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Richard Yaxley

Autor(a) de This is my song

12 Works 58 Membros 8 Críticas

About the Author

Image credit: Richard Yaxley

Obras por Richard Yaxley

This is my song (2017) 13 exemplares
The Rose Leopard (2003) 10 exemplares
Shorts (1999) 8 exemplares
Joyous & Moonbeam (2013) 7 exemplares
The happiness quest (2018) 7 exemplares
Harmony (2021) 4 exemplares
Short shorts (2003) 3 exemplares
Drink the air (2010) 2 exemplares
Rose Leopard (2016) 1 exemplar
Tohle je má píseň (2018) 1 exemplar

Etiquetado

Conhecimento Comum

Data de nascimento
1962
Sexo
male
Nacionalidade
Australia

Membros

Críticas

Trigger warnings: Military violence and war themes, racism, slavery

6/10, after reading This is My Song made by the same author which bored me I was hoping that his newest book I know of might be even better, the concept was interesting as well but unfortunately it didn't go so well and it was tedious to read, where do I begin. It begins with a character named Tom Stott who after a few years decides to enlist in the war in 1915 where he first landed in Egypt then Gallipoli. His story ends horribly however when an artillery shell kills him then suddenly it cuts to a different story in a different time period not long after Tom's death, these sudden cuts happen a lot within this and I found it to be not too confusing since at least it goes forward in time. The book is set in the 1920s now with a new character Will Clifford living his life in peace and nothing much happens there maybe due to the fact that it was kind of a filler story.

There's another cut as the novel focuses on new characters called Maolioso and her sister whose nickname is Bubbles and she was an interesting character for me mainly due to the way she spoke, she lived with her family in Ireland when after a few pages some immigrate to Australia but I didn't like this part because of the family's racism and stereotypes towards Black people and First Australians, I even saw one person mentioning that they own a slave. Come on, how does that still exist in the 1940s unless it wasn't abolished, I don't really know however a generation later the spotlight is shone upon Deborah who lives in the 1960s with her family who opposed the US intervention in the Vietnam War and the civil rights movement but why would they oppose equal rights for everyone. Not long after they immigrate to America and soon the final character called Noah arrives and this by far was the best part in this since they finally found out who Tom Stott was in the 1980s wrapping up the book nicely, however if I didn't find myself bored by the not really developed characters I would've enjoyed it more.
… (mais)
 
Assinalado
Law_Books600 | 1 outra crítica | Nov 3, 2023 |
Trigger warnings: World War Two

6/10, looking back at this I can say that I won't be reading from this author again since his first book This is My Song kind of underwhelmed me and I was hoping that his next book Harmony would be better than that but it turned out to be just as tedious to read since both books suffer from the same issues, where do I even begin... It starts with the first of three main characters Rafael Ullmann or Rafael for short and he lives during World War Two when he is sent away to a concentration camp where he spends part of the book there. This is by far the best part of the book since it's the most action packed however it just goes on a downward spiral form this point onwards. The book then cuts to the next main character Annie Ulfmann and she lives in the 1970s 30 years after Rafael and she just lives a life all alone in Canada and it appears that her main hobby is birdwatching which was nice to see since this is the only character I know of that does that. I'm not sure if that's really necessary though since it doesn't add much to the story and it's just filler but anyway now I get to see the last part of the book with the final main character Joe Hawker and all he did was discover a song his grandfather wrote and that was it. This ends it underwhelmingly, what a shame.… (mais)
 
Assinalado
Law_Books600 | 2 outras críticas | Nov 3, 2023 |
The Rose Leopard is a debut novel that's now two decades old. The author, secondary school teacher Richard Yaxley, has gone on to have a distinguished literary career, receiving an OAM (Order of Australia) in 2011 for services to education, literature and performing arts. He writes across genres, and has won or been nominated for many awards, mainly in YA and Children's Lit. astic 2020)

Yaxley has an impressive list of credits, but I didn't know about any of them when I read The Snow Leopard. It looks as if it might be Yaxley's only adult novel though he has so many books listed at Goodreads I could well be wrong about that. The Rose Leopard is definitely not YA, there's lots of lusty sex in it, though it isn't overdone. Plus, it deals with some weighty themes. This is the blurb:
Vince isn't perfect, but his love for Kaz reveals the best of him. Their coastal farm is an idyllic place to raise their two children, and Kaz ensures that life is easy and full of fun. Here, Vince can indulge both his passions - for words and for his wife. But when an unexpected event shatters their contentment, Vince isn't ready for the responsibilities he must face. In creating the fable of the Rose Leopard - the most beautiful creature in the world - he tries to explain to his children a universe that doesn't always make sense. The Rose Leopard is a compelling debut novel, a poignant and often funny tale of love, grief and the transformative power of story-telling.

It's not really a spoiler to say that this is a novel about a father coming to terms with the grief that overwhelms him when his beloved wife suddenly dies. Narrated by the grieving husband, the first chapters memorialise the wife in glowing terms. Though the marriage is later revealed to have had its 'moments', for most of the novel Kat has no flaws, and Vince's self-abasement is overt. Their exchanges, however, bring them alive as a couple and, written in a wry style, are often amusing. But reading these first few chapters in the awareness that she is soon to die, adds to the tension.

Vince's betrayals are soon revealed, and though they are commonplace they stain his memories with guilt and remorse. In the meantime his small children, Alex and Sara a.k.a. Milo and Otis, are dealing with the loss of their mother without the support of their father. We often read that grief is a personal experience and that there are no timelines or 'approved' ways of coping with it. But Vince's grief crosses over into self-indulgence when he causes a scene at the burial, refuses to visit her grave with the children, neglects their physical and emotional needs and doesn't even get them back to school for some kind of relief from his self-absorption and irrational outbursts of anger.

To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2023/01/20/the-rose-leopard-2003-by-richard-yaxley/
… (mais)
 
Assinalado
anzlitlovers | Jan 19, 2023 |
Joyous is always looking on the bright side of life, always trying to see the good in every situation, no matter how difficult or challenging that proves to be. Joyous' life has been a hard one, full of violence, ugliness and sorrow and yet he still manages to see life as a beautiful gift. It is a lesson that is hard to learn but beneficial to all.

Ashleigh has not been happy for some time, slowly her family is falling apart and her cries for help, her desperate please for her parents’ attention are going unheard. In these dark days of her life it is difficult see anything good or positive. But then she meets Joyous and he shows her the good in life, in herself and he calls names her Moonbeam.

Joyous & Moonbeam are the unlikeliest of friends, offering each other understanding, companionship and the freedom to be themselves. As bad as things can get, there is always something positive to be found, although it may some work to see it. A touching, quirky and joyous tale that teaches you to appreciate the good things in life.
… (mais)
 
Assinalado
LarissaBookGirl | 1 outra crítica | Aug 2, 2021 |

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Estatísticas

Obras
12
Membros
58
Popularidade
#284,346
Avaliação
3.8
Críticas
8
ISBN
29
Línguas
2

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