false <![CDATA[The Spare Room]]> 3014272 7 3044813 3 7 2008 The Spare Room total:246|5:40|4:98|3:79|2:26|1:3| 246 884 438 94 5 3 false false Sat Apr 05 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Thu Apr 10 19:13:59 -0700 2008 Thu Apr 10 19:16:49 -0700 2008 more...]]> 0 3 false false Tue Feb 17 13:10:45 -0800 2009 Tue Feb 17 13:12:44 -0800 2009 more...]]> 5 2 false false Mon Oct 20 05:16:03 -0700 2008 Mon Oct 20 05:20:54 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Mon Aug 10 06:29:01 -0700 2009 Mon Aug 10 06:30:09 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Thu Jun 18 02:04:47 -0700 2009 Thu Jun 18 03:10:56 -0700 2009 more...]]> 2 0 false false Wed Apr 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Thu May 14 17:51:22 -0700 2009 Thu May 14 17:52:54 -0700 2009
This is a short book with writing that is okay. The story was about two friends – one sick and dying of cancer, the other helping to care for her. Nicola refuses to recognize that she is dying and goes in for all sorts of ...more...]]> 2 0 false false Wed Apr 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Apr 22 09:12:53 -0700 2009 Wed Apr 22 09:14:00 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Sat Oct 10 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Thu Oct 08 12:19:24 -0700 2009 Sat Oct 10 13:18:37 -0700 2009 "A man's dying is more his survivor's affair than his own." ~Thomas Mann

I can't remember how this book got on my to-read list but I do try to read books of all kinds and this one is definitely not the type of book I typically like to read. The Spare Room is the story of Helen, ...more...]]> 2 0 false false Sun May 24 13:02:52 -0700 2009 Fri May 29 16:02:40 -0700 2009
This is a work of fiction by an Australian author who tells the story of Helen, a wo...more...]]> 2 0 false false Tue Jun 16 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Jun 07 20:16:06 -0700 2009 Sun Jun 21 14:08:12 -0700 2009 1
I don't really know what I was really hoping to see happen in The Spare Room by Helen Garner, but it was definitely not what I was expec...more...]]> 4 0 false false Wed Jan 07 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Thu Jan 01 18:16:45 -0800 2009 Fri Jan 16 12:59:13 -0800 2009
The ...more...]]> 4 0 false false Fri Jan 16 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Sat Jan 17 14:10:38 -0800 2009 Sat Jan 17 14:25:23 -0800 2009 more...]]> 5 1 false false Sun Jul 19 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat Jul 18 14:46:59 -0700 2009 Sun Jul 19 15:05:06 -0700 2009
It's the small details that grab you in this tiny, poignant book. In the opening sequence narrator Helen (a writer - the book is described as Helen Garner's first novel in 15 years, but the character's name suggests that it isn't entirely fictional) prepare...more...]]> 4 0 false false Wed Apr 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat May 23 01:40:07 -0700 2009 Sat May 23 01:43:55 -0700 2009 more...]]> 2 0 false false Tue Sep 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Sep 21 13:19:08 -0700 2009 Mon Sep 21 13:25:39 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false true Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Tue Feb 17 17:09:45 -0800 2009 Sat Mar 28 08:33:06 -0700 2009 Described on the bookflap as "powerful and taut" -- a good description.
Spare, brutal, unsparing.
What Helen envisions as an easy thing to do -- off...more...]]> 3 0 false false Wed Apr 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Fri May 22 18:14:07 -0700 2009 Fri May 22 18:22:46 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon Sep 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sun Nov 23 14:31:17 -0800 2008 Tue Nov 25 15:33:04 -0800 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sat Apr 18 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Fri Apr 17 11:28:40 -0700 2009 Sat Apr 18 01:09:13 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun Aug 31 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sat Apr 05 19:22:34 -0700 2008 Sat Feb 14 21:38:23 -0800 2009
Nicola, a friend in end-stage cancer pursuing alternative treatment, comes to stay with Helen. This is the broad canvas upon which themes including friendship, emotions, denial and preparation for death are layere...more...]]> http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=3014272