True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey: Book Review

Morning reading in Texas hill country.

Oh, boy.

Often my eyes are drawn to books with award stamps printed on the cover. This book was no exception but certainly surpassed my expectation. The True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey won the Man Booker Prize in 2001 with a gripping story and well rounded characters described through the rough, honest voice of an Australian bushranger. Edward “Ned” Kelly writes to his daughter his life story revealing his true character and the oppressive circumstances he experienced since the beginning of childhood to being a reputed outlaw.

It is hard to try to condense the plot without giving anything away because of the book’s many memorable moments, but from the very first pages we know that there is death of at least one individual in this novel. And because the central theme is power abused by authority, the entire book can be seen as a battle between the police and the people. But that makes it sound so boring and this book is not, packed from start to end with adventure, humour, compassion, and characters that feel like they exist in real life.

Ned Kelly is by far my favourite character, partially because he is the protagonist and author as well. The reader grows up with him through trials and triumphs and gets a glimpse of a strong, loving, intelligent, and most unfortunate soul. Sympathy is found for the Kelly family and the small gang, especially Joe Byrne, who is tortured between his personal safety and his friendship with Ned. These two are the ones I found most empathy with as they faced adversity together and protected the two younger members of their “gang.”Other striking characters include the crude and fearless Harry Power, famous outlaw who took Ned as an apprentice; Ellen Kelly, beloved mother of Ned, a widow determined and headstrong to provide for her family; and Mary Hearn, a young and cunning woman only more loyal to her children than to her prince.

The ability to create such human characters comes from the raw voice of Ned Kelly, who although considers himself uneducated, actually writes with remarkable observance and conviction. At first it takes adjusting to read sentences with prominent slang and inconsistent punctuation, but the style merges with the character and becomes an endearing reflection of Ned Kelly himself. It is storytelling at its best, when you can hear the voice of the narrator, especially when it is formed in your head from printed words!

In fact, one of the themes found in this book is actually the power of the written word, as Ned Kelly tries to clear his name through letters. His quest to gain a national audience portrays one aspect of government control over the media and public perception. Like “V for Vendetta” or “Robin Hood,” the journal series sides with the proletariat and has a feel of folk/legend lore. This book is the most realistic out of this comparison because of its diverse content between daily mundane activities and horse-riding, gun-shooting action.

All in all, one of the most powerful points of this novel is that there are no “bad guys,” even though Australia’s police force is painted in a particularly bad light. Life isn’t fair and humans make mistakes. I looked up the real Ned Kelly on the internet and his history is full of controversy, either hailed as heroic or criminal. I am glad this novel has told a story of this man from a personal and justified point of view because it is beautiful, happy, sad, and piercing. True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey lives up to its golden award stamp and is a book that will sit on my mind long after I’ve closed its pages.

Thanks for reading,
thebookybunhead

The BIG Award Extravaganza! (1/4)

I think it is only fair to share the support and generosity that I’ve received; I have many to thank and spotlight, so stay tuned! Rules are posted at the end. Anyone who feels like sharing their opinion, please feel free to answer the last 11 questions as I am genuinely curious.

The Tag! Award

Thank you to Shaun at his inspiration blog for giving me this one.

11 facts about me:
1. I own a pair of bright neon green converse.
2. I lam ambidextrous. In cartwheels.
3. I always feel narcissistic doing this part.
4. I love amusement parks.
5. I love raspberries.
6. I love blackberries.
7. I love strawberries.
8. Berries are my favourite kind of fruit.
9. I wish I had the willpower to be a full-time vegetarian.
10. I swear by Mozilla Firefox as my internet browser.
11. I collect newspaper comics irregularly.

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11 questions I must answer:

1. What is your favourite colour? green

2. Where have you been to in the world, away from your country? USA, Indonesia, France, Hong Kong

3. If you had a time machine where would you go and why? Possibilities are endless! Besides meeting family, one place I would like to go to is the 60’s or 70’s so I can be a flower child and dance at the disco.

4. What food do you love most? Noodles

5. What is your favourite TV show? Arthur and Big Bang Theory

6. Who is your favourite Actor? Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway

7. When was the last time you were in Hospital? 5 years ago for a fractured wrist

8. When did you 1st fall in love, if not, when would you like to? I fell in love with life before I can even remember.

9. Do you understand String Theory? Nope

10. Where IS Waldo? Downstairs in my basement library

11. What type/make of Mobile phone do you have? Don’t have one. Here’s why.

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My 11 questions for you (I’m going to reuse some good ones):

1. Pen or pencil?

2. If you had a time machine, where would you go and why?

3. Now I’m curious. What internet browser do YOU use?

4. What type/make of mobile phone?

5. What is your favourite household chore, or rather, one you least mind?

6. A bucket list item?

7. Will you check out my blog? (Ok, I’m sorry, that was a cheap one.)

8. First classical composer to pop into your head?

9. What do you think of Canada? (Honestly, spill some dirt if you wish.)

10. Alligator or crocodile?

11. How long can you hold a handstand?

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The 15 Nominees!

1. greenembers – a person full of heart (check out the Rome Construction Crew!)
2. discoveringgarrett – musician in the making!
3. thenerdyscribe – humour and sophistication
4. willowdot – always heartfelt
5. digitalhegemon – fun bits of video and music
6. ambitious poet – diligence in creative poetry
7. myadventureoflife – honesty in everyday chronicles
8. Saunved – thoughtful and artistic pieces
9. TOKIDOKI – diverse photography of San Diego
10. women’swindow – for building a community of inspiration and faith
11. Delawhere Comics – quirky, original comics
12. beyondtheflow – beautiful writing on a “philosophy of life”
13. lblivingbetter – generous with helpful tips and life experiences
14. sandbagheart – thoughtful words (the name is quite an image, isn’t it?)
15. GeoSans – deep meanings in simplicity

And here are The rules:

1.  Post a picture of the award on your blog

2.  Tagback the person who tagged you to let them know you’ve accepted the award.

3.  11 facts about you.

4.  Answer the 11 questions I’ve asked you.

5.  Tag the same amount of people as their are letters in your name.

6.  Ask your OWN 11 questions to the people you’ve tagged.

7.  Contact the people you’ve tagged to let them know they’ve been tagged.

Phew! That’s it, Part 1 is done. It only gets better, so stay tuned!
Thanks for reading,
thebookybunhead

Straggling between the lines

Me: And now, for some night reading.
Body: This bed is so comfy.
Brain logic: Pillow > Book. Shutting down… zzzzzz

This has been me the past couple weeks. I seriously think I’m a borderline bookworm as of today since both my pile of overdue books and to-read list grow and grow and grow… Too many books and too little time!

I feel like I’ve been treading in a sea of school, dance rehearsals, and music practices, neglecting my favourite relaxing activity for the confused scramble of chasing things that I can’t always remember. It’s one of those hectic parts of life again. One with not so much sleep and lots of much missed reading.

Not just for books, but blogs as well. Ever since joining WP I have a growing realization of just how diverse the blogosphere is. There are less hours in day than needed to read everything I want to posted on that one day. So high fives all around to you bloggers, for producing the content that you do.

In the meantime, guess I’ll just keep carrying a book around everywhere as usual, in hopes of finding a few minutes to devour a chunk of text treasure.

Do you get reader’s block? What are you reading right now?

Thanks for reading,
thebookybunhead

A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore: Book Review

Let me just say that this gentleman is probably one of the funniest authors around. I’m not sure how many times I chuckled apparently not to myself while reading this; earning peculiar glances that I could only respond to by grinning foolishly, still laughing in my head, or hiding my face behind the covers; but it was worth it. However, as you can guess from the cover, this book’s got its dark side too.

In fact, it’s about Charlie Asher, a Beta male, who has been appointed a job as Death. Along with other ‘Death merchants’, Charlie helps human souls pass on to their next life, a responsibility which he must juggle while taking care of his family and second hand business. What follows is a battle between good and evil as forces from the Underworld threaten to take over. So it’s basically a hero myth, but with context, character, and style unlike any other.

Like I said, Christopher Moore is one of my favourite authors because I can always count on his books for a fun, dramatic read. The characters are colourful, the dialogue between them a zany train of thought, and you never know what to expect as you turn each page. It’s like every time you think you find and follow a straight path, wham! a glass wall appears changing your direction with a most surprising statement or event.

Characters include a Gothic girl chef obsessed with death, an ex-cop who is desperately lovesick and thinks everyone is a serial killer, a reflective homeless known as the Emperor of San Francisco, and two hellhounds named Alvin and Mohammed. But despite the randomness, everything fits, crazy antics contribute to the plot and ’embellishment’ descriptions become relevant; so when you step back, the winding labyrinth of a journey makes a beautiful picture.

In this case, it is the coping and understanding of death that is gained alongside Charlie’s development in his new career. The humour infused throughout makes the serious theme of death not so grave, and I won’t give it away, but leads to a satisfying and serene ending than can be considered enlightening.

One of the characters, Mrs. Ling, is an older Chinese woman who cooks and eats everything, including the deceased pets of Sophie, Charlie’s daughter whom she babysits. Clearly it is a hilarious stereotype, and though its true that Chinese cuisine consists of the strangest meats and parts, how is it really any different than a processed burger patty? All I’m saying is that isn’t it good not to waste anything? Then again I am impartial in the defense…

It is the first book in the series which I hope to read entirely in the future, and I recommend other books by Moore as well, particularly Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal.
So, ending my rambling, if you like comedy, mystery, and everything unexpected then I say go for it.

Thanks for reading,
-thebookybunhead

Mindset by Carol S. Dweck: A ‘key to success’ book that actually serves its purpose well

Let’s face it. There are so many self help books out there, it is a difficult task to decide on picking one that is actually helpful despite reading the cover, judging the authenticity of “it will change your life” quotes,skimming through the content. So I have saved that trouble for you, tadah!

Possibly the only book you ever need to become successful:

I do not hesitate in saying that this book will change your life. It sounds so cliche, but it is so true! I cannot articulately explain just how (that’s what the book is for) but basically, it enlightens us to the difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset.

There are so many things outside of our control; we can’t change the world around us, our situations, or how others act and think. And it’s hard to change ourselves, our habits and our personality. So this book doesn’t tell us how. What we can change is how we look at ourselves and the world. And that is what this book is about. It is amazing how a change in perspective not only affects the way you think, but also how you act and react. It is an idea that is so wide-spread it can relate to everyone – students, teachers, parents – and be applied to all aspects of life, whether you’re an athlete, a musician, or an accountant.

Here’s an excerpt from her website with a helpful example:

“In the academic arena, mindset plays an important role. Students with a growth mindset are more likely to continue to persist when they struggle, while those who believe their intelligence is fixed are more likely to give up. Dweck has shown, too, that cues from parents and educators about performance can impact students’ beliefs and future actions.

Consider this example: a student completes a challenging mathematics problem successfully and her teacher offers praise by saying, “Great job! Clearly, you are very good at math.” What effect might this feedback have on the student’s beliefs? Dweck’s research indicates that this type of feedback—praising innate ability—reinforces the fixed mindset and the belief that people are born either with mathematics skills or without them. Further, she has shown that praise that reinforces this belief undermines students’ motivation and future learning, leading them to avoid more challenging tasks to protect themselves from failure.

Now consider an alternative: when the student completes the challenging mathematics problem, the teacher responds by saying, “Great job! You must have worked hard at that problem! Nice effort!” How might this feedback have a different effect on the student’s beliefs? Dweck has demonstrated that this response—praising effort instead of intelligence—reinforces the belief that success is developed through persistent effort. Dweck’s research also shows that even when a student fails at a task, this type of feedback indicates that struggle and failure are normal, and that effort is a crucial part of eventual success.”

And the best part about this book is the simplicity of its message. Some of you may have heard of the famous “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen R. Covey, and while I learned from that book too, this one’s better. There aren’t many rules to follow or steps to take that are difficult to remember, instead only one, clear message:

Ok, so this is a very crude portrayal of the concept but it gives you the idea.

I have seen a great difference in the way I approach my work in both ballet and school since reading this. Because I am less concerned about what I can do now but rather what I will be able to do in the future, perfectionism has diminished allowing me to take more risks. It also taught me that talent is not enough. Through hard work and perseverance anything is possible, and the book has many examples of that. I don’t procrastinate as much, scared to start a paper, worried that it will not turn out perfect – because it is my effort and how much I learn during the process that counts. This idea persuaded me to work harder by doing extra exercises to supplement the training of my daily dance classes. After reading it, I just felt so enlightened and motivated that I truly can reach, or at least, should try to reach, my full potential.

I hope I have interested you in this book if you haven’t read it already (in which case I’d be interested to hear what you think) because sincerely I’d feel like I’ve contributed to a better mankind with each person that reads this. I guarantee it is a worthwhile read, if not mind-bogglingly life-changing at least moderately interesting.

Read on,
thebookybunhead