A review by never4get
Drylands by Thea Astley

4.0

An intriguing and superbly written book of short stories that all intertwine in the small town of Drylands in outback Australia - a place that is disintegrating. The widow Janet Deakin manages the local newsagency and lives in a flat above the shop - but no one buys books any more. She is attempting to write a novel for a world in which no one reads, but simply stare at screens all the time. Many of the townspeople live harsh, violent lives and often take out their frustration in aggression towards their partners or other townspeople.
There is a deep sense of threat and very bleak outlook for the future.
In the end Janet walks away when her flat is destroyed by vandals - as do many of the other townspeople.
This was Thea Astley's final book.