Cirrus@Austlit

'First things first. Hounds of Love, a devilishly potent new Australian film from first-time writer-director Ben Young, is a little masterpiece of horror. It is most definitely not for the squeamish — not that Young wallows in gore, because in fact he is reasonably discreet in depicting the events that unfold. Nevertheless his achievement is to create an environment that is totally, devastatingly believable, and that makes what happens even more confronting than it might otherwise have been.' (Introduction)

Also discusses The Songs of Trees: Stories From Nature's Great Connectors By David George Haskell.

'‘‘Adult’’ is now a verb. Internet cartoons and listicles prove it’s acceptable for people in their 20s to admit that ‘‘adulting is hard’’. We live with our parents longer, have babies later; we are perpetual adolescents who can’t cook dinner and instead order Uber Eats and post it on Instagram. We spend disposable income on fancy coffees and expensive brunch, which why we can’t afford property. If only we had the perseverance of our baby-boomer parents.' (Introduction)

'Of a memoir, one hopes for at least two things. It should cohere, and have enough narrative drive to carry the reader to the end. Though Bruce Grant’s Subtle Moments is rich in stories and insights, it does neither. It’s an assemblage in 14 scenes and more than 400 pages, fattened with articles, poems, testimonials praising Grant’s qualities, excerpts from his novels, and letters — including 20 pages of his own while courting his second wife — all interrupting the narrative flow.' (Introduction)

'China is hard for the outsider. The best-laid plans can get lost in deep tangles of bureaucracy and incomprehension in this huge nation. So the sheer courage of a retired Australian primary school teacher who has spent years navigating Chinese bureaucracy to help disabled children is worth some attention.' (Introduction)