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A review by nicktraynor
Kangaroo by D.H. Lawrence
3.0
This was a lot of hard work to finish. It started off readable enough, and showed an uncanny, immediate insight into Australians and the feel of the landscape. Lawrence had a deep connection with nature and in particular with flowers and this is on display again. The indifferent hollowness of Australians, how they are all surface and front, and the malevolent emptiness of the landscape were identified with perspicacity by Lawrence. The character of Kangaroo was grotesque with his mawkish love for humanity.
The initially strong narrative gave way to a psychological retrospective on the protagonist’s experiences during World War I (mirroring Lawrence’s own, no doubt). This showed the author’s flair for poetic renditions of deep psychological experiences, but they stretched over several chapters and disrupted the flow of the novel. When the plot resumed, it seemed a secondary consideration.
My interpretation of the theme of the book is Lawrence’s account of his isolation following the publication of The Rainbow in 1915. Because the novel was accused of obscenity, he was estranged from British society and therefore felt cut off from the national effort during the war. Leaving England in 1919, he travelled in search of spiritual and philosophical fellowship. Kangaroo is the account of his passing through Australia and his fleeting dalliances with Australians. Unfortunately, it comes across as self-absorbed at times and there is a feeling of futility because there is no resolution to the psychological exile.
The initially strong narrative gave way to a psychological retrospective on the protagonist’s experiences during World War I (mirroring Lawrence’s own, no doubt). This showed the author’s flair for poetic renditions of deep psychological experiences, but they stretched over several chapters and disrupted the flow of the novel. When the plot resumed, it seemed a secondary consideration.
My interpretation of the theme of the book is Lawrence’s account of his isolation following the publication of The Rainbow in 1915. Because the novel was accused of obscenity, he was estranged from British society and therefore felt cut off from the national effort during the war. Leaving England in 1919, he travelled in search of spiritual and philosophical fellowship. Kangaroo is the account of his passing through Australia and his fleeting dalliances with Australians. Unfortunately, it comes across as self-absorbed at times and there is a feeling of futility because there is no resolution to the psychological exile.