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Title:
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Laughing at the Dark |
Authors:
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Else, Barbara |
Genre:
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Non Fiction: New Zealand |
Pages:
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262 |
Year:
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2023 |
Language:
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English |
Description:
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In this engaging memoir, Barbara Else charts the trajectory of her life from a shy young girl to a good wife and mother and finally - with recognition of her considerable talent - to an acclaimed New Zealand author.
From a childhood in the 50s and 60s, to university, early marriage and motherhood, and then the rebellious leap to acting and writing groups, this thought-provoking account not only chronicles the life of a writer, but a society starting to throw off the shackles of the patriarchy.
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Categories:
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Non-fiction NZ, Biography, Feminism, Literature oriented, Social commentary/perspectives, 2025 Titles |
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Reviews
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By: TEKAPO 001
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2025-07-08 11:42:38 |
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Out of six members at the meeting, four enjoyed the book but two not so much. No one had heard of the author, but we admired her finding her voice and success. |
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By: CHCH 588
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2025-06-23 09:41:54 |
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First half of the book interested the group, but it was hard to get through the second half. |
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By: CROMW 004
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2025-04-14 11:43:19 |
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Enjoyed by everyone in the group. Well-written, and as a South Island Central Otago book Club, we all enjoyed recognising places and characters in the book. |
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By: MAST 019
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2025-03-19 08:35:56 |
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We all enjoyed Barbara's writing style and the anecdotal presentation. It led to an interesting and lively discussion about feminism, patriarchy and the development of relationships in the last century, particualarly gender roles. We all had points of pathos with the author's experiences and having all lived in Wellington at some point in our lives, were entertained by the references and landmarks. It was a good and easy read, as well as an insight into the NZ writing scene. |
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By: MORRI 002
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2025-03-06 11:33:54 |
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We thought it was ok. Didn't love it, but it did provide a good discussion. |
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By: TAUR 022
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2025-02-24 13:25:18 |
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How lucky she was to have found her second husband after a pretty awful first husband. |
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By: OPOTI 003
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2024-10-17 13:49:54 |
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By: OPOTI 003
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2024-10-10 09:33:25 |
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Maybe most appreciated by those who'd read some of her novels - but also loved by those who'd never come across her. |
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By: WELL 046
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2024-07-04 11:57:30 |
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Most of our group enjoyed the book. The author has a good writing style. However, some felt the book was heavily weighted on a couple of areas of her life. |
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By: AUCK 014
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2024-06-17 15:58:58 |
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Our group was ambivalent. As a memoir, it was generous, intimate and an interesting very personal observation on the impact of feminism in New Zealand. Some commented about her willingness to share, to invite us into her life. However, some struggled to make a connection to the author's experience, and found aspects of the memoir a bit tedious. |
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By: THAM 003
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2024-04-22 12:19:59 |
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The first book in a while our whole bookclub have finished and enjoyed. An easy read and entertaining at times. Lots of discussion around womens' rights in the 1960s, and how far we have come in the last 50 years. A fascinating insight into literary life which has piqued our interest to read more of Barbara's books. |
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BDS is a member of the Federation of Workers Educational Associations
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