When I first saw this book Can You Tolerate This? I will admit the cover didn't inspire me much. To be honest all I kept thinking of was that Friends episode when Joey appears at the door with a turkey on his head. Weird I know but that's all I kept thinking about.
I didn't buy the book but then people started talking about it. The guy in the bookshop talked about it, other book reviewers were writing about it and the author Ashleigh Young won $230,000 for writing it. So I thought it must be good. It is.
The book features a collection of 21 personal essays by the 33-year-old Wellington author and editor at Victoria University Press.
One of the essays/short stories features the unusual-looking jacket on the cover. It's a long piece but gives a great insight into the author's family. I won't give away any more spoilers.
I learnt more about Katherine Mansfield's childhood home in Wellington - a place Young managed for a year. I loved her piece about spending time at an unveiling and her observations while there. I never thought I'd get much out of reading about her visit to the chiropractor but that piece stopped me in my tracks.
Recommended reading and if you want more after reading this, Ashleigh Young has a great blog at www.eyelashroaming.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment