Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
Never wanted it to end and somehow I don’t think it ever will. A wonderful writer. Read as a part of following ayearofreadingtheworld blog trip thing.
Stunning epic novel about two working-class Australian families. Beautifully written with great characters that really come to life and stay with you. One of the best modern novels written in English.
I can't believe it's taken me so long to getting around to reading this. I can see why it its made it to the top of the First Tuesday Book clubss Aussie list. Most enjoyable.
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book. Just wauw. Had such a hard time getting into it and then i could not put it down.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I know there's a lot of love for this book and aspects of the writing were tremendous. The way Winton creates new and resonant words, and wonderful rhythms: 'a booklumpy bag', 'the immodest backs of the oilslicked women', 'the sky was the colour of kerosene' - it sometimes reminded me of Under Milk Wood. But, you know when an author over-uses a word and then you can't stop seeing it. In this book Winton loves 'mob'. It's used about every five pages and it got so I was looking out for it. But that's a silly thing; something that should have been caught in the copy editing. My bigger problem was the story. Two large families come together and live in a ramshackle house in Perth, and we see them grow up and older over the space of twenty years. Winton clearly, deliberately writes the novel in a kind of ramshackle, crazy way: flitting from one character to the next, not often stopping to rest or let me catch breath, and I simply didn't enjoy this. It meant that many of the characters (Hat, Red, Lon etc) were shadowy - not fully developed, and I didn't really care about any of them. It begins to settle onto Rose's and Quick's story as the book progresses, but this happened too late for me to worry about their fate.
And one more thing... I get highly irritated by writers / screenwriters who name genital anatomy incorrectly. Winton - sorry to have to tell you, but it's not possible to see the notch in the top of someone's vagina. You wouldn't mistake a penis for a testicle. Please get it right.
And one more thing... I get highly irritated by writers / screenwriters who name genital anatomy incorrectly. Winton - sorry to have to tell you, but it's not possible to see the notch in the top of someone's vagina. You wouldn't mistake a penis for a testicle. Please get it right.