The Narrow Road To The Deep North by Richard Flanagan

I picked up The Narrow Road To The Deep North by Richard Flanagan largely because it won the 2014 Man Booker Prize and I wanted something meaty. I went in with the preconceived notion that it was a story about Australian POWs in Burma during WWII – and that is certainly one way of selling it. But I was truly surprised by the sensuality of the love story that surrounds the story of one of the POWs. There was a tenderness to the novel that I was not expecting (and which, quite frankly, isn’t really my cup of tea). So while I did not entirely enjoy The Narrow Road To The Deep North, I can see why Flanagan won such a prestigious award for it.

The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas

I’m not even sure how to talk about The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas because I loved it that much. Last year I read his latest work, Barracuda and was blown away by it, but it has nothing on The Slap. The Slap is gritty, messy, at times offensive, and beautifully written. For me it was the perfect combination of writing, flawed characters, compelling story and social commentary.

The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion

Like just about everyone else I know, I was eagerly awaiting Graeme Simsion‘s follow up to The Rosie Project (review). I approached  The Rosie Effect cautiously, knowing that there was no way it could be as good as The Rosie Project. When The Rosie Project came out Don Tillman was such a breath of fresh air, but with The Rosie Effect he becomes a caricature of himself.