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rodhunt's review against another edition
4.0
Loved it - after a visit to Surry Hills. Worth reading - never been out of print apparently
stanro's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
The Harp in the South by Ruth Park is an Australian post-WW2 classic set in the inner Sydney suburb of Surry Hills. Whilst its location in place is evident, its location in time is not. It is apparently unaffected by world events, which thus do not provide a framework or series of reference points of this sort, giving it a form of timelessness.
Now gentrified, Surry Hills then comprised of slums - closely packed housing with families and tenants crowded in amongst cockroaches and other vermin.
The Darcy family live at 12 1/2 Plymouth Street, together with two others as boarders and the story is centred around these Australian-born Irish folk.
The Darcy family live at 12 1/2 Plymouth Street, together with two others as boarders and the story is centred around these Australian-born Irish folk.
There is something of an antipodean Dickens about this tale and its telling, though Park’s book is not as magisterial in the writing as that of her great predecessor. But like him, she has an evident love for her flawed characters and an ability to turn from pathos to humour. There is little subtlety in Park’s characterisations.
However, some passages glowed and illuminated. As someone who never knew my grandparents, I was moved to find teen-aged Rowena thinking, as she gazed upon her bed-ridden grandmother in what were her dying days, “It was hard to believe that from the little worn out body had come eleven children. It was as though Grandma were a tiny gate in the great wall of life and through her, had flowed being itself.”
And Park humorously uses a number of now curious and archaic terms, like “pesthouse,” and “My living heart and soul” and “you old octopus,” and “flushing as red as a turkey cock.”
It is a simple and in many ways delightful book, well told, though creaking with age and its expression of racist attitudes from several of the characters towards Chinese, Jewish or Aboriginal people.
Not really my type of book.
booksbecreads's review against another edition
3.0
I had extremely high expectations. This was meant to be THE book to read in Australian fiction.
Don't get me wrong, it was good, it just wasn't fantastic.
Don't get me wrong, it was good, it just wasn't fantastic.
shelleyrae's review against another edition
4.0
I think I was about eleven when I first read this Australian classic and I decided to reread this year it to fulfil my Eclectic Reader challenge requirements after it was named in the First Tuesday Book Club's Top Ten Books to Read Before You Die.
The Harp in the South is a glimpse into the everyday life of inner Sydney's poorest post war community and introduces the Darcy family who live in Sydney's slums at Twelve-and-a-Half Plymouth Street, Surry Hills. The Irish Catholic Darcy's are an average family in their neighborhood, working class battlers struggling to survive in their damp, flea infested home. Mumma does the best she can with the little she has while her feckless husband Hughie drinks away much of what he earns. Sweet natured and naive eldest daughter Roie longs for romance while quick witted Dolour dreams of escape.
To supplement their meagre income the Darcy's rent rooms to the irascible Miss Sheily and her illegitimate disabled son, and Mr Patrick Diamond, a protestant who baits the family each St Patrick's Day. They take in Grandma when she needs extra care, a lively character who knows her own mind. They are neighboured by a Chinese grocer, Mr Lick, financially assisted by the local madam in time of need and attend church in their Sunday best.
The Darcy's are resigned to the grinding poverty and immune to the violence, finding joy where are able - a New Year's bonfire, a school trip to the seaside. They face heartbreak with stoicism and though their home is often chaotic, there is plenty of love within it's peeling walls.
Though perhaps more properly a series of vignettes rather than a cohesive narrative, following the Darcy's over a period of about a year, the story is well written. Park has an eye for authentic detail, character and dialogue- not surprising really since she lived in Surrey Hills with her husband at the time. The Harp in the South is a social commentary and brutally honest examination
Later followed by [b:Poor Man's Orange|2040557|Poor Man's Orange|Ruth Park|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320660610s/2040557.jpg|2045444] and [b:Missus|2452887|Missus|Ruth Park|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320660552s/2452887.jpg|2460084], tracing the Darcy family's past and future
The Harp In The South is an engaging tale of the triumphs and tragedies amongst the poor working class in Australian cities. A must read for her every Australian who needs reminding just how lucky they are.
iridium's review against another edition
The racism and antisemitism is too much for me personally.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Racism, and Antisemitism
fiona_gs's review against another edition
4.0
Interesting look at another era in Australian history. I liked how the author brought you into the scene with her discription by describing it with all 5 senses. I would have like it to be more indepth with each famliy members thought and experience. I felt it was racing through the event a bit to quickly. Overall a good read.
tilljarvis's review against another edition
dark
sad
slow-paced
2.75
Read this whilst in Australia, and it definitely lent me a perspective I wouldn’t have found elsewhere. In terms of literary value, it provided little less.
jray136's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
inthelunaseas's review against another edition
4.0
For a novel written at the end of the 1940s, this stands up surprisingly well.
Okay, there's a lot of racist dialogue in it, and even if you take into consideration the era it was written in, it's still quite racist. There's a plethora of crude remarks about Australian Aboriginals, Chinese and Jewish folk, even if it's followed up with, 'well, [character] is alright'. One of the major supporting characters abuses the hell out of her disabled son, too.
But beyond that? It actually holds up well, and could even be moved to the early 2020s and still take place.
The Harp in the South is a collection of semi-short stories surrounding a family living in poverty. There's length descriptions of the minimal money that comes into the house and how they live. Filthy clothes, cramped conditions, a house that is filled with bed bugs and mould on the walls. What money they have goes straight on the father's liquor habit. They argue constantly, they cry over their living conditions, they dream of better lives and they love each other ceaselessly.
That's what holds everything in this novel together- yes, their lives are terrible, yes, they could be better parents and daughters, but they love each other. That is the glue of their lives.
Hughie bickers constantly with this mother-in-law, but they still snicker and share grog together.
Mumma isn't so sure about her new son-in-law, but she accepts him for filling up her daughter's heart with love.
Dolour is so often on the sidelines, but her family love her and support her in her little venture at winning a quiz show.
Roie is ashamed of her indiscretion with Tommy, but her parents support her through her grief.
This is a book about love- and don't we all need more of that in our lives?
Okay, there's a lot of racist dialogue in it, and even if you take into consideration the era it was written in, it's still quite racist. There's a plethora of crude remarks about Australian Aboriginals, Chinese and Jewish folk, even if it's followed up with, 'well, [character] is alright'. One of the major supporting characters abuses the hell out of her disabled son, too.
But beyond that? It actually holds up well, and could even be moved to the early 2020s and still take place.
The Harp in the South is a collection of semi-short stories surrounding a family living in poverty. There's length descriptions of the minimal money that comes into the house and how they live. Filthy clothes, cramped conditions, a house that is filled with bed bugs and mould on the walls. What money they have goes straight on the father's liquor habit. They argue constantly, they cry over their living conditions, they dream of better lives and they love each other ceaselessly.
That's what holds everything in this novel together- yes, their lives are terrible, yes, they could be better parents and daughters, but they love each other. That is the glue of their lives.
Hughie bickers constantly with this mother-in-law, but they still snicker and share grog together.
Mumma isn't so sure about her new son-in-law, but she accepts him for filling up her daughter's heart with love.
Dolour is so often on the sidelines, but her family love her and support her in her little venture at winning a quiz show.
Roie is ashamed of her indiscretion with Tommy, but her parents support her through her grief.
This is a book about love- and don't we all need more of that in our lives?