The reader: Damon Collie

I met Damon in the late 90’s. I’m pretty sure I was wearing an Intencity uniform and a nose ring. He probably had pink hair. Damon always had outstanding taste in books and music and over the years he’s bought me several of the interesting books on my shelf like The Doors of Perception by Aldous Huxley and A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving. Damon’s a brunette these days and he lives and works in Washington DC.

The World According to Garp by John Irving

"When I was in Guatemala in 2000, I met an American traveler who upon establishing that Australians speak English gifted me with two books: The World According to Garp by John Irving and The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. I enjoyed both but only one changed my life. The World According to Garp was the first John Irving book I read and my favourite of his novels. I’ve since gone on to read all of Irving’s novels and I’m not sure if Garp is my favourite because it was my first – it’s definitely possible. John Irving’s usual themes such as death, sexuality, and wrestling are in Garp in abundance but I was drawn to the character of Garp more than any of his other amazing characters. Like all of Irving’s books, Garp contains some truly bizarre characters and _plots but none that are so over the top that they couldn’t possibly be true in this zany world we live in. John Irving is such a descriptive writer and most of his novels clock in at over 500 pages; however, his prose is rarely flowery (not that I have a problem with flowery language). I eventually passed on my original copy of Garp to another fellow traveler but found a hardcover version several years later. I met John Irving at a book reading/signing last year on the National Mall in Washington DC and had him sign my copy of Garp. It was an exciting moment."

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

"Although I did not realise it at the time, I found a UK first edition copy of Slaughterhouse-Five at a book market somewhere on the South Bank in London. At ₤3 it cost twice as much as the original price back in 1970. From discussions I’ve had with others, this is a pretty divisive book: you either love it or hate it. Obviously, I love it. I don’t generally love science fiction books but I love (most of) Kurt Vonnegut’s novels. His novels are just so out there, so ridiculous, that they might as well have been written by a Tramalfadorian. Slaughterhouse-Five is filled with humourous characters and storylines – few authors make me laugh out loud like Kurt Vonnegut – but there is an underlying sadness throughout the book. It’s a dark comedy, to put it mildly. Vonnegut writes in a simple style, but he is a deep thinker, and there is always a moral to his stories, even if you have to search through the absurdity to find it. Slaughterhouse-Five is disjointed and set in different timelines, and is partially based on Vonnegut’s experiences as a prisoner of war and witness to the fire bombing of Dresden during World War II. It very successfully depicts the senselessness of war. So it goes."

Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez 

"In the USA – at least in some of the more affluent neighbourhoods – public libraries will periodically have massive book sales of old library books and books donated by local readers. The sales are a beautiful thing and while you can find plenty of Da Vinci Codes, you will also find some absolute classics. And for dirt cheap. I found Love in the Time of Cholera at a book sale in Virginia. I love the genre of magic realism and some of my favourite authors are Rushdie, Allende, and de Bernieres, but Gabriel Garcia Marquez is the master of the genre in my opinion. He has such a way with words that his novels consistently blow my mind, but Love in the Time of Cholera sticks out for me with its amazing depth of feeling and wonderful depictions of South American life. It’s a love story with many twists set in an unnamed South American city. Although Florentino Ariza is a flawed character, one can’t help but support him in his lifelong quest for the love of Fermina Daza. A beautiful book by a beautiful writer."