Anne Coombs

For most urban Aussies the nearest they get to Australian country houses of the type favoured by wealthy renovators is through the pages of the lifestyle magazines like Vogue or reality lifestyle programs like Country House Rescue. But the late Anne Coombs — author, philanthropist and activist for refugees — was a resident of rel="nofollow" target="_top">Exeter in the NSW southern highlands, which markets itself like this:

It's time to experience English heritage. This thriving village is home to a large number of English style estates, a picture postcard historic Church and country railway station, both of which could have been lifted straight from an Agatha Christie film set.

This village personifies the 'little England' name tag so often associated with the Southern Highlands.

In fact it was named after its English counterpart because of the lush green countryside and the profusion of deciduous trees brought to Australia by the early settlers is indeed very 'English'.

Set in the mid-nineties, Glass Houses satirises the 'renovation scene' in a novel whose (fictional) village setting allows for a cast of eccentric characters. The central character Raymond (nursing nostalgia for the family home in Tasmania), buys the derelict mansion Glastonbridge, and embarks on the painstaking business of restoring it to its former glory. This involves rival antique dealers Phillip and Theo in Sydney, and local craftspeople such as the woodworker Coral and the jack-of-all-trades Bob. There's also Duane who emerges as co-conspirator with hostile forces i.e. developers and the National Trust.

Having inherited well, Raymond seems to have plenty of money, were it not for his Awful Sister, Lillian. She is recently widowed and is the owner of an apartment in New York that would solve her money troubles — but she doesn't want to part with it and so attaches herself to Raymond in an on-again-off-again relationship that involves borrowing (a lot of) money from him but not wanting to pay him back. He OTOH needs somewhere to stay in Sydney when he goes hunting for items for the house... and more importantly, she is the only family he has.

Raymond is a troubled man, and not just because the house is in chaos.

TO read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2023/07/09/glass-houses-2023-by-anne-coombs/… (altro)