Reading ...

After spending a glorious couple of hourse browsing through the Warwick Library, I found 2 of Bryce Courteny's book that I just had to read after enjoying his book, Whitethorn.

I read this book in 2 days. It was just honest, down to earth and I couldnt put it down.

The following is about the book in Bryce Courteney's words:-

It tells the story of eleven Australian Vietnam Veterans and one ex-member of the North Vietnamese Army who are thoroughly disenchanted by the way they have been treated since their return to civilian life and decide to take revenge. In effect a dirty dozen, suffering from the effects of Agent Orange and a whole heap of psychological disorders, they're a pretty hopeless bunch until they reluctantly recruit a woman to their ranks. It's funny, it's sad, serious, mad and an unexpected book. If you have a Vietnam Vet in your family, or you were unfortunate enough to have spent time in Vietnam yourself, whether Australian or American, you should probably read Smoky Joe's Cafe.

Im now about 3/4 of the way through Bryce Courtney's book, Matthew Flinders Cat. What a great book about life as it when you are a drunk in Sydney. This book just tells it like it is.

In the words of Bryce Courteney:-

This is the story of a drunk, a boy and a cat. Billy O'Shannessy, once prominent in law circles, is now on the street where he sleeps on a bench underneath a window of the State Library on the sill of which rests a bronze statue of Matthew Flinders' cat, Trim. Ryan is a ten-year-old, a street kid heading for all the usual trouble and whose mother is a heroin addict. The two meet and form an unlikely and often difficult friendship. Appealing to the boy's imagination by telling him the story of the circumnavigation of Australia told through Trim's eyes, Billy is drawn deeply into Ryan's life and the Sydney underworld. Over several months the two begin the mutual process of rehabilitation. 'Matthew Flinders' Cat' is a modern-day story of a city, it's crime, the plight of the homeless and the politics of greed and perversion. It is also a story of the human heart, with an enchanting glimpse into our past from the viewpoint of the famous cat. It has not been an easy book to write (they never are) but in this one I have touched on some of the problems that confront us living in the modern age, but perhaps we would rather not acknowledge.I hope you enjoy Matthew Flinders’ Cat and I look forward to your feedback.