Books that changed me

Sydney Morning Herald  - 15 September, 2013

by author Nicole Alexander.

The Man from Snowy River - Banjo Paterson
I read this second-edition (1911) copy belonging to my great-grandparents when I was a child. Ordered through the mail from Sydney, it travelled by train before being carried by a postal rider to our property. On first reading I was hooked by the intrigue, difficulties and romance of the Australian bush and the thought that three generations had read it before me.

The Old Man and the Sea - Ernest Hemingway
I recall reading this novella in my teens. Although set in the middle of the ocean, it reminded me of my own family's battle with nature, albeit of the landlubber kind. I loved the story and subsequently read a biography of Hemingway's life and became fascinated by this big-game-hunting, martini-drinking, bull-fighting aficionado.

Picnic at Hanging Rock - Joan Lindsay
The haunting quality of this novel and its mysterious events have made this classic one of my favourites. The subtle narrative layering cleverly addresses a number of themes from class distinction to latent sexuality. However, it was the concept of a gulf between settlers from Europe and the mysteries of the ancient land that they inhabited and thought that they could tame that made the work so powerful.

Ransom - David Malouf
One of my favourite Australian authors, Malouf shone a new light on Homer's Iliad (my sixth-favourite work) in his novel Ransom. Though the Trojan War is shown in miniature here, the themes of humanity, war, fate and heroes are exquisitely explored. Malouf's rendering of the human condition never fails both to enlighten and entertain.

Gone with the Wind - Margaret Mitchell
Set against the backdrop of the American Civil War and the Reconstruction period, this novel is the example of the epic historical saga turned popular fiction. The story is wide-reaching in its depiction of the disappearance of the ''old South'' and as for romance, one of the underlying themes is Scarlet's love of the family property, Tara. Unfortunately for Rhett, she didn't really give that much of a damn either!

Nicole Alexander (left) has worked in Australia and Singapore in financial services, fashion, corporate publishing and agriculture. 
A fourth-generation grazier, Alexander is business manager of her family's property and the author of four novels. Her new novel, Sunset Ridge, is published by Bantam. 

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/books/nicole-alexander-books-that-changed-me-20130913-2to1y.html#ixzz2ezU5h6nR