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shelleyrae's review against another edition
4.0
I think I was about eleven when I first read this Australian classic and I decided to reread this year it to fulfil my Eclectic Reader challenge requirements after it was named in the First Tuesday Book Club's Top Ten Books to Read Before You Die.
The Harp in the South is a glimpse into the everyday life of inner Sydney's poorest post war community and introduces the Darcy family who live in Sydney's slums at Twelve-and-a-Half Plymouth Street, Surry Hills. The Irish Catholic Darcy's are an average family in their neighborhood, working class battlers struggling to survive in their damp, flea infested home. Mumma does the best she can with the little she has while her feckless husband Hughie drinks away much of what he earns. Sweet natured and naive eldest daughter Roie longs for romance while quick witted Dolour dreams of escape.
To supplement their meagre income the Darcy's rent rooms to the irascible Miss Sheily and her illegitimate disabled son, and Mr Patrick Diamond, a protestant who baits the family each St Patrick's Day. They take in Grandma when she needs extra care, a lively character who knows her own mind. They are neighboured by a Chinese grocer, Mr Lick, financially assisted by the local madam in time of need and attend church in their Sunday best.
The Darcy's are resigned to the grinding poverty and immune to the violence, finding joy where are able - a New Year's bonfire, a school trip to the seaside. They face heartbreak with stoicism and though their home is often chaotic, there is plenty of love within it's peeling walls.
Though perhaps more properly a series of vignettes rather than a cohesive narrative, following the Darcy's over a period of about a year, the story is well written. Park has an eye for authentic detail, character and dialogue- not surprising really since she lived in Surrey Hills with her husband at the time. The Harp in the South is a social commentary and brutally honest examination
Later followed by [b:Poor Man's Orange|2040557|Poor Man's Orange|Ruth Park|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320660610s/2040557.jpg|2045444] and [b:Missus|2452887|Missus|Ruth Park|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320660552s/2452887.jpg|2460084], tracing the Darcy family's past and future
The Harp In The South is an engaging tale of the triumphs and tragedies amongst the poor working class in Australian cities. A must read for her every Australian who needs reminding just how lucky they are.
iridium's review against another edition
The racism and antisemitism is too much for me personally.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Racism, and Antisemitism
fiona_gs's review against another edition
4.0
Interesting look at another era in Australian history. I liked how the author brought you into the scene with her discription by describing it with all 5 senses. I would have like it to be more indepth with each famliy members thought and experience. I felt it was racing through the event a bit to quickly. Overall a good read.
tilljarvis's review against another edition
dark
sad
slow-paced
2.75
Read this whilst in Australia, and it definitely lent me a perspective I wouldn’t have found elsewhere. In terms of literary value, it provided little less.
jray136's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
sad
medium-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? No
3.25
inthelunaseas's review against another edition
4.0
For a novel written at the end of the 1940s, this stands up surprisingly well.
Okay, there's a lot of racist dialogue in it, and even if you take into consideration the era it was written in, it's still quite racist. There's a plethora of crude remarks about Australian Aboriginals, Chinese and Jewish folk, even if it's followed up with, 'well, [character] is alright'. One of the major supporting characters abuses the hell out of her disabled son, too.
But beyond that? It actually holds up well, and could even be moved to the early 2020s and still take place.
The Harp in the South is a collection of semi-short stories surrounding a family living in poverty. There's length descriptions of the minimal money that comes into the house and how they live. Filthy clothes, cramped conditions, a house that is filled with bed bugs and mould on the walls. What money they have goes straight on the father's liquor habit. They argue constantly, they cry over their living conditions, they dream of better lives and they love each other ceaselessly.
That's what holds everything in this novel together- yes, their lives are terrible, yes, they could be better parents and daughters, but they love each other. That is the glue of their lives.
Hughie bickers constantly with this mother-in-law, but they still snicker and share grog together.
Mumma isn't so sure about her new son-in-law, but she accepts him for filling up her daughter's heart with love.
Dolour is so often on the sidelines, but her family love her and support her in her little venture at winning a quiz show.
Roie is ashamed of her indiscretion with Tommy, but her parents support her through her grief.
This is a book about love- and don't we all need more of that in our lives?
Okay, there's a lot of racist dialogue in it, and even if you take into consideration the era it was written in, it's still quite racist. There's a plethora of crude remarks about Australian Aboriginals, Chinese and Jewish folk, even if it's followed up with, 'well, [character] is alright'. One of the major supporting characters abuses the hell out of her disabled son, too.
But beyond that? It actually holds up well, and could even be moved to the early 2020s and still take place.
The Harp in the South is a collection of semi-short stories surrounding a family living in poverty. There's length descriptions of the minimal money that comes into the house and how they live. Filthy clothes, cramped conditions, a house that is filled with bed bugs and mould on the walls. What money they have goes straight on the father's liquor habit. They argue constantly, they cry over their living conditions, they dream of better lives and they love each other ceaselessly.
That's what holds everything in this novel together- yes, their lives are terrible, yes, they could be better parents and daughters, but they love each other. That is the glue of their lives.
Hughie bickers constantly with this mother-in-law, but they still snicker and share grog together.
Mumma isn't so sure about her new son-in-law, but she accepts him for filling up her daughter's heart with love.
Dolour is so often on the sidelines, but her family love her and support her in her little venture at winning a quiz show.
Roie is ashamed of her indiscretion with Tommy, but her parents support her through her grief.
This is a book about love- and don't we all need more of that in our lives?
bristoni74's review against another edition
5.0
This book is set in Surry Hills (now a generified inner city suburb in Sydney where the wealthy live) but in 1948 was an inner city slum. My grandmother grew up in Sydney in the 1930’s/40’s and said “decent” people didn’t go near Surry Hills as it was full of violence, prostitution and razor gangs. And my grandmother’s description of where the Darcy’s live is true – it’s a place of poverty, alcoholism and violence.
The Harp in the South is part of a trilogy published in 1948 (but is the 2nd book as its sequel was published in 1949). A prequel was published in 1985 (and is the “first” book). However, I’m reading them in the order they were published. Harp in the South is a beautifully written novel by Ruth Park (born in New Zealand) but immigrated to Australia in the early 1940’s and has won many Australian literary prizes over her lifetime.
I can see why this book was controversial when it was first published in conservative Australia of the late 1940’s as it has some uncomfortable truths about the life of the Darcy family who face hardship and tragedy. It shows the poverty of the time, which is hard to understand from a modern perspective (although poverty still exists, but not in such an overt way and our expectations regarding lifestyle are a lot higher!). The descriptions of the Darcy’s cramped home, the father’s alcoholism, the lack of life’s luxuries (what we take of granted and expect) such as new clothes, holidays and eating out. They barely had enough money to even eat!
Their lives certainly are grim but the characters are loveable and love each other, despite their faults. They still try to be good people and support each other and I reflected on my own life and how I live in world of wealth and opportunity compared to the Darcy’s and I am very grateful
The Harp in the South is part of a trilogy published in 1948 (but is the 2nd book as its sequel was published in 1949). A prequel was published in 1985 (and is the “first” book). However, I’m reading them in the order they were published. Harp in the South is a beautifully written novel by Ruth Park (born in New Zealand) but immigrated to Australia in the early 1940’s and has won many Australian literary prizes over her lifetime.
I can see why this book was controversial when it was first published in conservative Australia of the late 1940’s as it has some uncomfortable truths about the life of the Darcy family who face hardship and tragedy. It shows the poverty of the time, which is hard to understand from a modern perspective (although poverty still exists, but not in such an overt way and our expectations regarding lifestyle are a lot higher!). The descriptions of the Darcy’s cramped home, the father’s alcoholism, the lack of life’s luxuries (what we take of granted and expect) such as new clothes, holidays and eating out. They barely had enough money to even eat!
Their lives certainly are grim but the characters are loveable and love each other, despite their faults. They still try to be good people and support each other and I reflected on my own life and how I live in world of wealth and opportunity compared to the Darcy’s and I am very grateful
lkateo's review against another edition
4.0
Ruth Park has a nice storyteller style of writing (not surprising she went on to write the Muddle-Headed Wombat children's series). She paints a vivid portrait of a time and place and the people who inhabited it. The contrast between the 1940s poor inner city slum version of Surry Hills and its modern day incarnation as a yuppie suburb adds an interesting extra layer to the portrait painted.
Also, a great opening line: "The hills are full of Irish people."
Now to find a copy of the other books in the series.
Also, a great opening line: "The hills are full of Irish people."
Now to find a copy of the other books in the series.
e11en's review against another edition
2.0
Look... it's 'of a time'. And I'm just grateful we're no longer living in it.
zoenosis's review against another edition
4.0
I laughed, I cried, and then I did it all again.
I wouldn't say this book has a "plot" as such, but rather a truly amazing cast of characters and Park's incisive commentary, so if you're into plot-driven novels then this may not be for you. I tried reading this once before, a few years back, and was put off by this at first, and that's why I can't give it a full five stars. Now, as then, I found the beginning a little bit plodding - but goodness, the way it all builds and builds towards the ending is absolutely masterful. I'll be thinking about these characters - Hugh, Mumma, Roie, Dolour, Grandma, Patrick, Miss Sheily - for a long time.
If you don't mind waiting a bit to get through the first few chapters, this book packs a massive punch. Seeing this family grow up and change together truly touched me, and I reached the end with actual tears in my eyes, after laughing out loud (weird for me) not two pages earlier. Even if I can't quite imagine Surry Hills as a slum, the book resonates really well with modern Australia, going through religion, family, sex, love, poverty, racism, family violence, multiculturalism, substance abuse, and ridiculous rent prices (ha!) which are all delicately woven in through this one little tale. It feels so small, and yet so big at the same time - just perfect in its aim and execution. I wish more people had read it!
I wouldn't say this book has a "plot" as such, but rather a truly amazing cast of characters and Park's incisive commentary, so if you're into plot-driven novels then this may not be for you. I tried reading this once before, a few years back, and was put off by this at first, and that's why I can't give it a full five stars. Now, as then, I found the beginning a little bit plodding - but goodness, the way it all builds and builds towards the ending is absolutely masterful. I'll be thinking about these characters - Hugh, Mumma, Roie, Dolour, Grandma, Patrick, Miss Sheily - for a long time.
If you don't mind waiting a bit to get through the first few chapters, this book packs a massive punch. Seeing this family grow up and change together truly touched me, and I reached the end with actual tears in my eyes, after laughing out loud (weird for me) not two pages earlier. Even if I can't quite imagine Surry Hills as a slum, the book resonates really well with modern Australia, going through religion, family, sex, love, poverty, racism, family violence, multiculturalism, substance abuse, and ridiculous rent prices (ha!) which are all delicately woven in through this one little tale. It feels so small, and yet so big at the same time - just perfect in its aim and execution. I wish more people had read it!