during a bushfire, or when there's torrential rain and flash flooding.
I would recommend this to anyone who loves history, to every Victorian and to anyone who loves a good underdog story.
5 stars.
Showing posts with label historical. Show all posts
Showing posts with label historical. Show all posts
Monday, 13 July 2015
Tuesday, 12 May 2015
Diary of a Young Girl - Anne Frank
Before you read any further, please note that this review may contain spoilers.
I didn't know what to expect when I picked up this book. It wasn't my usual choice of reading material, as you could tell just by looking at my bookshelf, but it was one I felt I needed to read.
We're taught at school of the horrors the Nazi's inflicted on the Jewish people, but the first hand account of the Frank family sheds some light on the lengths people went to just to survive, an the people who put their own lives on the line to protect them.
This incredible account has such eloquence, one I'd never expect from a child, let alone one living in close quarters, hiding, with 7 other people. As an adult, I would never have handled the situation with the poise and maturity that Anne showed during the ordeal.
Anne's young age (13-15) is very easy to forget when you read her diary. I was blown away with her writing abilities. She writes with maturity beyond her years, making even the mundane chores of their daily life seem more than they were.
It's sad to know that her father was the only survivor of the group, but he was gracious in allowing his daughters story to be told. He gave his daughter her wish, though she has never been able to witness the impact her writing has had on the world, she fulfilled her dream. Anne's own wishes aside, the historical significance of this journal alone is enough to give it a high rating.
I gave the chronicle of Anne's life in hiding 5 stars out of 5.
Further reading suggestion: Anne's diary ends when her family is discovered and they are sent to various camps, including Auschwitz-Birkenau. To get an idea of what life was like inside the camp, and the death march that killed Peter, I suggest reading Night by Elie Wiesel, Wiesel's own account of his time during the Nazi occupation.
I didn't know what to expect when I picked up this book. It wasn't my usual choice of reading material, as you could tell just by looking at my bookshelf, but it was one I felt I needed to read.
We're taught at school of the horrors the Nazi's inflicted on the Jewish people, but the first hand account of the Frank family sheds some light on the lengths people went to just to survive, an the people who put their own lives on the line to protect them.
This incredible account has such eloquence, one I'd never expect from a child, let alone one living in close quarters, hiding, with 7 other people. As an adult, I would never have handled the situation with the poise and maturity that Anne showed during the ordeal.
Anne's young age (13-15) is very easy to forget when you read her diary. I was blown away with her writing abilities. She writes with maturity beyond her years, making even the mundane chores of their daily life seem more than they were.
It's sad to know that her father was the only survivor of the group, but he was gracious in allowing his daughters story to be told. He gave his daughter her wish, though she has never been able to witness the impact her writing has had on the world, she fulfilled her dream. Anne's own wishes aside, the historical significance of this journal alone is enough to give it a high rating.
I gave the chronicle of Anne's life in hiding 5 stars out of 5.
Further reading suggestion: Anne's diary ends when her family is discovered and they are sent to various camps, including Auschwitz-Birkenau. To get an idea of what life was like inside the camp, and the death march that killed Peter, I suggest reading Night by Elie Wiesel, Wiesel's own account of his time during the Nazi occupation.
Tuesday, 28 April 2015
Alchemy: A Story of Perfect Murder by Chris James
Before you read any further, please note that this review may contain spoilers.
For full disclosure I received a copy of this novel through a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.
The ebook version, in epub or mobi (plus others) can be found at smashwords.com
Jacob Silver, son of a Jewish Apothecary and his wife, is a gifted artist and scientist. On trial for the murders of 4 beautiful women, and the grave desecration of a fifth. The story switches between Jacob's trial and the chain of events from his first encounter leading up to his arrest.
After his father dies, just weeks after a trip to see the Mona Lisa while it was in London, and his mother imprisoned, Jacob sets out to discover the secret to immortality, the recipe for which is contained in a tome, Alchemy, a book he received from a mysterious man on his 15th birthday, a man who claimed to be from the Institute.
Given a scholarship to a prestigious college, Jacob soon learns that his genius is detested by those upper class folks who feel their children are being 'shown up'. Jacob is soon taking science lessons in an underground laboratory with the same man who delivered the book to him initially, a man he calls Professor.
Expelled from the school Jacob makes his way as a laborer, with some financial assistance from an Aunt, until he is placed in quarantine, with a child and a prostitute, after being exposed to the black plague. During his time in quarantine, Jacob rekindles his passion for art and paints his beautiful companion Polly, as well as some images of his beloved Emily, a girl he first met during his viewing of the Mona Lisa, who also just happened to be the sister of his best friend at the college.
Once cleared of the disease, Polly and the child, Nell, depart Jacob's company, but not before he gives her one of the paintings for her to sell to have some cash. Jacob takes some more of his paintings to a gallery and makes a quick fortune for his efforts, and the promise of delivering more when he can.
With his new found funds Jacob decides it's time to hire a housekeeper. As if by magic, the Institute sends on that very day. Pretty soon, Jacob's love, Emily comes to live with them, in her consumption addled state, and not long after they are joined by the professor, so he and Jacob could continue their study of the book Alchemy, and more specifically decode the catalyst for the immortality potion which the creator, a Perenelle Flamel, wife of the acclaimed alchemist Nicolas Flamel.
This book is one I just couldn't put down. As an artist, and a self proclaimed nerd, I could relate to Jacob quite well, the desire to create a masterpiece and the thirst for knowledge are part of my everyday life. His naivety is quite endearing, even if it does border on ignorance at times. He obviously had a tonne of charm, women were literally throwing themselves at him. These women must have boosted his ego, never did he believe his potions could be harmful in the correct dosage (we never did find out whether Jacob's potions were the cause of his friend's cancer), nor did he doubt his abilities in art or science.
The professor was quite skilled in alchemy, but also in his manipulation of everyone involved in Jacob's demise. His ability to disappear quickly and quietly when the need arises and the ability to remain hidden, even when in public, is quite a skill that must have taken a long time to refine.
Chris James' writing flows so well, even with the back and forth between the court room and the flashbacks leading up to that point, the story just begged you to keep reading. His years working as a murder squad detective have been a positive influence on his writing, as far as this book goes. James gives us just enough detail of the murders to make us aware of how gruesome they were, without becoming too dark and gory.
I gave this book 5/5
Alchemy: A Story of Perfect Murder can also be purchased in paperback and kindle format from Amazon
For full disclosure I received a copy of this novel through a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.
The ebook version, in epub or mobi (plus others) can be found at smashwords.com
Jacob Silver, son of a Jewish Apothecary and his wife, is a gifted artist and scientist. On trial for the murders of 4 beautiful women, and the grave desecration of a fifth. The story switches between Jacob's trial and the chain of events from his first encounter leading up to his arrest.
After his father dies, just weeks after a trip to see the Mona Lisa while it was in London, and his mother imprisoned, Jacob sets out to discover the secret to immortality, the recipe for which is contained in a tome, Alchemy, a book he received from a mysterious man on his 15th birthday, a man who claimed to be from the Institute.
Given a scholarship to a prestigious college, Jacob soon learns that his genius is detested by those upper class folks who feel their children are being 'shown up'. Jacob is soon taking science lessons in an underground laboratory with the same man who delivered the book to him initially, a man he calls Professor.
Expelled from the school Jacob makes his way as a laborer, with some financial assistance from an Aunt, until he is placed in quarantine, with a child and a prostitute, after being exposed to the black plague. During his time in quarantine, Jacob rekindles his passion for art and paints his beautiful companion Polly, as well as some images of his beloved Emily, a girl he first met during his viewing of the Mona Lisa, who also just happened to be the sister of his best friend at the college.
Once cleared of the disease, Polly and the child, Nell, depart Jacob's company, but not before he gives her one of the paintings for her to sell to have some cash. Jacob takes some more of his paintings to a gallery and makes a quick fortune for his efforts, and the promise of delivering more when he can.
With his new found funds Jacob decides it's time to hire a housekeeper. As if by magic, the Institute sends on that very day. Pretty soon, Jacob's love, Emily comes to live with them, in her consumption addled state, and not long after they are joined by the professor, so he and Jacob could continue their study of the book Alchemy, and more specifically decode the catalyst for the immortality potion which the creator, a Perenelle Flamel, wife of the acclaimed alchemist Nicolas Flamel.
This book is one I just couldn't put down. As an artist, and a self proclaimed nerd, I could relate to Jacob quite well, the desire to create a masterpiece and the thirst for knowledge are part of my everyday life. His naivety is quite endearing, even if it does border on ignorance at times. He obviously had a tonne of charm, women were literally throwing themselves at him. These women must have boosted his ego, never did he believe his potions could be harmful in the correct dosage (we never did find out whether Jacob's potions were the cause of his friend's cancer), nor did he doubt his abilities in art or science.
The professor was quite skilled in alchemy, but also in his manipulation of everyone involved in Jacob's demise. His ability to disappear quickly and quietly when the need arises and the ability to remain hidden, even when in public, is quite a skill that must have taken a long time to refine.
Chris James' writing flows so well, even with the back and forth between the court room and the flashbacks leading up to that point, the story just begged you to keep reading. His years working as a murder squad detective have been a positive influence on his writing, as far as this book goes. James gives us just enough detail of the murders to make us aware of how gruesome they were, without becoming too dark and gory.
I gave this book 5/5
Alchemy: A Story of Perfect Murder can also be purchased in paperback and kindle format from Amazon
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