Finished July 16
How I Write: The Secret Lives of Authors edited by Dan Crowe with Philip Oltermann
What a great idea this book is! The editors asked a number of authors to send information, including photos of objects, about what inspired their writing. The responses vary widely, which makes it all the more fun. The book design by art director Vince Frost enhances the responses and adds to the knowledge, especially for readers like me, who are very visual. Some entries are only one line, some run to extra pages. The authors reply candidly for the most part and I found many fascinating insights into their work. For many the responses made them more human.
Will Self's post-it notes remind me of a colleague's workspace, but so many gave me ideas and inspirations for my own workspaces (both home and office). I might just have to get my own copy!
Finished July 15
Consequences by Penelope Lively
As usual, Lively's characters come alive for me in her writing. This story starts with a young couple: Lorna, from an upper class background and Matt, an artist working in wood engravings. As the story follows their married life, living in a rural cottage without electricity or running water, the characters show theirselves more clearly. The novel continues with their daughter, Molly and her daughter Ruth. The theme of love comes through strongly here, both the love between women and men and the love between parents and children. The importance of family relationships and intimacy is highlighted. As the title indicates, the book is about the consequences of the decisions the characters made and how they continue to affect others in the future. A lovely book.
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