G'Day Mate!

Have you ever been so relieved to finish a book? I am thrilled to report that last night I finished Australia : True Stories of Life Down Under (Travelers' Tales) as it is a thick book. Three-hundred sixty-four pages to be exact. I'm no stranger to literature from Australia (I actually read The Tree of Man by Nobel Prize winning author Patrick White as well as other fiction from Down Under.) One thing that Australian fiction seems to have is melancholy. When you think about it, it's no wonder. This country is isolated, and it's a very unforgiving country. The last story I read in this book was about a hurricane that hit during the Sydney to Hobart yacht race. I believe the isolation and melancholy made this book difficult to wade through at time, but there were stories that I really enjoyed. I loved the story of the mice infesting the van in the Outback, although I'm not sure I would have loved the story had I experienced it first-hand. The Travelers' Tales series is a fun series I enjoyed last year with interestring bits of travel writing compiled into theme or place. I have a few more and not sure which one I'll start next!