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fhammond_36's review against another edition
4.0
So glad this came up on our book list. Beautifully written descriptions of the country and tragic story of our history. Hard to read at times and some sections made me angry and sick. But definitely worth reading to get a more individual perspective of how hard life was and how sad.
katko123's review
5.0
Ladies and gentlemen! This one is a gem!
A magnificent story about William Thornhill, a fictional character, who was born into a poor family in London at the end of the XVIII century. Back then life was harsh and cruel and filled with suffering. It was also easy to be accused of a crime with no way to defend oneself, at least not in the way we think of today. So Will became a convict, who got lucky enough to keep his life, only to be sent to a penal colony. If he survived the journey first, that is.
A penal colony is a hostile place. Nothing in there is friendly to newcomers, not nature, not the natives, and not the newcomers themselves. It´s all about survival.
But the new land despite its unwelcoming features can be turned into a land of opportunity. And William Thronhill did just that. He proved, that by hard work and resilience one unlucky person can turn his fortune around. That, of course, comes at a cost. Every success bears its shadows.
That is how Australia was born.
A superb story so beautifully written won a Booker Prize in 2006. Today seems to be forgotten and it shouldn´t.
Highly recommended !!!
A magnificent story about William Thornhill, a fictional character, who was born into a poor family in London at the end of the XVIII century. Back then life was harsh and cruel and filled with suffering. It was also easy to be accused of a crime with no way to defend oneself, at least not in the way we think of today. So Will became a convict, who got lucky enough to keep his life, only to be sent to a penal colony. If he survived the journey first, that is.
A penal colony is a hostile place. Nothing in there is friendly to newcomers, not nature, not the natives, and not the newcomers themselves. It´s all about survival.
But the new land despite its unwelcoming features can be turned into a land of opportunity. And William Thronhill did just that. He proved, that by hard work and resilience one unlucky person can turn his fortune around. That, of course, comes at a cost. Every success bears its shadows.
That is how Australia was born.
A superb story so beautifully written won a Booker Prize in 2006. Today seems to be forgotten and it shouldn´t.
Highly recommended !!!
lizzy_sedai's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
anya2612's review against another edition
2.0
I think the story had the potential to be an interesting one but I'm kind of disappointed by it overall.
The book was filled with plenty of pretty descriptions but that's all they amounted to for the most part-- just to paint a picture rather than serve any real purpose. Mainly it was the characters that fell flat, though; even by the end of the book I'm not sure I knew who William Thornhill was, so I could never really come to understanding or liking/disliking him as the story demanded. I don't know how much the stylisation of the dialogue contributed to that: it was buried and italicised in the paragraphs, which I found to disconnect their interactions.
Part six of the book was the only part that seemed to have any feeling in it, and then it ended up being wrapped up in a few pages in the epilogue anyway.
The book was filled with plenty of pretty descriptions but that's all they amounted to for the most part-- just to paint a picture rather than serve any real purpose. Mainly it was the characters that fell flat, though; even by the end of the book I'm not sure I knew who William Thornhill was, so I could never really come to understanding or liking/disliking him as the story demanded. I don't know how much the stylisation of the dialogue contributed to that: it was buried and italicised in the paragraphs, which I found to disconnect their interactions.
Part six of the book was the only part that seemed to have any feeling in it, and then it ended up being wrapped up in a few pages in the epilogue anyway.
auntkat86's review
3.0
This book is very well written. The relationship between the early settlers and the aboriginals is very accurate and quite depressing
paola_mobileread's review against another edition
3.0
I had a hard time with the first half of this book, as I found the two main characters, William Thornhill and his girlfriend-then-wife Sal very unbelievable, or rather I should say I found their relationship unbelievable, especially bearing in mind the time at which the action takes place. These are hard times, so it is hard for me to imagine that a woman looking after five children and a husband breaking his back toiling the soil on his own from dawn till evening would still have the energy to exchange sweet nothings and then make love at the end of the day. When Thornhill gets down, Sal is unshakable, she is constantly there to provide material and moral support and encouragement. The children of course are mature and sensible - at times it felt like some downtrodden, down under version of the Waltons.
The second half then took life for me, and there the moral ambiguities come to the fore, and the novel truly got going. Nevertheless even in this part it is too easy for the reader to side with Thornhill whatever he does, and his dark side is never completely unleashed.
The second half then took life for me, and there the moral ambiguities come to the fore, and the novel truly got going. Nevertheless even in this part it is too easy for the reader to side with Thornhill whatever he does, and his dark side is never completely unleashed.
emeraldgarnet's review against another edition
3.0
A well-written historical novel though the characters were rather flat.
I would recommend this book to people who have no connection to Australia and little to no knowledge of the country or its history. People with more familarity with Australia will probably find this book less engaging because it does not really cover much new ground.
I would recommend this book to people who have no connection to Australia and little to no knowledge of the country or its history. People with more familarity with Australia will probably find this book less engaging because it does not really cover much new ground.
pavonini's review against another edition
dark
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Clearly well-researched. Devastating in many parts, with the poverty, the "justice", the exile, the contact with other peoples, and the ugly racism. Really felt like an insight into Australia and an unsanitised slice of a painful history. I think the choice to write it as fiction was a good one, allowing for a natural story to form out of many.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Racism, and Murder
Moderate: Rape and Violence