Lydia, do you think One Thousand White Women is another novel that suffers from 'Dances With Wolves Syndrome'? I am collecting examples of DWWS now that I have a name to go with the manifestation. If you didn't enjoy the first two-thirds, you probably wouldn't like the last third any better. I finished it, but didn't like the ending. I did enjoy the 'what if' aspect of OTWW, but I concur that the writer was sloppy with his 'stereotypes, anachronisms, and sensibilities' and the violence and cruelty were off-putting (the scene of the prostitute having her insides washed out with hot water has stuck with me, unfortunately). As for it being 'a joke', if I remember correctly, it did seem to be somewhat satirical in tone, something that kept me from taking it very seriously. Ha! I've run across readers, too, who think it's history. Woodnymph, my sister-in-law from South Carolina praised Pat Conroy's writing until his last couple of books (written before SIL's death), but she disliked Anne Rivers Siddons. I don't remember exactly why, but it ran along the lines of what she thought of 'the trap' that southern writers often fall into, which she described as "[the writers] giving the readers what they expect." I think she considered it 'lazy writing', so that may correspond with your opinion that Conroy "has lost his touch." Do you think so?

Interesting subject Yvonne, as I have been planning to buy a copy of Jane Eyre for a friend who, somehow had never read it. She claims her class never 'did' it at school, which seems a feeble excuse for never reading it. ;-) Anyway I was looking at the Book Depository site (free delivery to Canada being too good an offer to turn down) and came up with over seven hundred choices . . . If you had never heard of Jane Eyre and looked at even 20 of them, I wonder how many of those covers would give you a clue to what lay inside? May be the ones showing a single female, or the 'artist's impression' of a busty female and a hunky guy. But what about rugged mountains, coastal scenes and ones so 'obscure' they have no 'meaning' at all? Answers on a post card please. Here is a link that might be useful: Will the Real Jane Eyre . . . .

Kath, I wasn't familiar with Mackellar's poem, thanks for posting it. UK book titles are the same as the Australian ones. Downunder is still a a recognised term for Australia here though I don't suppose they call England 'Upover' anymore than they used to refer to us as home. BTW I felt that Downunder was rather thin on substance. I don't think BB had spent long enough there. I never realised that A Town Like Alice had an American title. I remember when I first heard the book mentioned, as a child, it sounded 'unusual' but can't see why US readers seem not to be expected (by editors/movie folk) to be capable of dealing with the occasional oddity. Whatever the title I think it is still a cracking read. On the Beach is another one with a most unusual 'plot' that works surprisingly well . . . for a story dealing with nuclear fall-out. re Fuller's book. I think the title is Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight which has been well-recommended over here. I haven't read it but usually the expression 'going to the dogs' or if you are from London 'going down the dogs' means spending the evening at the local 'dog track' ie greyhound racing. I think the book is set in Rhodesia and I have no idea if there were any 'dog tracks' or if white people would have been seen there. 'Going to the Dogs' also means a deterioration in ones circumstances/business/way of life. Mary does any of the above appear in the book?

Kathy, I'm not sure anyone is on Susan Hill's wavelength, but I do like her Serrailler books. Of her others that I have read, and I haven't read many, I only liked Mrs. deWinter and Howard's End Is on the Landing. She is too dark for me. My daughter and I saw the London stage production of Woman in Black, and she gave a little squeak and grabbed my arm at one point.