Scan barcode
mushimushi's review
I want to be the person that can read this book, but I’m just not.
julziez's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
siria's review against another edition
4.0
"One evening in the driest grasses in the world, a child who was no stranger to her people, asked if anyone could find hope. The people of parable and prophecy pondered what was hopeless and finally declared they no longer knew what hope was. The clocks, tick-a-ty tock, looked as though they might run out of time. Luckily, the ghosts in the memories of the old folk were listening, and said anyone can find hope in the stories: the big stories and the little ones in between."
Carpentaria is a stunning novel in all senses of the word: astounding in the complexity and concentrated energy of its prose, and at times almost overwhelmingly challenging to read, given the originality of her prose style. Wright is an Aboriginal Australian, a member of the Waanyi nation, and she draws on the history and the oral tradition of her people to create a novel which is an incredible evocation of their way of life and which is written almost defiantly outside of the conventions of the Western literary canon. This tale of Normal Phantom and Joseph Midnight and their families is terrifying and sad and funny and surreal all at once, embracing everything from the Aboriginal conception of the world around them to the appalling effects of colonialism. Wright's torrent of language demands a lot of the reader, but if you're willing to invest your time in Carpentaria, it's well worth the read.
katepowellshine's review against another edition
5.0
This book is amazing. The plot takes a bit to kick in, but the slow burn build is very effective, and all the "tangents" are an important part of the world-building. Reading this book was like entering a different universe. The style is also unusual: early on I often had to re-read sentences, in an attempt to locate the meaning, or at the very least the verb! Once I got a feel for the language it was smoother going. Definitely worth the effort.
snoutling's review against another edition
5.0
I listened to the talking book version of Carpentaria, narrated by Isaach Drandich. And what a narrator he was - insert list of superlatives here. He did have an amazing text work with. The story is intricate, mesmerising, non-linear and told from multiple perspectives. The subject matter is at times heart-wrenching, and at other times hilarious. Alexis Wright writes about race relations in Australia with a sharp wit.
bebodotcom's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
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
5.0
libraryhauntinglesbian's review against another edition
This isn't at all like the books I would usually read but I wanted to give it a chance. The prose is really beautiful but it's just a bit far out of my comfort zone. If you like beautiful lit-fic, you'd probably enjoy it.
kfreedman's review against another edition
Did not finish this book, but didn't not find any of the characters compelling enough to continue.
alzi4k's review against another edition
The writing style was really difficult to comprehend. Most of the book was just too wordy so I had a lot of trouble grasping what was actually happening.
alexandra296's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75