The reader is also given a small glimpse of the high life in Nick Earls’ latest novel, The Fix. Set, as usual, up in sunny Brisbane, The Fix is a story of a story, and how things are never quite what they seem. Josh has just come back to Australia after a few years working as a spin doctor in London, and while he is waiting to get back into his first love of journalism (and writing a newspaper blog to earn a few bucks in the meantime!), he is approached to carry out a PR campaign for a lawyer receiving a medal for bravery.
For someone used to saving the backsides of big, nasty corporations, it sounds like an easy gig. One problem though is that the lawyer is Josh’s old friend Ben, who we suspect may have hurt Josh in the past. As the novel progresses, it’s also clear that Ben’s reluctance to talk about what happened in the ‘siege’ has less to do with his feelings towards Josh, and more to do with the truth of the whole affair…
I was a little hesitant on starting this book because Earls is a writer who started off writing lad-lit in the vein of Nick Hornby and Mike Gayle, and I wasn’t sure if an older, more literary me would still enjoy his work (Gayle is one whose books I now avoid…). An hour later, and a hundred pages down, I was safely able to take those fears and dump them in the Brisbane river; The Fix is a riveting read.
There were a few uncomfortable moments (I’m not sure a scene with a Korean businessman was strictly necessary, or appropriate), but what I like about Earls is that he has kept his earlier eye for the humorous side of life and combined it with a more developed sense of the darkness that lies beneath it. The longer the book goes on, the more uneasy Ben becomes – and the more obsessed the reader becomes with uncovering the truth. But what is ‘truth’, and is it ever possible to get to the bottom of anything, particularly someone’s character?
On starting this post, I was thinking of writing something about how Earls has moved on from lad-lit and is working towards writing more complex and literary novels, thinking that this one would be another step in the same direction. After finishing the book, I would have to say that I’ve changed my mind – this is the book that marks him as more than a humorous chronicler of the lives of thirty-something Brisbanites. The descriptive writing may not be as elegant as I might want it to be, but The Fix is a fabulous, multi-layered work which will, I’m sure, stand up to rereading.
And that makes me very happy 🙂
20 books! That's an achievement. I have a few Australian authors on my pile, might have a look at the challenge. From March on I would have a bit of time.
I like Hornby, not sure about Gayle (if I have read him). I make a note of the The Fix, I think I might like it.
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I was very happy with 'The Fix'; in fact, on reflection, I'm still not completely sure I got everything at the end of the book. There are definitely many questions to be asked.
By the way, I think I found the gremlin affecting my posts on Google Reader (to do with copying photos into the text), so I should be OK now 🙂
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You will be delighted to hear that soem of your old posts were in my reader today together with the new one. Not sure that's what you wanted. 🙂
I do this copy pasting all the time btw. It never affected me.
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I was copying from the Google Images search results, not from the web-page; I think this short-circuited the HTML in the posts. When I replaced the picture in my Swiss post, it magically appeared in my reader…
…so don't be surprised to see my Kleist posts pop up at some point!
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Shamefully I don't think I've read a single Australian author this year. No, wait, I read Shirley Hazzard, who eventually moved to the US. Maybe she still counts? I sort of like a tattoo being the impetus to a life change–not that I would ever do that, but I still like it.
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Definitely time to read more then 😉 Seriously, I doubt I'd read anything by an Aussie before moving here, so this challenge has been a good opportunity to make up for that.
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I'm afraid I've never read any Australian writer but Max Barry.
What's your recommendation?
btw, Lisa has reviewed Indelible Ink here: http://anzlitlovers.com/2010/07/01/indelible-ink-by-fiona-mcgregor/
Emma
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Congrats on the 20 books! I love that you requested a book after drinking!
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Emma – I've been a big fan of Tim Winton for years now, but this year's big discovery was Steven Carroll – I read five of his books this year, all very good 🙂
Others I like include Elliot Perlman, Christos Tsiolkas, Arnold Zable and Patrick White. I've only read the odd book by female writers though, apart from Helen Garner.
TBM – It's not a good habit to get into! I went through a bit of a library phase, and a few times I woke up on Sunday thinking “What did I reserve at the library last night?”.
I suppose there are worse things you can do under the influence 😉
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I've had Tim Winton recommended to me–maybe I will track something by him down. Have you read Kate Grenville? I read one of her earlier novels years ago, but nothing recently. I've wanted to read The Secret River since it was listed for the Booker. Maybe next year will be its year. I guess I had better start a list as I seem to be making these sorts of proclamations all over on blogs at the moment.
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As we all do (nobody said we have to keep all this promises, right?). There was a tournament of books run by Meanjin magazine recently to find a champion book by a female Australian writer, so that's another good source of ideas 🙂
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Thanks for the list Tony. Like Danielle my wish list for 2012 is already too long for what I'll be able to read…
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Wish lists are just that – wishes 🙂
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Very glad to hear you enjoyed Indelible Ink – that one is getting very close to the top of my TBR pile. I probably should read an Earls one day, being set in my home town.
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Definitely 🙂 I often think it must be great to wander down the streets he namechecks in Brissie – a reason I read lots of books set in Melbourne 😉
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