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in which peter cameron attempts to remember the books he’s read before he forgets them
The publisher and date listed always refer to the edition of the book that I read; illustrations are chosen for the graphic appeal and may not correspond to the edition that is cited. Photographs are always of the author (unless otherwise indicated).
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a fringe of leaves
A Fringe of Leaves by Patrick White (Random House, 1976)
An English woman with a complex background (born poor, marries rich) is shipwrecked off the coast of Australia and struggles to survive life with Aborigines and then once again when returned to “civilization.” White in top form — engaging action, complex characters, a vividly sensual description of the physical world coupled with a sensitive evocation of the interior, all written in ambitious, idiosyncratic sentences: a wooly sweater, a dense torte: a real novel.
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four stories
Four Stories by Gabriel Josopovici (The Menard Press, 1977)
Another smart and intriguing book by Josopovici. Four odd, cerebral stories, experimental in form, somewhat abstract, refracted. Reminded me what a smart and interesting writer this is, with some echoes of Sontag and Sebald.
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the more i owe you
The More I Owe You by Michael Sledge (Counterpoint, 2010)
A novel about the decade Elizabeth Bishop lived in Brazil. The writing is crystalline and delicate, and the story of Elizabeth’s affair with Lota de Macedo Soares is complexly rendered and engaging. I felt this novel succeeded very well on its own peculiar terms and was pleased that it won the Ferro-Grumley Award for best LGBT fiction of 2011, for which I served as a judge.
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the wrong set
The Wrong Set by Angus Wilson (Morrow, 1950)
Wilson’s first book, a collection of stories published in the US in 1950. Dense, generously conceived and adroitly executed stories about various unpleasant and unhappy English people in the years before and after WWII. Delightfully British, damp and dark, and quite fun to read. Various instances of homosexuality throughout many of the stories, along with a refreshing, if at times repellent, sexual frankness.
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the camomile lawn
The Camomile Lawn by Mary Wesley (Summit Books, 1984)
An odd, lovely book. Peopled by a very large cast of idiosyncratically charming characters. The hopscotching past/present structure is a bit creaky and somewhat mars the book’s easy, natural movement but doesn’t seriously detract. Delightful.
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not to disturb
Not To Disturb by Muriel Spark (New Directions, 2010)
Evil machinations below stairs in a decadent Swiss chateau. Lively, funny, and dark, if somewhat inscrutable and therefore not entirely satisfying.
