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A review by innerweststreetlibrarian
Bliss by Peter Carey
4.0
Wow. What a bizarre and lovely book. I can't tell you much about what happens, because there are too many twists and turns in the life of Harry Joy, and to mention them would be to spoil the story. If you read it, just let it flow. Don't think too hard about it. It's like a window into a weird, paranoid, 80's version of Queensland, where everyone wears white linen suits and is quite mad. Great holiday read, especially if you're in the vicinity of a rainforest.
*UPDATE* I just accidentally found the movie version on SBS which is BRILLIANT!! The screenplay was adapted by Peter Carey, and I've never seen such perfect casting in a book-to-film translation before. I knew who everyone was before they were even introduced, it was like the filmmakers had looked inside my head and pulled them straight out of my imagination. (Betty should have been a brunette, but it was the 80's so the blonde perm is appropriate. I'll forgive that one). I also LOVED all the visual gags that really enhanced some of the funnier parts of the book, taking a very literal approach to things that were more conceptual on paper, e.g. the scene in the restaurant between Betty & Joel, followed by the sardines. My god, those sardines flopping around are hysterical!! Read the book, then watch the movie.
http://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/video/373116483521/bliss
*UPDATE* I just accidentally found the movie version on SBS which is BRILLIANT!! The screenplay was adapted by Peter Carey, and I've never seen such perfect casting in a book-to-film translation before. I knew who everyone was before they were even introduced, it was like the filmmakers had looked inside my head and pulled them straight out of my imagination. (Betty should have been a brunette, but it was the 80's so the blonde perm is appropriate. I'll forgive that one). I also LOVED all the visual gags that really enhanced some of the funnier parts of the book, taking a very literal approach to things that were more conceptual on paper, e.g. the scene in the restaurant between Betty & Joel, followed by the sardines. My god, those sardines flopping around are hysterical!! Read the book, then watch the movie.
http://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/video/373116483521/bliss