Scan barcode
mrsdallogay's review against another edition
4.0
Revolving around people who find themselves in situations, or in lifestyles which are contrapuntal to normality, the stories in Foreign Soil resonate in a world becoming more and more disparate every single day.
Personal favourites in this collection are the two longest. "Gaps in the Hickory" deals with transgenderism in a phenomenal way, there is a revelation half way through the tale that quite surprises but this only serves to exhibit Clarke's maturity in handling this topic. She steers away from the melodramatic and the ridiculous; she shows us real people, dealing with real circumstances.
"The Stilt Fishermen of Kathaluwa" discusses illegal immigration, focusing on a young boy - Asanka - and his experience: fleeing Sri Lanka, where the Tigers and his traumatic past reside, and voyaging to Australia - the country of the free, if you can get in. Clarke's depiction of this experience is harrowing and her prose violently unflinching. Ink dissipates and her story is told through the blood of the lost.
Topical and impressive, this is a debut collection that everyone should read in order to feel a little more human, to understand each other a little better: to see each other a little more humanly.
Personal favourites in this collection are the two longest. "Gaps in the Hickory" deals with transgenderism in a phenomenal way, there is a revelation half way through the tale that quite surprises but this only serves to exhibit Clarke's maturity in handling this topic. She steers away from the melodramatic and the ridiculous; she shows us real people, dealing with real circumstances.
"The Stilt Fishermen of Kathaluwa" discusses illegal immigration, focusing on a young boy - Asanka - and his experience: fleeing Sri Lanka, where the Tigers and his traumatic past reside, and voyaging to Australia - the country of the free, if you can get in. Clarke's depiction of this experience is harrowing and her prose violently unflinching. Ink dissipates and her story is told through the blood of the lost.
Topical and impressive, this is a debut collection that everyone should read in order to feel a little more human, to understand each other a little better: to see each other a little more humanly.
godfreyreads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
sexygirl101's review against another edition
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
constellation_girl's review against another edition
4.0
I had to read this for my Literature class. I am usually not at all keen on short story books (I only really like horror ones), however this one surprised me! I enjoyed the exploration of race, sexuality, etc. and the feelings of exclusion from society in various ways.
lugalante's review against another edition
4.0
Beautiful and poetic writing, these stories were so evocative and the themes were addressed in a really moving way.
lynsket's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
zinnias's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
steph_says92's review against another edition
3.0
**I do not like short stories**
I actually really enjoyed some of the characters and I found the stories easy to follow and quite liked the plot, the reason I only gave 3 stars was simply because I wanted MORE! I hated how the stories ended just when I thought they were at a climax!
I actually really enjoyed some of the characters and I found the stories easy to follow and quite liked the plot, the reason I only gave 3 stars was simply because I wanted MORE! I hated how the stories ended just when I thought they were at a climax!
holyshark's review against another edition
4.0
What a book! It’s like a fiction that doesn’t read like a fiction — it feels as if all the stories are true. The longest stories were the “best”, in my opinion, because they gave me a chance to know the characters better. The stories were written so powerfully — especially The Stilt Fishermen of Kathaluwa. The language, the tone, the seamless transition between what Asanka was seeing and what was happening, it was all just so well done. I also liked The Sukiyaki Book Club, because this was the first one where I saw symbolism. I'm not much of a person who reads and notices things like that, but this one made me happy / hopeful.
Whilst reading the first short story I’d already decided that I’d read a short story a day instead of all in one go, or as I felt. This was a highly uncomfortable read, not because of the content but because the stories were very moving, and allowed me to compare my own life experience to these characters.
Whilst reading the first short story I’d already decided that I’d read a short story a day instead of all in one go, or as I felt. This was a highly uncomfortable read, not because of the content but because the stories were very moving, and allowed me to compare my own life experience to these characters.
zzara's review against another edition
4.0
This book is incredibly well written, and a challenging but rewarding read. The vernacular which some of the stories in the book is written required a lot of focus just to understand, but I think that was actually a really valuable way to read, given that those who speak in various forms of english are forced to read and understand a more formal dialect. I think this was a really inventive way to write. I also thought that each story was captivating and stood well on its own, but I loved the subtle way they were all tied together at the end. An incredible piece of Australian literature.