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A review by artisticauthor
Carpentaria by Alexis Wright
4.0
"Even if I don't get through, don't survive this, the story has to go on. Nothing must stop our stories, understand?"
Carpentaria is an epic of a book. The issues covered in it range from the corruption of the mining industry, racism, small town close-mindedness and even the unfair treatment of mentally ill people. The overarching theme is that of not letting go of culture and truth, to please white folks.
Wright utilises Aboriginal spirituality in a way that transforms the every day into individual stories that weave together to form a fascinating reality. The language is often confusing and difficult to understand, but reading over it again reveals an intricately detailed picture of what's happening.
This book was difficult to get through as there are many distressing issues including rape and murder of small children, but I'm so glad I picked it up. It covers so many contemporary problems in Australian society that I believe every non-Aboriginal person needs to know about in order to enact change.
A brilliant book that I have recommended and will continue to recommend to others.
Carpentaria is an epic of a book. The issues covered in it range from the corruption of the mining industry, racism, small town close-mindedness and even the unfair treatment of mentally ill people. The overarching theme is that of not letting go of culture and truth, to please white folks.
Wright utilises Aboriginal spirituality in a way that transforms the every day into individual stories that weave together to form a fascinating reality. The language is often confusing and difficult to understand, but reading over it again reveals an intricately detailed picture of what's happening.
This book was difficult to get through as there are many distressing issues including rape and murder of small children, but I'm so glad I picked it up. It covers so many contemporary problems in Australian society that I believe every non-Aboriginal person needs to know about in order to enact change.
A brilliant book that I have recommended and will continue to recommend to others.