Over three beguiling episodes, Claudia Karvan, a wonderful Australian actor, explores new and old Australian novels in “Books that Made Us.” These kind of shows can quickly bore, but Karvan clearly loves reading and her affection infuses every moment with readerly joy. Of course I enjoyed explorations of core books written by heroes of mine, such as Chris Tsiolkas, Tim Winton, Helen Garner, and Tara June Winch, but just as fascinating are her forays into novels I read as a young teen, including The Timeless Land by Eleanor Dark. The entire season of Books That Made Us is heartily recommended, not so much as for its menu of “books I should read” (although it certainly does supply this) but for an invigorating shot of readerly purposefulness.
Book, album, and movie reviews
