REVIEW: THE MARRIAGE PLOT- Jeffrey Eugenides

I wasn't sure what I was expecting when I opened Jeffrey Eugenides' new offering- but it certainly wasn't it. To be fair, the last book I read by Eugenides was about a hermaphrodite; any subject was going to seem tame after that...

   For those who read my review of David Nicholl's Starter For Ten a little while back, Eugenides' latest novel is almost the American version- only in third person, and from three different perspectives. Madeline, a pretty Browns graduate, is at the centre of these different points of view; the other two voices belong to her maniac depressive boyfriend, Leonard, and her nomadic almost-boyfriend and passionate admirer, Mitchell.

   The best attribute of this novel may be the effortless of it all; the prose just seemed to feel so natural that I almost felt as though I was watching an unscripted scene unfold. I didn't realise how much I was pulled in until I saw that I only had 50 pages of the book to go- a sure sign of a riveting read.

   My favourite character, predictably, was Mitchell; the chapters dedicated to his travels, especially to India, made me reminisce of my own nomadic days. I also felt that he was the most likeable of the three...saying that, I did feel both sorry and frustrated by Madeline's blindness to Leonard's illness. Akthough Leonard- an interesting, complex creation- gave me an insight into the twists and turns of manic depression, it was Mitchell who I truly liked and rooted for.

Do not expect an obvious, huge plot from this novel- that is not it's purpose. The way that these graduates' lives intertwin subtly brings about a 'marriage plot' that you will not be able to resist, and inevitably get sucked into. This novel goes further than bringing you a huge storyline. It makes you feel like an active spectator to events...as though you are a character, a Browns graduate, yourself. What novels have you read recently that give you that kind of power?

Lovo and Kava with the Martz's.....

When you're away from home, it's always really lovely to see some friendly, familiar faces once in a while. Here's a snapshot of a chilled and fun-filled weekend in the Coral Coast with the Martz's. Thanks Colleen for sending me some fantastic pics...I've got to get myself a better quality camera!...

View from inside the villa.

View of the beach from the villa.

What a handsome devil.

View of our villa from the beach. (The picture captions will get more interesting, I promise!)

The beach just outside our villa.

Natalie and one of our new Fijian friends make baskets for the meat in the underground 'lovo' oven. It's crazy how quickly a basket can be created from some leaves!

Patrick and I have eaten a 'lovo' feast before, but this was the first time we'd seen how it was made. First, coal was ignited and left until just glowing. Then the leaf-wrapped meats were put on top, more banana leaves on top of that, then the whole kit and kaboodle was buried under the ground and left for a few hours. After those hours are up, out comes some yummy grub!

Colleen, Natalie, me and Patrick enjoying the lovo feast.

Patrick gulping down a kava bowl...half tide.

I take bongo-playing very seriously, apparently. That shell necklace was given to everybody on arrival at the villa.

A bloody great bonfire on the beach; we had to sit quite a way back!

There I am again with my bongos- and a French braid, courtesy of Natalie. Nice to get out of my hairstyle rut for one night!

Dean, our new Fijian friend, passes over the first kava bowl.

The kava making process...pouring water into a bag full of kava powder, then squeezing it into the wooden kava bowl. Bit better than Patrick and I's attempt last year!

REVIEW: THE HUNGER GAMES TRILOGY- Suzanne Collins

The three books in The Hunger Games Series: 1. The Hunger Games
                                                                                 2. Catching Fire
                                                                                 3. Mockingjay

I knew I loved dystopian novels, but I still wasn't sure how much I would love the latest teen craze, The Hunger Games. Would I become hopelessly addicted like I did to Harry Potter, or annoyed by its popularity like Twilight (sorry Twilight fans- vampires have never been my thing)? Well, I'm pleased to say that the odds were definitely in THG's favour...

The story takes place in Panem, a future version of North America that is comprised of twelve Districts, and the Capitol. Long ago, the Districts staged an uprising against the Capitol, demanding more power for the people. As a punishment for this reckless behaviour, the all-powerful Capitol created an annual event called 'The Hunger Games', where one boy and one girl from each of the twelve districts would be required to fight in an arena- until only one survives.


A pretty scary scenario, I think you'll agree, and brilliantly told by our feisty protagonist and narrator, sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen- a major player in the Games and subsequent events. There will be two questions you ask yourself as you read these books- 'Katniss, or Peeta?' and 'Peeta, or Gale?'. For the record, I'm very undecided about both, although maybe leaning towards Peeta for the second question. I've always been a sucker for unconditional love and kindness.

Wondering what on earth I'm talking about? Then pick up the first in the trilogy, and allow yourself to be transported to a future world of frugality and brutality, action and passion. Follow Katniss in her life-changing journey, and admire her; ask yourself what you would do in her unfortunate shoes, and respect her. Remind yourself that hardship brings a determination that cannot be reckoned with, and that evil can be stopped with patience and bravery. Most of all, we should take heed of  Collins' warning, so that the odds are ever in our world's favour...

REVIEW: WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN- Lionel Shriver

Unlike other books I've read recently, I picked this book to read knowing full well what it was about. That still didn't prepare me for how this novel would effect me...

Each of the novel's chapters is written in letter form, as Eva Khatchadourian corresponds with her estranged husband, Franklin, about their son, Kevin. But why do the parents 'need to talk about Kevin'? Two years previously, Kevin killed nine of his fellow high school classmates- and Eva is trying to figure out why, and just how much is her fault.


The beauty of this novel lies in the language; by making Eva a travel writer, Shriver gives the character the opportunity for clear, descriptive expression. Her desperation and stubborness, with the undercurrent of an inner strength that is quickly depreciating, is all conveyed through her fantastically written flashbacks. Her frustration with Franklin's blindness to Kevin's ruthless behaviour would get tiresome after a while, were it not overulled by a fierce loyalty and love. 


I truly got the impression that Eva knew her son better than anybody else- even if this did not make her life any easier. There were some aspects of her character that I could relate to, and some I was not so sure about; however, throughout the novel I steadily gained a respect for her, and found myself constantly thinking 'well, what would I do in that situation?'.


When I've heard about previous high school shootings in the media, I've always judged the evil without thinking what the root of it could be. We Need To Talk About Kevin does not necessarily provide a clear cut root; what the novel does is highlight the inevitable human need to FIND a reason in evil. How much of who we are is defined by our family, and how much is innate? Is it hopeless to try and change a bad character? Should it be treated with bitterness or kindness? Join Eva as she tries to make sense of all these questions- and watch out for a twist that will paint everything in an even more desperate light.

So, It's Been A While...

...but I promise I have a good excuse this time. I somehow managed to contract pneumonia...the last thing I expected in a tropical climate! This led to my first ever hospital admittance, and an insight into two Fijian hospitals. I ended up in three different hospital beds over the 6 days- Suva Private for one night, a six bed public ward for two nights, and a private room for three nights. Don't feel too bad for me; I had my own bathroom, TV, microwave AND fridge in the latter room!  Yes, all of that actually did make me very excited- and soon helped me to forget that the room had been fumigated of bed-bugs just a few days before. Those little rascals...they pop up everywhere, eh? I even managed to make 3 friends in the six-bed ward- two mother-like figures who told me to wrap up warm and asked where I was going whenever I stood up, and a girl around my age who was a fellow primary school teacher. All the nurses were lovely, if convinced that I was here on holiday or at university...they all seemed surprised that I was a teacher! Although let's face it, I'm a little surprised of that fact sometime myself!...

So, hospital life wasn't all that bad. Lots of visitors from school- and Patrick- helped to cheer me up, as did the treat of having my yearly McDonald's quota- two meals- in one week. (This is sober, of course- Mcdonald's after a night out doesn't count...). This was no cheap treat either- $23 FJD for one Big Mac meal and chicken nuggets?? Scandalous! Oh dear...the dicusssion of Mcdonald's prices is my cue to sign off, I think. Hospital talk isn't interesting, but Mcdonald's talk is even less so.

I'll leave you with the promise of a fair few book reviews; another positive of being in hospital is the opportunity to read, read, read!! So far, have finished Lionel Shriver's We Need To Talk About Kevin- a book that I'm both glad and not so glad that I've finally read- and have got sucked in Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games trilogy. I'm embracing my inner teenager...and loving it! I'll also be writing about our fun weekend with the Martz's on the Coral Coast, eating lovo and drinking kava! Speak soon xxxx