Julie G’s Reviews > Another View > Status Update

Have you read A Long Way From Home?

Do you mean by this author, or the one by Peter Carey?

I just typed it in and a whole list of books popped up with that name.

Oh!! I think I know what you're talking about--one of Rosamunde Pilcher's books that was given new life?? How exciting! Here's what scary: I think it's from when she was writing her cheesiest romances! The funny part is, I'd still read it. I've even suffered through "cousin lovin'" for RP.

Ahah. Fair enough. Yes, I meant the one that’s been given new life. Gosh, here I was thinking I was about to give you some exciting news. I should’ve known you’d been doing your homework properly.

Enjoy! The copies in the shop never stay there for very long. Eheh.

I wonder why they chose to resurrect that one? (Unfortunately, my library doesn't have a copy).
For what it's worth, I think you'd hate all of her books. Ha!

Welcome to England! ;)

Exactly! "Christmas in May."

I bought the book Pedro asked you about. It’s been published by a new Penguin imprint called Mermaid. Not available so far here in Canada and I assume the Stares.

Antoinette, I bought that too, from Blackwells. I love those Mermaid books.

I don't know for sure, but I'm going to go out on a limb and assume it's an average to below-average work of hers. Maybe I'm wrong. I wonder why they chose that one, and I wonder how many books of hers have gone out-of-print?

They probably chose that one because it originally came out in the 1960s and had likely been out of print for a long time before they brought it back. The whole Mermaid collection seems to be made up mostly of books that were first published more than 50 years ago. Some even go as far back as the first couple of decades of the 20th century.

I’ve got The Cost of Living by Kathleen Farrell, an author I’d never heard of before, sitting right next to me now. It’s from the same collection and originally came out in 1956. I’ve read the first couple of pages, and it sounds witty. We’ll see.

I hope that British writer, Elizabeth Taylor, is selected as a mermaid. She received nowhere near the attention her writing deserved! (And, in contrast to Rosamunde Pilcher, I think you'd love her work, Pedro, if you haven't read it yet).
My other nominations for mermaids: Laurie Colwin, Hilma Wolitzer, and Elizabeth Bowen.

Julie, I really didn’t love the Claremont novel by her, I’m afraid. I know lots of people are massive fans of that one, but it did next to nothing for me. I enjoyed the main character’s interactions with that young lad, and I can still vividly remember his home, but that’s pretty much it. And the ending left me completely cold.

Why? No idea.

And Julie, did you know that Hilma Wolitzer taught creative writing to Michael Cunningham when he was younger? Ah, I bet you didn’t know that. Aha.

I love Elizabeth Taylor's work, and I wish I could get my hands on more!
I did NOT know that Ms. Wolitzer was one of Michael Cunningham's teachers! No wonder he's so good.

I might try another Elizabeth Taylor at some point. And I really enjoyed the collection of short stories I read by Hilma Wolitzer. I’m a hundred percent sure you’d appreciate it too. It’s called Today a Woman Went Mad in the Supermarket.

I've read all of Hilma Wolitzer's work, except for that one, which I do own. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Dear Betsy R, in NYC, knows Ms. Wolitzer from a writer's group in the city and, to my great delight, she showed Ms. Wolitzer one of my reviews of her work and she was very humored by my enthusiasm for her. She also complimented my writing. It was quite the moment for me, for sure. She's a living legend!