Reviews

Drylands by Thea Astley

amotisse's review against another edition

4.0

i was reading maybe 3 or 4 books at a time, so it took me a while to get through.
life in these dusty landscapes, that i love, is much less desirable for these characters.
like waiting for something to happen that never does, or screaming and no one can hear, or like being invisible.
some stories are harder to finish than others, not because they aren't good, they just touch us differently. maybe not the right kind of escapism?

linaaa's review against another edition

3.0

This book wasn't boring but it was very bleak. Which is probably the point because it's set in a dry, isolated Australian town that is slowly declining. It was a school book so I didn't expect to enjoy it too much

jayden_mccomiskie's review against another edition

5.0

This was magnificent. Hitting Thea Astley hard. Keep them coming

bestknownfor's review

challenging dark reflective sad fast-paced

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

3.75

wtb_michael's review against another edition

challenging dark fast-paced

3.75

A scathing, powerfully feminist portrait of small town Queensland, let down for me by a kind of "kids these days" attitude that's probably reasonable for 75 year old Thea Astley, but still got up my nose a bit 

terri's review against another edition

5.0

Love, love, loved this book. The writing is exquisite and the story lives under your gaze. Thank you Thea Astley xx

never4get's review against another edition

4.0

An intriguing and superbly written book of short stories that all intertwine in the small town of Drylands in outback Australia - a place that is disintegrating. The widow Janet Deakin manages the local newsagency and lives in a flat above the shop - but no one buys books any more. She is attempting to write a novel for a world in which no one reads, but simply stare at screens all the time. Many of the townspeople live harsh, violent lives and often take out their frustration in aggression towards their partners or other townspeople.
There is a deep sense of threat and very bleak outlook for the future.
In the end Janet walks away when her flat is destroyed by vandals - as do many of the other townspeople.
This was Thea Astley's final book.

lilahthurbon's review

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

I began Drylands expecting a different book than the one I was about to read, which I think made the pace feel perhaps slower that it actually was. Overall the book paints a harrowingly familiar picture of a rural town slowly drying up that resolves with the exact amount of satisfaction Drylands itself deserves. Being familiar with the setting of the book definitely enhances its impact, so I wonder if someone looking into Astley's portrait of rural Australia from a foreign perspective would feel the melancholy and almost indescribable identification with the town.

beeeeonka's review

challenging reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.0

talentedmisfit's review

reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0