There’s only one author unfamiliar to me in this year’s Age Book of the Year shortlist.
Come Inside is by Glenys Osborne, and it’s published by small publisher Clouds of Magellan. It’s also been nominated for Best First Book in the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize 2010. This is the blurb from the publisher’s website:
A ship is wrecked in 1887 near the small country town of Colego. The sea throws up one troubled survivor who claims to know only her name. Glenys Osborne’s compelling first novel traces the impact of the loss of the Lucy on the town of Colego and how the tidal pull of this event shapes and disturbs those who come after.
Sounds intriguing, eh? You can order it direct from the publisher. I did, and if they get it to me fast enough maybe I can read and review it before the big announcement at the Melbourne Writers Festival. Update 6/6/16 see my review.
It’s up against some stiff competition.
I still haven’t read my copy of Summertime by JM Coetzee, but you can read my enthusiastic reviews of The World Beneath by Cate Kennedy (click here) and Lovesong by Alex Miller (click here). I’m not keen on Peter Carey’s writing, but maybe I should get a copy of Parrot and Olivier in America? It’s been shortlisted for the Booker too. Trevor at The Mookse and the Gripes reviewed it and found the detail exhausting, so maybe I’ll wait and see what Kevin from Canada thinks of it.
Update Monday August 2
Kevin’s review is up now, and I trust his judgement. Parrot and Olivier won’t be on my shopping list.
Update (much later)
I did read it, my review is here.
ANZ LitLovers LitBlog 
Oh dear, this book (Come inside) was nominated for our next AusLit read but it got no votes. I’m sorry now! Overall, an interesting selection though – with the old favourites and a couple of up and coming writers.
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By: whisperinggums on August 1, 2010
at 10:29 am
But no Ransom!
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By: Lisa Hill on August 1, 2010
at 10:42 am
I really want to read The World Beneath, so much so that I even bought it, but it lost it’s spot in the Q, and now I don’t know when I’ll get to it. Must try to get to it soon. It keeps getting bumped though by more urgent reads
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By: Louise on August 1, 2010
at 11:16 am
I *loved* The World Beneath. So good, and a first novel too! Lisa
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By: Lisa Hill on August 1, 2010
at 6:02 pm
I think Trevor and I had pretty much the same response. Now it should be noted that given where we live we probably both know at least a bit about that era in American history, which makes some of Carey’s novel redundant. I just found that he paid so much attention to that (and it became rather boring) that his characters suffered in comparison.
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By: KevinfromCanada on August 5, 2010
at 1:57 pm
My copy of Come Inside came in the post today so I shall get on with reading it as soon as possible!
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By: Lisa Hill on August 5, 2010
at 6:26 pm