Ms Bubblefish commented on 'In the Skin of a Lion by Michael Ondaatje'

What an exciting author. I Adore Michael Ondaatje, especially after teaching 'In the Skin of a Lion' for a number of years to NSW HSC students. Loads of critical theory actually added to my enjoyment! Someone used a fascinating jazz musical structural framework applied to the novel, and of course the post-colonialist model was insightful as well.
'The English Patient' had a special connection to 'In the Skin of a Lion',which was satisfying to discover.
His poetry collection called 'The Cinnamon Peeler' is luscious-no wonder his prose is so sensuous! His biography 'Running in the Family' is excellent-reminds me a little of Gerald Durrell's 'My Family and Other Animals'. 'Coming Through Slaughter' about a murderous jazz musician, and 'The Collected Works of Billy the Kid' are very different and very demanding, but still rewarding, especially the last one with its wide range of text types.
For me, discovering him by 'having' to teach him, was a real gift. It proved to me that critical analysis need not 'kill' enjoyment, that it can add to the satisfaction.