I really enjoy Helen Garner's writing, hence the second review of one of her books. I read a review of hers that said she was "good company, good in a book", and I think that describes her writing perfectly.
The Spare Room is about a woman in her 60's named Helen who has her friend Nicola coming to stay with her in Melbourne. Nicola is fun, playful and has liver and bone cancer. She is staying with Helen to try her latest discovery in alternate medicine that will rid her of the cancer. During the 3 weeks of her stay, Helen works slavishly to look after her dying friend and grits her teeth to the weird treatments until she no longer can.
It is a wonderfully honest story as Helen deals with both the workload and stressload of a friend in denial of dying. She is very human in her frustration and anger. What sounds like a depressing subject matter becomes an enjoyable fictional read through Garner's great writing.
It fascinated me that an author would use her own name for the lead character; it certainly does seem like a story close to her own heart. The Helen in the book is also a writer, who lives in Melbourne, next door to her daughter. Is the story more true than fiction?
The Home Filez rating.... 4/5!*
* I know that most reviews have been rated 4/5!! I have made a point of only including the good reads, so somehow these become etched in my mind (although I still can never think of a single book when someone says what have you read that's good lately?!)
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