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A review by tricky
Bush Studies by Barbara Baynton
4.0
Baynton is an Australian author who wrote short stores, poems and articles and Bush Studies is a collection that was first released in 1902.
The stories are as the title denotes set in the Australian bush, whereas other early works would romanticise this environment, Baynton does not. For the women this is brutal, unforgiving environment and men who are primarily drunks and abusers.
As you read the sense of dread that you get is really gripping and you find yourself really invested in the fate of the character. From the woman who is severely injured and is left unattended by her partner. The woman with a baby, left alone on a farm who is menaced by a swag man. The Bush Church certainly is dark in its humour and is the only story that is narrated from the same point of view. That is something that I found interesting in that Baynton will change point of view, not once, not twice but up to three times in some of the stories. It is done really well and you know when the switch has occurred.
Even though I am Australian, I did struggle with some of the lingo and found reading it aloud, I could figure out what was being said.
I enjoyed the book as gave a different perspective to those early pioneering days of Australia. It is not a complete view but it is part of the missing puzzle.
The stories are as the title denotes set in the Australian bush, whereas other early works would romanticise this environment, Baynton does not. For the women this is brutal, unforgiving environment and men who are primarily drunks and abusers.
As you read the sense of dread that you get is really gripping and you find yourself really invested in the fate of the character. From the woman who is severely injured and is left unattended by her partner. The woman with a baby, left alone on a farm who is menaced by a swag man. The Bush Church certainly is dark in its humour and is the only story that is narrated from the same point of view. That is something that I found interesting in that Baynton will change point of view, not once, not twice but up to three times in some of the stories. It is done really well and you know when the switch has occurred.
Even though I am Australian, I did struggle with some of the lingo and found reading it aloud, I could figure out what was being said.
I enjoyed the book as gave a different perspective to those early pioneering days of Australia. It is not a complete view but it is part of the missing puzzle.