Robert Lukens

Well, I can hear the tone in your voice, Kate, when you say rom-com, and I don't know if I like it because I'm here to rom-com.

I'm here to defend rom-coms.

Look, if you don't like romance and you don't like comedy, I'm sorry, but you're sick.

I stand with Robert.

Very diplomatic.

Brideshead Revisited is a romantic comedy.

Most of Muriel Spark, all of Oscar Wilde, wrote and cons are in great company.

It was a pleasure.

Always a pleasure.

You've been listening to an ABC podcast.

I loved this book.

The book actually put a hex on me.

Shirley Hazard's The Transit of Venus, Joan London's The Golden Age and Miles Franklin's My Brilliant Career.

This is The Bookshelf on Radio National or on your podcast catcher of choice.

I'm Kate Evans and those are the books in today's show.

They're all Australian, although Shirley Hazard spent most of her life away from the place.

And Miles Franklin was writing at the turn of the 20th century.

And Joan London takes us to Perth.

All of these discussions come out of our 2020 book club.

Let's begin, though, with Shirley Hazard's The Transit of Venus, published in 1980.