Journal Entry 1 by jubby from Sydney, New South Wales Australia on Monday, June 28, 2010

The back cover reads:

Emmett Brown is as dark as Heathcliff, and as unpredictable. Sometimes he's an inspiration, but not often. He's a man of booze and obsessions: one of them is his 'System', an attempt to bend the laws of probability. But when the lottery numbers and horses fail him, so do love and reason, and he becomes an ogre to his wife and children.

For the innocents - Louisa, Rob, Peter, Daniel and Jessie - the bonds formed hiding in hedges at the end of the street, waiting for the maelstroms to pass, are complex and unbreakable. Over the years, the consequences of Emmett's rages shape their spirits and psyches, but as he lies dying they discover that love - however imperfect - is the best defence against pain.

I've registered this book as part of the 2010 Miles Franklin Challenge bookring (see TQD's profile for details). Participants are:

- TQD
- Goodthinkingmax
- Jubby (me) 

Journal Entry 2 by jubby at Bookring, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Released 1 yr ago (6/30/2010 UTC) at Bookring, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Passed onto Goodthinkingmax over lunch. 

Journal Entry 3 by goodthinkingmax at Sydney, New South Wales Australia on Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Received this a couple of weeks ago over a lovely lunch with tqd and jubby. I'm halfway through and it's a good but very disturbing read.

14/9
I've already passed this on to TQD so will pop a quick review here, rather than disrupt the order of journal entries.

This was another dark family tale as so many prize nominees seem to be. I did enjoy the writing but was quite disturbed throughout by Emmett and frustrated by the family's forgiveness of him. The urban Melbourne setting was wonderfully drawn from the onset, in the opening scene of summer heat. The characters were given great depth and I guess it is to the author's credit that I remained disturbed throughout as I read it. They were certainly not unbelievable fictional characters. Had it not been for the humour and interesting Melbourne observations I may have put this down in despair! 

Journal Entry 4 by tqd at Sydney, New South Wales Australia on Tuesday, September 14, 2010

And now it's my turn to get this book over a delightful lunch with Jubby & goodthinkingmax. Thanks! 

Journal Entry 5 by tqd at Sydney, New South Wales Australia on Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Okay, I didn't finish this one.

I had to work too hard in the initial chapter (trying to work out how many children and the family relationships did me in; and no, this is not a blended family). I don't mind working a little hard, but this was just over-the-top "let's be clever and make it really difficult". Once I got past that, it was beautifully written but I wasn't quite sure how much I need to be told about growing up poor with an abusive alcoholic father in Footscray, a working class suburb of Melbourne, in the 1950s. It's no picnic, but that's nothing new to anyone with half a brain.

I feel a bit mean not finishing this book, because it's so well written, and because it's obviously written both from the heart and from personal experience (although she has denied its autobiographical). But it was the wrong book for me at this time. Emmett Brown, the alcoholic father in question, apparently does become sympathetic in the end, but I didn't want to forgive him anything. He poisoned his childrens' lives, and I wanted to keep my hate pure for him.

jubby, let me know if you want this back (maybe we should do lunch these upcoming school holidays?) otherwise I'll keep it moving elsewhere. 

Journal Entry 6 by jubby at Sydney, New South Wales Australia on Friday, October 07, 2011

And home again.

Thank you very much TQD. I'll try to read this in the next few weeks. 

Journal Entry 7 by Fleebo at Sydney, New South Wales Australia on Tuesday, November 01, 2011

Received in person from jubby. Thanks!