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harmless_fish's review against another edition
4.25
On a scale from A-Z it is a liquid, not a solid or a gas, it’s raining.
litchyn's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
a_vdm's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
lunaseassecondaccount's review against another edition
4.0
I recently decided to sign up to a book subscription box. Imagine my utter surprise when the very first book that was sent to me was this one - something I read some fifteen years ago.
I first read this book, like so many other young Australians, as part of the required reading while in high school. I was 16, going on 17, and had never quite enjoyed the books thrust upon us. Something was different about this book, though, and I found myself getting drawn in by the meandering, twisted timelines and references to events gone past that were never fully clear; was Cornelius the drifter that stumbled upon the farm on his voyage home? Was the referenced uncle actually a cousin? Where did Charlie and Billy and Molloy fit in?
Much of the reason I loved this book as a late teen were the reasons I loved it again as an adult. My favourite chapter will always be Nadine's, with the imagery of her gripping the chair in the kitchen as the waters rise. I also found Connie and Will's coming together on the beach somehow less explicit this time around, and I found myself questioning if they really did bone in the water or if it was just a strange turn of phrase. This second time reading it, too, I enjoyed Jessica Olive a little more, and her long-suffering plight in 19th century Queensland.
Some folks have mentioned how difficult this book is to read, but I encourage you to remember that these was published over a series of months in a newspaper or magazine, so if it reads disjointed, that would be why. Try not to let this style pull you away, but take it as that sort of episodic framework that would have been how most books were read at the turn of the century.
I first read this book, like so many other young Australians, as part of the required reading while in high school. I was 16, going on 17, and had never quite enjoyed the books thrust upon us. Something was different about this book, though, and I found myself getting drawn in by the meandering, twisted timelines and references to events gone past that were never fully clear; was Cornelius the drifter that stumbled upon the farm on his voyage home? Was the referenced uncle actually a cousin? Where did Charlie and Billy and Molloy fit in?
Much of the reason I loved this book as a late teen were the reasons I loved it again as an adult. My favourite chapter will always be Nadine's, with the imagery of her gripping the chair in the kitchen as the waters rise. I also found Connie and Will's coming together on the beach somehow less explicit this time around, and I found myself questioning if they really did bone in the water or if it was just a strange turn of phrase. This second time reading it, too, I enjoyed Jessica Olive a little more, and her long-suffering plight in 19th century Queensland.
Some folks have mentioned how difficult this book is to read, but I encourage you to remember that these was published over a series of months in a newspaper or magazine, so if it reads disjointed, that would be why. Try not to let this style pull you away, but take it as that sort of episodic framework that would have been how most books were read at the turn of the century.
helen_is's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
jayden_mccomiskie's review against another edition
5.0
Wow. This was amazing. I started it to break up the complex Vollmann book I'm reading, and I ended up reading this in one day.
julien_alexander's review against another edition
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
ldawson's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
inthelunaseas's review against another edition
4.0
I recently decided to sign up to a book subscription box. Imagine my utter surprise when the very first book that was sent to me was this one - something I read some fifteen years ago.
I first read this book, like so many other young Australians, as part of the required reading while in high school. I was 16, going on 17, and had never quite enjoyed the books thrust upon us. Something was different about this book, though, and I found myself getting drawn in by the meandering, twisted timelines and references to events gone past that were never fully clear; was Cornelius the drifter that stumbled upon the farm on his voyage home? Was the referenced uncle actually a cousin? Where did Charlie and Billy and Molloy fit in?
Much of the reason I loved this book as a late teen were the reasons I loved it again as an adult. My favourite chapter will always be Nadine's, with the imagery of her gripping the chair in the kitchen as the waters rise. I also found Connie and Will's coming together on the beach somehow less explicit this time around, and I found myself questioning if they really did bone in the water or if it was just a strange turn of phrase. This second time reading it, too, I enjoyed Jessica Olive a little more, and her long-suffering plight in 19th century Queensland.
Some folks have mentioned how difficult this book is to read, but I encourage you to remember that these was published over a series of months in a newspaper or magazine, so if it reads disjointed, that would be why. Try not to let this style pull you away, but take it as that sort of episodic framework that would have been how most books were read at the turn of the century.
I first read this book, like so many other young Australians, as part of the required reading while in high school. I was 16, going on 17, and had never quite enjoyed the books thrust upon us. Something was different about this book, though, and I found myself getting drawn in by the meandering, twisted timelines and references to events gone past that were never fully clear; was Cornelius the drifter that stumbled upon the farm on his voyage home? Was the referenced uncle actually a cousin? Where did Charlie and Billy and Molloy fit in?
Much of the reason I loved this book as a late teen were the reasons I loved it again as an adult. My favourite chapter will always be Nadine's, with the imagery of her gripping the chair in the kitchen as the waters rise. I also found Connie and Will's coming together on the beach somehow less explicit this time around, and I found myself questioning if they really did bone in the water or if it was just a strange turn of phrase. This second time reading it, too, I enjoyed Jessica Olive a little more, and her long-suffering plight in 19th century Queensland.
Some folks have mentioned how difficult this book is to read, but I encourage you to remember that these was published over a series of months in a newspaper or magazine, so if it reads disjointed, that would be why. Try not to let this style pull you away, but take it as that sort of episodic framework that would have been how most books were read at the turn of the century.