Reviews

The Australian by Emma Smith-Stevens

malorie_sougey's review against another edition

2.0

This is a novel that was difficult for me to buy into at first. With a meandering plot and rather unlikable characters, it seemed easy to dismiss at first. However, I found it helpful to think of this book as a social commentary and warning to society, and then I understood and appreciated it in an entirely new way. As the unnamed protagonist, referred to only as the Australian, made his way through life without developing many truly meaningful relationships and with no sense of purpose, it evoked in me a sense of frustration. I just wanted him to do something meaningful, anything at all, really. He seemed to go through life in a haze and without regard for others, constantly seeking out self-serving pleasures and ideals only to change his course immediately after. In examining this trend in the novel, I realized that this is perhaps a warning against the stereotypical 'millenial' lifestyle which promotes doing whatever is best for yourself no matter how others are impacted. I think this book is a warning against the 'you do you' movement society has seen in the last five years, and I appreciate the overall message the book is sending.