Guilt

I finally finished reading Matt Nable's novel 'Guilt' yesterday (April Fool's Day) and it reminded me of Brendan Cowell's novel 'How It Feels', not so much in storyline, but that way it made me feel ironically enough, and think.
I actually noticed Brendan's ex, Rose Byrne had endorsed Matt's book on the front cover coincidentally enough.

Brendan and Rose in happier times
(Go the Sharkies!!!)

Both novels aren't your "feel good" escape novels that you read to feel good about life, quite the opposite really.
But probably the kind of novels you need to read now and again to make you see what is important in life and what is superficial. 

How It Feels??? Synchronistic That's How! (Part 1)
Kind of made me glad that I'm no longer in a relationship at the moment ... and nor do I ever plan to be, apart from maybe a few good friendships.
And on the subject of Rose Byrne, I saw this news story about her being dropped by Oroton during the week -

Too old (and too pricey): Rose Byrne dumped by Oroton in favour of ‘younger influencers’
"HIGH-end accessory brand Oroton will sever ties with 37-year-old Aussie actor Rose Byrne as they take their company in a new direction.
Oroton, who yesterday announced disappointing half-year earnings, have said they will replace Byrne with “younger influencers”.
The move is sure to save the company serious dollars, with Oroton confirming they would be paying their new ambassadors a much lesser fee."
I know how that would make me feel.
I wrote a post about Rose in December when I heard she was going to be a judge on the Tropfest film festival in February -
2 Degrees of Separation from Rose Byrne?

Rose Byrne

Rose Bryne leads star-studded judging panel for Tropfest short-film festival

"One of the most unique aspects of the competition is that every film must be made specifically for Tropfest.

The intention is to encourage filmmakers to get better at the craft of filmmaking, by making more unique content.

This is achieved through having an annual Tropfest Signature Item (TSI) that must be included in their film."
Next year (2018) the TSI for Tropfest is ROSE.
A film by any other name would be a stinker, as far as Tropfest 2018 goes I guess?-)

Matt Nable

Matt used to play Rugby League for Manly and the Souths Sydney Rabbitohs, among other clubs before he started acting, which made me think of another post I had written which mentions Rose and Brendan and owner of the South Sydney Rabbitohs, Russell Crowe -

Football Syncs

Synchromystically, 2018 is the 110th anniversary of the Rabbitohs and in March 2018 the film 'Peter Rabbit' will be hitting cinema screens with Rose Byrne voicing Bea in that movie, and ROSE will be the Tropfest Signature Item for the 2018 Tropfest short film festival.

Tommy/Chris(t)? 

The 'Who''s Tommy?

Matt's novel 'Guilt' is primarily set around the day of March 25th, 1989, but travels back and forth between that day and the present year (2009 in the novel), through various chapters.
I thought it was interesting, but probably not planned by Matt, that March 25th is known as 'Lady Day' and the story is mainly told from Tommy's viewpoint and involves conflicts on March 25th, 1989 involving young ladies at a feast, or birthday for Chris.
"In the western liturgical year, Lady Day is the traditional name in some English speaking countries of the Feast of the Annunciation (25 March), known in the 1549 Prayer Book of Edward VI and the 1662 Book of Common Prayer as "The Annunciation of the (Blessed) Virgin Mary" but more accurately (as currently in the 1997 Calendar of the Church of England) termed "The Annunciation of our Lord to the Blessed Virgin Mary".
It is the first of the four traditional English quarter days.
The "Lady" is the Virgin Mary.
The term derives from Middle English, when some nouns lost their genitive inflections.
"Lady" would later gain an -s genitive ending, and therefore the name means "Lady's day"."
The 25th of March is also the feast day of St. Dismas in the Roman Catholic Church.
"All that is known of Dismas is that he is the Good Thief crucified with Christ on Calvary."

I thought that was interesting synchromystically, as the first time I found out about Matt Nable was after reading Jessica Watson's book about sailing around the world in the 'Pink Lady' and found out Matt had written the screenplay to bring Jessica's story to the screen ... which is still yet to be made.

TRUE SPIRIT: The Movie, Is Ready to Set Sail
I never met Matt in person until last year's Byron Bay Writers Festival where I bought his book 'Guilt' -

'Writing as Salvation' at the 2016 BBWF
on the Saturday of the weekend

The Shadow Side and True Colours of Liam Pieper?

And the last international major movie I saw Matt in was 'Hacksaw Ridge' where he played Lt Colonel Cooney -
Hacksaw Ridge and the Red Cross of Death?

Katee Sackhoff

I've also mentioned Matt in a post about his 'Riddick' co-star Katee Sackhoff.

Ultimately though, I would have to say that books like 'Guilt' and 'How It Feels' are not the sort of books I like reading, or could recommend, especially to someone who finds life depressing enough as it is.
I prefer reading biographies(semi-fiction?-) and non-fiction books to fiction most days of the week and while I don't mind the occasional book like these to remind me what I'm not missing as far as relationships go (a big hello to my ex-wife:-) and just how shallow, selfish and narcissistic a lot of people in modern society can be (a big hello to my ex-wife, again:-) I prefer something a bit more inspiring than a feeling I could get reading the daily newspaper or opening a Facebook account and surfing through the shallow lives on display.  

But that's not to say Matt hasn't written a good, if not somewhat sexually graphic novel that does mirror a lot of modern western society and its empty materialistic values, it's just to say that a book like this isn't my cup of tea. 
OK, enough said about 'Guilt', I'm going to put my rope back in the cupboard and start reading a more cheery book like 'The Bell Jar';-)