Dear John,

I have read every novel John Irving has published and have enormous respect for many of them. I am totally over the wrestling however.

That has not stopped me from buying his latest novel, 'In One Person', in the hope that there might be all of those wonderfully rich characters with some new imagining and re-imagining of the world.

'In one person' is another good book.  It introduces us to characters who are, in the Irving tradition, flawed yet lovable. Deeply human, they invite you into their intimate circles, to revel in their frailty.

Yet when part way through I find myself shuffled mindlessly into yet another high school wrestling room I feel betrayed and have to put the Kindle away and read something else for a while.

I believe Irving to be a fantastic writer.  He has written some of my all time favourites works. But the over use of the same subject for so many, if not all, of his characters to literally and symbolically 'wrestle' with leaves me feeling a bit cheated. Not everyone in the known world wrestles.  Not everyone in New Hampshire wrestles. There is a sense that there is a lack of imagination here which is in such stark contrast to the dialogue and relationships that unfold throughout his work.   

I'm at the point that although in this novel the wrestling is actually used as part of the plot I find it detracts from everything else. I can accept that if this had been my first Irving I might feel differently, I might find it fits the mood and the story and the character perfectly.  But as readers we don't take in anything in isolation; as people we know that everything is connected. The constant repetition makes me feel as though I have been robbed of the full weight of the story.

The sore spot the wrestling has rubbed raw on me makes it hard to concentrate on the gentle way in which the experience of the explosion of AIDS onto the 1980s GLBT scene is unfolded. The exploration of Bill's cross dressing grandfather is handled beautifully.

This was not his greatest work, not by a long shot, but there are solid characters and lovely vignettes all the same.

I can't promise I'll be reading the next novel.  I can't promise that I won't.

Bonsai and The Mez

Our meals in Northbridge lately have been much more hit than miss and we're delighted.

Since the State Theatre opened in the Cultural Centre precinct we are eating in Northbridge at least six times a year. With our recent great experiences it may end up being more frequent than that.
The latest two success stories have their roots in very different parts of the globe, Greece and Japan.

The Mez

The Mez is a Greek restaurant looking over Russell Square. It's been there a while and all of the reviews I've read were good.  It also helps that you can book online, and for me every phone call I don't have to make is a bonus.

The service was prompt and attentive which is important if you're having a bite before an event. It is also in this year's Entertainment Book, so for those keeping an eye on the budget that has to be a good thing.

We had a couple of weight watchers on the table who went for Greek and Caesar salads+. B made an odd choice for a Greek restaurant, the Fillet Mignon, but I went traditional and selected the house specialty, Lamb Kleftiko.

Mine was the dish of the night, melt in the mouth, tender, tasty meat, delicious tzatziki, steamed vegetables.  Perfect.

Word of Mouth Rating : Sweet

Recommended to;

• Friends
• Family
• Kids
• Colleagues
• The World

The Mez

+ For the record I'm yet to be convinced that either a Greek or Caesar salad is a health food but I guess it outranks anything that comes with fries.

Bonsai

We went to Bonsai as a group of six and quickly decided on a selection of ‘shares’ for the table. The instigator of the event brought pen and paper and made short work of producing a list of our order to provide to the wait staff. It’s a technique that I would recommend.
The instructions on the front of the menu to go for 2-3 dishes per person worked out perfectly for our group, with everyone full without being uncomfortably so.

The food came out quickly and efficiently, with the exception of two dishes that were tempura-rily MIA. Luckily they were worth waiting for.

The mushroom miso soup was served in cute dishes with wooden lids, in fact all of the serving wear was worthy of remark.

The soft shell crab was delicious, and I would argue that the wasabi mayonnaise that came with it would have stood well on its own with just about any dish. The creamy prawn spring rolls with hot english mustard were creamy and crispy all at the same time.

The Red wine pork belly was divine, but I have to admit bias - I don’t recall the last pork belly I tried that I didn’t like.We also sampled the Cajun squid, Fried chicken tasazu, Wagyu beef tataki, the Beef asparagus, Sweet potato and eggplant tempura, Pan fried scallops and Butter soy clams. The clams were underwhelming, but that’s the worst thing I can say about the food.

The pickled ginger and duck slices, last to arrive, were a lovely way to round out the meal.

The wine list included a Forest Hill offering which is always going to be a hit with us. There were also the expected Japanese Beer, plum wine and Saki options.

At about $50 a head including drinks I will happily be returning.

Word of Mouth Rating : Sweet

Recommended to;

• Friends
• Family
• Colleagues
• The World

Bonsai