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stageyclelia's review against another edition
3.0
I had a really hard time enjoying this book, because I did not always understand what was happening but also I suppose because the timeline was so confusing. I assume this is done on purpose, it just wasn't for me I guess! It was also very dark at times. But, although there were very long passages giving out a lot of detail that I really wanted to skip, there were a few interesting episodes and I did end up looking forward to what was going to happen next at times!
Edit: After taking the time to read about the novel and its context/culture, I re-read it and enjoyed it much more, having accepted that the narration is thematic as opposed to chronological and also knowing what happened in the book already helped me focus a lot I'm not gonna lie
Edit: After taking the time to read about the novel and its context/culture, I re-read it and enjoyed it much more, having accepted that the narration is thematic as opposed to chronological and also knowing what happened in the book already helped me focus a lot I'm not gonna lie
sarahreincastle's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
fiona_gs's review
5.0
This was the prefect book for a long car trip. It was poetic, funny and hard hitting too. I can't stop recommending this people who want to read from and indigenous author. This is a book that you go with the follow like a river or ocean tide as it switches effectually from tradition writing style to a Dreamtime like poetry style that makes you see the belief systems and land as one.
kruu_dao's review against another edition
This was selected for my book club in January of 2022. I had some trouble sourcing the novel, so I only had a few days to complete it before we met, and I was confident that I could manage it. Naive little me! Even with a book this size, a week really should have been sufficient, but I only managed 78, which is infinitesimal. especially considering the 500-page tome that this novel was. And I am afraid that all the pages rolling out before me were simply too overwhelming for me to want to continue, for me to spend more time with these characters, or pursue a writing style that gave me no joy. And so I went to that book club meeting with an unfinished read (quelle horreur! I have never done such a thing before), to discover that everyone else had had the same reaction and guiltily put it aside. I have since given it a few more brief attempts, but it is practically August and I have not gotten a page further, so it seems unrealistic to imagine I ever will. Time to face reality...
Yet when I decide to DNF I always read a few reviews first, to see what redeeming features could make me continue. From that, I can muster some admiration for the author's attempt to create an entirely new style, to dispense with English as we know it in order to incorporate the practices of Australia's indigenous peoples. I saw a hint of the grand themes that other spied in it, of intergenerational trauma, exploration of masculinity in this setting, etc. but the part I missed was the celebration of indigenous culture and history. Maybe that was in the other pages, after the relentless description of tip fights and family abuse. Maybe I missed it, as it required so much brain power just to survive each sentence and try to connect it to the others. And I say this as an English teacher - difficult texts, experimental styles, long complicated sentences, I usually love them all!
Perhaps what really stood in my way was the characterisation. The style I would have eventually adapted to, if I cared at all about any of the characters or understood what their purpose was. Again, I don't even need my characters to be likeable, but here I struggled to even identify why they were being written the way they were. Surely there was one halfway charismatic or not entirely awful person on the entire peninsula at some point? When were we going to meet them? I suspect that I could return to this novel one day in the future, but it would have to be after retirement, when I have the mental energy to devote my full being to every word.
Yet when I decide to DNF I always read a few reviews first, to see what redeeming features could make me continue. From that, I can muster some admiration for the author's attempt to create an entirely new style, to dispense with English as we know it in order to incorporate the practices of Australia's indigenous peoples. I saw a hint of the grand themes that other spied in it, of intergenerational trauma, exploration of masculinity in this setting, etc. but the part I missed was the celebration of indigenous culture and history. Maybe that was in the other pages, after the relentless description of tip fights and family abuse. Maybe I missed it, as it required so much brain power just to survive each sentence and try to connect it to the others. And I say this as an English teacher - difficult texts, experimental styles, long complicated sentences, I usually love them all!
Perhaps what really stood in my way was the characterisation. The style I would have eventually adapted to, if I cared at all about any of the characters or understood what their purpose was. Again, I don't even need my characters to be likeable, but here I struggled to even identify why they were being written the way they were. Surely there was one halfway charismatic or not entirely awful person on the entire peninsula at some point? When were we going to meet them? I suspect that I could return to this novel one day in the future, but it would have to be after retirement, when I have the mental energy to devote my full being to every word.
liz246810's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
rosielazar1's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5