What I’m Reading: “The Axeman’s Carnival” by Catherine Chidgey

On October 5, as part of a Just Arrived post for Catherine Chidgey’s The Axeman’s Carnival, I mentioned that this book is both a popular and critically acclaimed work, and won this year’s Ockham NZ Book Award—aka the Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize–for Fiction.

By implication, I am clearly late to the reading party! Nonetheless, herewith m’terribly important thoughts on The Axeman’s Carnival.

Short version: I liked it a lot.

The reasons why are numerous, but I’m going to start with what it’s all ab...