Books & Gossip

Monday, 13 September 2010

Ghost Child by Caroline Overington

On Monday 13 September 2010 we discussed Ghost Child by Caroline Overington.

... a mother of twins; a reporter for The Australian newspaper; a resident of Bondi Beach; and the author of three books: one is about New York; the other about the UN oil-for-food scandal in Iraq. Her first novel, Ghost Child, has just been published by random House. Caroline was raised in Melton, on the outskirts of Melbourne

The book tells the story of child abuse and child protection in Melbourne. Of a child who died thirty years ago in mysterious circumstances. Told through flashbacks it examines the consequences of the death on all involved and unwinds the mystery.

Unfortunately I didn't write good notes on our discussion but from memory we felt that the story was harrowing, that it seemed like a work of non-fiction rather than fiction but that we were divided about the quality of the writing.

Score range: 5-7

Average: 6.2 out of 10

Monday, 16 August 2010

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

On 16 August 2010 we discussed In Cold Blood by Truman Capote.

Truman Capote (1925-1984) was an American author who is particularly famous for writing Breakfast at Tiffany's and In Cold Blood. He was a childhood friend of To Kill a Mockingbird author, Harper Lee - who was a researcher for In Cold Blood.

In Cold Blood took Capote four years to write. It is the story of the 1959 multiple murder of a farming family in Kansas. Hearing about the murder Capote decided to research the circumstances, prior even to the murders being captured. The novel details that search and the relationships he developed with the convicted murders. He claimed it to be the first True Crime novel or non-fiction novel. It was certainly ground-breaking for its time. Some claim, however there were fabricated elements.

Score range: 8.5 - 9
Average 8.5