This September we’re launching Operation GMR, Get Men Reading. To celebrate, we’ve asked some of our favourite Australian authors to give us Five Books Every Man Should Read.
Today’s guest is the one of Australia’s most-respected columnists and writers, Anne Summers.
I compiled this list on the 100th anniversary of my father’s birth.
He liked to read when he was younger but, like many men, lost the habit as his family and other responsibilities grew.
The Fortunes of Richard Mahony
by Henry Handel Richardson
Richard Mahony is a familiar Australian, an impulsive and impetuous dreamer whose schemes and dreams never quite work out, and whose family pays a high price for his restlessness.
This great Australian novel is a rich and at times overwhelming sad story set in the formative years of our nation in the Victorian gold fields and the burgeoning metropolis of Melbourne.
My Brother Jack
by George Johnston
Another Australian classic novel, this one dealing with two brothers, George and Jack Meredith, growing up in Melbourne in the early part of the 20th century who are archetypes for what has come to be seen as the stereotypical Aussie bloke.
A wonderful and very moving book that reflects the country before the surge of post-War immigration and the rise of women’s equality both of which have transformed us into a nation the Meredith brothers would not recognize.
The Hare with Amber Eye
by Edmund de Waal
Even men who think they are not interested in art are likely be gripped by this compelling book about a family, an art collection, survival through wars and the Holocaust and the ways of men across the centuries.
A totally unique book which is one reason for its enormous international following.
The Amateur Science of Love
by Craig Sherborne
If George Johnston tells us about blokes in Melbourne in the early part of the 20th century, Craig Sherborne bring to life men – one in particular, Colin Butcher – at the other end of the century.
Men had become different by then, better at expressing emotion, not so worries about exposing their weaknesses. In fact, they were all about redefining what it was to be an Aussie bloke. A sad and witty story, this one.
The Misogyny Factor
by Anne Summers
I have included this just so those blokes who don’t already know, get some idea of what we are complaining about.
About the Contributor
Andrew Cattanach
Andrew Cattanach is a regular contributor to The Booktopia Blog. He has been shortlisted for The Age Short Story Prize and was named a finalist for the 2015 Young Bookseller of the Year Award. He enjoys reading, writing and sleeping, though finds it difficult to do them all at once.
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Comments
September 13, 2013 at 4:32 pm
I’ve read The Fortunes of Richard Mahony; it took me years, and The Hare with Amber Eye, both first-class books. I have not read Ann’s book, but I imagine it contains equally interesting material.
September 13, 2013 at 4:32 pm
I’ve read The Fortunes of Richard Mahony; it took me years, and The Hare with Amber Eye, both first-class books. I have not read Ann’s book, but I imagine it contains equally interesting material.
September 13, 2013 at 9:04 pm
Shouldn’t a man decide which books men should read? I’d hate for a man to tell me which ones I should read …
September 13, 2013 at 9:04 pm
Shouldn’t a man decide which books men should read? I’d hate for a man to tell me which ones I should read …
September 14, 2013 at 11:42 pm
I would add to this list ‘A Fortunate Life’ by AB Facey. A wonderful classic.