Each week our wonderful staff share the books that they've been enjoying.
Emma has been reading:
The House of the Dead
by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
I recently read the lesser known Dostoevsky, The House of the Dead. I would recommend this to the 'Fyodor Fans' out there (you know who you are). I think it is a revealing book, as it feels so close to Dostoevsky 'the man' rather than Dostoevsky 'the literary giant'.
It is informed by his experiences in a Siberian prison camp after his involvement in the Petrashevsky Circle. If you are looking for the thrills of Crime and Punishment then perhaps this is not something you should pick up, but the gradual change in the protagonist Aleksandr has such a spark of true life which is really the stuff of novels. I think this book is essential to truly understand Dostoevsky's other work but you'll have to stick at it to reap this novel's ripe rewards.
Chris has been reading:
The Wolf Tree
by Laura McCluskey
I truly do not understand why we all have to go to work or school, and deal with grown-up responsibilities in the hottest month of the year. It makes no sense to not have a midday nap when you’ve been up all night, fretting about not sleeping because of the heat. During the recent heatwave, I gave up trying to rest at 1am and instead read most of the debut novel, The Wolf Tree by Laura McCluskey. This is an excellent novel to read on a very hot night because it is set in the cold and damp climate of an island off mainland Scotland. And it’s a murder mystery novel. And the writing is compelling, alongside the crafty plot. The absolute chilliness of it all was like consuming a cool drink.
On the second night of oppressive heat, I finished the novel and then deep-dived the internet to investigate the origins of the story: the true and unsolved disappearance of three lighthouse keepers in 1900. McCluskey's book links this mystery to a present-day tragedy. It’s all very clever. My search was not that fruitful (or clever) and besides, Melbourne based McCluskey has already done all the hard work for readers by writing this perfect-to-read-quickly-on-a-hot-night novel. Give it a go: it's a tonic for heated readers.
The Wolf Tree will be published on 28 February – join us on Thursday 27 to celebrate the launch and get an early copy!
