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A review by jetpackdolphin
Fly Away Peter by David Malouf
4.0
Fly Away Peter is the story of Jim Saddler, an avid birdwatcher living in Queensland in the early 1900s. When the war arrives in 1914, he enlists, and, travelling to France, becomes a bitter soldier fighting a losing war, while musing on the meaning of life. And that's about all that happens.
The first time I read this book, I didn't like it very much. I thought it was boring, slow-paced, with too many descriptions of birds and a rather tame description of the battlefield.
But then we had to analyse this book for my english class this year, and I can now say with total honesty, that I still do not like it very much.
But I can respect it now, and definitely respect Malouf as a writer. The whole of Fly Away Peter is crafted to perfection: not a single sentence goes by without subtle foreshadowing or a clever metaphor. The overarching theme of this novel is Jim's journey from innocence to darkness, and Malouf uses every opportunity to insert a metaphor, a simile, or a piece of symbolism that only becomes apparent on a second reading.
For those reasons, I have to say that I did not enjoy Fly Away Peter as I would usually enjoy a novel, but I can certainly admire it for its fine craftsmanship, its attention to detail, and for the fantastic, subtle way in which Malouf chronicles one man's descent from innocence into darkness.
The first time I read this book, I didn't like it very much. I thought it was boring, slow-paced, with too many descriptions of birds and a rather tame description of the battlefield.
But then we had to analyse this book for my english class this year, and I can now say with total honesty, that I still do not like it very much.
But I can respect it now, and definitely respect Malouf as a writer. The whole of Fly Away Peter is crafted to perfection: not a single sentence goes by without subtle foreshadowing or a clever metaphor. The overarching theme of this novel is Jim's journey from innocence to darkness, and Malouf uses every opportunity to insert a metaphor, a simile, or a piece of symbolism that only becomes apparent on a second reading.
For those reasons, I have to say that I did not enjoy Fly Away Peter as I would usually enjoy a novel, but I can certainly admire it for its fine craftsmanship, its attention to detail, and for the fantastic, subtle way in which Malouf chronicles one man's descent from innocence into darkness.