Louisa and Harry are both haunted. Louisa’s ghost is Tom, a son who took his own life. Harry’s spectres are no less troubling for still being alive; a failed marriage and unknown daughter pluck at his mind, are ‘imprinted on him’. These baby boomers, portrayed in alternating third-person chapters, are poorly matched against contemporary societal challenges, and possibly each other. Ex-soldier Harry’s increasing solitude is underpinned by yearning for the wartime social ideal of mateship, and life apart from women, while Louisa is in thrall to the ‘woman’s fantasy’ of shopping.
Estelle Tang reviews 'Elsewhere in Success' by Iris Lavell
Estelle Tang
Published in March 2013, no. 349
Elsewhere in Success
by Iris Lavell
Fremantle Press, $24.99 pb, 254 pp, 9781921888540
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Estelle Tang
Estelle Tang is online editor of the literary journal Kill Your Darlings. She is an editor at Oxford University Press, a programming committee member at Melbourne Writers’ Festival, and editorial advisor at Paper Radio.
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I saw Iris at her Murdoch Uni launch last night. She was a pleasure to listen to ; an entertaining and self effacing speaker. The introduction to Iris by her thesis supervisor, Helena was great, very heartfelt and genuine.
Wednesday, 04 September 2013 11:58 posted by Lizzie
I'm on chapter nine of her book right now and am really loving it. It is very well written and I like the way she has drawn her characters.
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