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mschrock8's review against another edition
3.0
"She circles the date on the calendar and scrawls 'Great day' beside it."
Ava repaired the bindings of books at a library position.
Overuse of the word "however."
Ava repaired the bindings of books at a library position.
Overuse of the word "however."
esshgee's review against another edition
3.0
This took some time for me to get into the story, and I found it a real struggle in the beginning. Am glad I persevered though, as I quite enjoyed it by the end
lisa_setepenre's review against another edition
3.0
The Last Days of Ava Langdon is an affectionate but warts-and-all portrait of Ava Langdon (a fictionalised cipher of Australian novelist Eva Langley) during the last days of her life. Mark O’Flynn’s prose is exquisite and the story compelling. For me, however, the novel lacked something – a spark, perhaps, or clarity – that prevented it from being an excellent read.
kali's review
5.0
This book has been shortlisted for several prestigious prizes and the writing is exquisite, and very accessible. A fictionalised imagining of author Eve Langley’s last days of life, in a hut in the Blue Mountains, living in squalour and behaving very eccentrically. She dresses as Oscar Wilde and most of the narrative is her walk into town and back, visiting other residents and getting into trouble with the law on her perambulations. Because of her mental state and penchant for early drinking, the prospect of a Martian in a space helmet following her doesn’t give cause for alarm. But when he reveals himself it is quite heart-breaking.
brona's review
3.0
I have yet to read Eve Langley's The Pea-Pickers (1942) - it has been on my TBR pile for quite some time though. Reading O'Flynn's fictionalised account of Langley's last days has increased my desire to read it sooner rather than later.
In O'Flynn's story, Langdon's famous book is called The Apple Pickers. Her real life son, Karl Marx is re-named Vladimir Ilyich (yes, really!), but her alter ego remains Oscar Wilde. Both Eve and Ava changed their name by deed poll in 1954 to Oscar Wilde.
Ava is eccentric, mentally unstable and colourful. She would now be labelled as having gender identity confusion. O'Flynn uses flashes of clarity and flashbacks to earlier times to gently reveal her story. His writes with a great deal of affection, empathy and respect for his invented character and her real-life counterpart. Most of the time I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Full review here - http://bronasbooks.blogspot.com.au/2017/08/the-last-days-of-ava-langdon-by-mark.html
In O'Flynn's story, Langdon's famous book is called The Apple Pickers. Her real life son, Karl Marx is re-named Vladimir Ilyich (yes, really!), but her alter ego remains Oscar Wilde. Both Eve and Ava changed their name by deed poll in 1954 to Oscar Wilde.
Ava is eccentric, mentally unstable and colourful. She would now be labelled as having gender identity confusion. O'Flynn uses flashes of clarity and flashbacks to earlier times to gently reveal her story. His writes with a great deal of affection, empathy and respect for his invented character and her real-life counterpart. Most of the time I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Full review here - http://bronasbooks.blogspot.com.au/2017/08/the-last-days-of-ava-langdon-by-mark.html
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