Reviews

Benevolence: A Novel by Julie Janson, Julie Janson

margherita_dolcevita's review

adventurous emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

greerjean's review against another edition

emotional informative sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

5.0

reallbee's review

4.0

Really important read. This should be mandatory reading in the UK and Australia.

peter_fischer's review

1.0

Yet another book about European colonisation of Australia set in historic Parramatta (to the west of Sydney, now a suburb). Written from an indigenous viewpoint but unfortunately storyline, characters, and historical premises are all weak and underdeveloped.

l_donnellan's review against another edition

challenging hopeful informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

stanro's review against another edition

challenging informative sad tense medium-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

3.0

The tale of Mary (her native name of Murraging so rarely used that it brings me and her a smile when it briefly reappears) is a saga of Australian Aboriginal dispossession and the difficulties posed by the “benevolence” of good Christian colonial folk towards their “inferior” black fellows. Benevolence by Julie Janson opens in 1816, within the first couple of generations of Australia’s British colonisation, with the Darug people west of Sydney. 

Murraging, soon to be renamed Mary James by English Christian missionaries, is about three when this occurs. This is a saga of a person’s life as daughter, child, servant, mother, lover and violinist. Well educated in reading and writing, Mary is intelligent and strong-minded. She witnesses the impact of the destruction of her Darug peoples’ culture. Their decimation by guns and disease and dispersal. She witnesses battles on the frontier and hears of others. She recurringly encounters the larger than life Rev Masters, who embodies nobly wrapped hypocrisy. She bears two children. 

Throughout her many and diverse travails, she retains possession of her violin, which she plays well. 

As one white fella (I think Masters, maybe the other Reverend) said to her, “One must learn how to obey. That is what you must do for your whole existence. It is the consequence of thy servitude, necessary but not evil. You see, people like myself are going to always control your life.”

1840 and native land rights in South Australia are proclaimed by the King William IV, we are told. And not kept. 

I’m unsure of this book and its tone. There is plenty of use of Darug language which I enjoy hearing in this audiobook. It presents in snatches and lone words mainly, though I think it is The Yield, by Tara June Winch, which has within it a fuller conversation in Waradjeri. Of similar books, I most highly recommend Carpentaria by Alexis Wright. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

kwameslusher's review against another edition

challenging dark 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? It's complicated

4.5

catsforlenny's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

kimswhims's review against another edition

3.0

This is a hard one to rate. A very interesting premise, with characters drawn from historical people but they seem a bit two dimensional, like they need a bit more fleshing out. I think that the author has not quite made the transition from playwright to novelist. Which is a shame because she is the perfect person to tell this story. Snippets of the beautiful indigenous language is interspersed in sentences throughout the novel. I have to admit I thought it was more realistically played out and better researched than another novel I tried recently, Elizabeth & Elizabeth, but not as well done as say, [b:The Yield|53068123|The Yield|Tara June Winch|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1574743767l/53068123._SX50_SY75_.jpg|66994522] by [a:Tara June Winch|815720|Tara June Winch|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1575051025p2/815720.jpg], [b:The White Girl|45020150|The White Girl|Tony Birch|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1554974759l/45020150._SX50_.jpg|69692851] by [a:Tony Birch|121144|Tony Birch|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1387505952p2/121144.jpg] nor [b:The Drover’s Wife: The Legend of Molly Johnson|48550814|The Drover’s Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson|Leah Purcell|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1571702649l/48550814._SY75_.jpg|73988220] by [a:Leah Purcell|786142|Leah Purcell|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png].
The pace was compelling but relentless, with events that just kept coming at you. Like history played in fast forward. I think it will stay with me but I wanted that little bit more from it so I could sing it's praises more. One to try it and see for yourself.

tlaynejones's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Sexual assault, Racism, Violence, Colonisation, and Abandonment