Marginalia: what I've been reading (in the margins of motherhood) recently
On DNF-ing books; an eighties literary gem; bloody brilliant short stories; one of the coolest, most exciting women writing today.
Welcome to Marginalia -- my speedy, from the front-line-of-motherhood round-up of the very best things I have been trying to read whilst looking after my two young sons.
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Please do let me know what you’ve been reading and what parenting challenges you’ve been facing! Comment below and we can chat!
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Btw, you know you don’t have to finish every book you start, right?
Last month I picked up a hotly-tipped thriller, studded with blurbs from big names. The subject matter had me practically salivating: it promised a tantalising skewering of misogyny and society’s obsession with women’s bodies.
Anyway, my high hopes were disappointed. I found myself sort of enjoying the novel, but skimming swathes of text in frustration, wanting the writer to get to the point. After a long day of parenting, I want to be longing to return to my book. Instead, I found myself bored -- picking up my phone and scrolling, instead. I gave it up, and turned instead to Chimene Suleyman’s fierce and important memoir The Chain.
I recommend getting comfortable with DNF-ing (Did Not Finish, for those unfamiliar with this essential practice). Your reading time is precious, after all. Settle for nothing less than maximum literary pleasure.
Two Of The Best Things I’ve Read (in the margins) of Motherhood Recently
An Eighties Literary Gem
On a sunny afternoon at Knole Park my husband offered to take the kids for a walk and I spent a luxurious hour reading The Children’s Bach by Helen Garner. First published in 1984, and set in suburban Melbourne, this is a deft, skillfully written novella about love, sex and the unravelling of a seemingly ‘perfect’ nuclear family. The Children’s Bach was breathtaking — full of the tiny electric shocks that make up everyday life. At a brief 176, this is the kind of book that can be read over just a few sittings. The Children’s Bach has been reissued by Weidenfeld & Nicolson, alongside Garner’s languid, seductive debut Monkey Grip and This House of Grief (the latter is next on my list!). Buy it here.
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