Call number
FIC CAR
Collection
Genres
Publication
Knopf (2018), Edition: 1st Edition, 336 pages
Description
"The two-time Booker Prize-winning author now gives us a wildly exuberant, wily new novel that circumnavigates 1954 Australia, revealing as much about the country-continent as it does about three audacious individuals who take part in the infamous 10,000 mile race, the Redex Trial. Irene Bobs loves fast driving. Her husband is the best car salesman in south eastern Australia. Together they enter the Redex Trial, a brutal race around the ancient continent, over roads no car will ever quite survive. With them is their lanky fair-haired navigator, Willie Bachhuber, a quiz show champion and failed school teacher who calls the turns and creeks crossings on a map that will remove them, without warning, from the white Australia they all know so well. This is a thrilling high speed story that starts in one way, and then takes you some place else. It is often funny, more so as the world gets stranger, and always a page-turner even as you learn a history these characters never knew themselves. Set in the 1950s, this a world every American will recognize: black, white, who we are, how we got here, and what we did to each other along the way. A Long Way from Home is Peter Carey's late style masterpiece"--… (more)
Media reviews
In reconstructing the race politics on which this nation is founded, Carey has created an important novel and a compelling read. The question that remains unanswered, however, is: is this his story to tell?
Library's review
Melbourne, Australia being my second home, I always love to read Peter Carey. This one does a good job of telling the story of 1950s era Oz, with an interesting take on the issues of Aboriginal relations and gender equality as they inform Australian identity. (Brian)
User reviews
LibraryThing member JimElkins
The Mess Made by Mixing Politics and Storytelling
I usually do not read novels to learn about the world. But "A Long Way From Home" is explicitly about some truths of Aboriginal life and history. Carey gave several energetic interviews (one I heard on Irish radio in January 2018), speaking about how
The entire first half of the book has nothing to do with that subject. There are in my count three very brief mentions of Aborigines in the first 161 pages of the book. Five pages later one of the narrators finds the skull of an Aboriginal child who has been murdered, and cries. Two pages after that (p. 168) is the first mention of racism.
As the book goes on, we are instructed on Aboriginal life, history, and culture. We're told about their antipathy to maps in a set-piece that allows Carey to say some very general things about Aboriginal sense of the land. We're told about forcible relocation, we're given names and documents (including A.P. Elkin, the assimilationist), we're told about Ted Strehlow's underlying racism, about rapes and homicides by White ranchers and policemen, about the reasons fences disrupt Aboriginal life. For all this to work the obliviousness of the White characters has to be complete. When an Aborigine man finds that one of the characters has kept the infant's skull, he walks off in shock and anger, and the narrator muses, "Who knew this was personal to him?" (p. 217) When characters learn the truth, we're told so: "And of course I had finally seen that all Aboriginal culture was based on country," one character says, "they were exiles, denied the meaning of their lives." (p. 299)
When a novel aims so directly at confession, reparation, and education, I try to imagine its ideal reader. In this case that is depressing exercise, especially if I'm imagining an ideal Australian reader. I am sad to think that Carey probably judged this well enough, and there will be Australians who feel this novel taught them something, opened their eyes to something. To the extent that is true, it points to an obliviousness much deeper than anything that can be usefully addressed by a novel as superficial and abbreviated about its subject as this one is.
- - -
But I don't read to find out about people, ethnicities, nationalities, or history. As a novel, this is weak. Carey fills the book with his kind of manic, kaleidoscopic narrative, whose principal strategies seem to be: never slow down, and pack each short paragraph with as much detail as possible. The relentless present of the narratives is repeatedly momentarily stalled by moments in past retrospective mood: "I didn't realize then that...." but those moments fleeting, like touches on the brakes. The narrators who think these thoughts plunge immediately back into their present.
This breakneck pace also runs across narrators: the book alternates chapters told from several points of view, but there's one style, one voice, one mood, even one way of making jokes and allusions, for all the characters. For me, the chapters putatively narrated by different people are obtrusively similar, as if Carey was intentionally writing against the basic advice of any writing workshop. (If you change narrators, change tone, change detail... change something.)
As in any 350 page novel by an experienced writer, there are moments that are quite good. For me the book's center is the (female) narrator's sense of her husband, whom she loves and admires, but who is hopelessly dependent on his sadistic father. When his father dies, he cries, because "there was nowhere left to hide his relentless secret love." (p. 178)
More could be said about that part of the narrative, but that would misrepresent a novel that is fundamentally not under its author's control. Carey wanted to write a serious, brave, well-researched novel about some Aboriginal experiences and about Australia's history, but he ended up with a book about a mid-century family in Melbourne, a famous road race, and a sprinkling of supposedly deeply revealing facts about Aboriginal culture. Maybe in the end this is what is interesting about "A Long Way From Home": not its history, not its facts, not the road race, not the principal characters, but the fact that even after a lifetime of writing novels, it can prove to be impossible to control the text.
There are many ways this novel could have regained control: the first half, in which Aborigines aren't mentioned, could have dramatized and dwelled on that absence; the first half could have been cut, in order to spend time on one of Carey's original ideas (as he said in an interview), the race around the continent; the factual material on Aboriginal cultures could have been radically expanded, as William Vollmann has done; or it could have been truncated, so that the book lectured less and hinted at more. But it isn't any of those things: it's the mess it was in the author's mind.
I usually do not read novels to learn about the world. But "A Long Way From Home" is explicitly about some truths of Aboriginal life and history. Carey gave several energetic interviews (one I heard on Irish radio in January 2018), speaking about how
Show More
he had finally found a way to write about the obliviousness of his fellow White Australians. The book has been heralded as a brave and honest attempt to think what it was like -- and still is like -- for White Australians to continue not to notice what has been done to Aboriginal culture.The entire first half of the book has nothing to do with that subject. There are in my count three very brief mentions of Aborigines in the first 161 pages of the book. Five pages later one of the narrators finds the skull of an Aboriginal child who has been murdered, and cries. Two pages after that (p. 168) is the first mention of racism.
As the book goes on, we are instructed on Aboriginal life, history, and culture. We're told about their antipathy to maps in a set-piece that allows Carey to say some very general things about Aboriginal sense of the land. We're told about forcible relocation, we're given names and documents (including A.P. Elkin, the assimilationist), we're told about Ted Strehlow's underlying racism, about rapes and homicides by White ranchers and policemen, about the reasons fences disrupt Aboriginal life. For all this to work the obliviousness of the White characters has to be complete. When an Aborigine man finds that one of the characters has kept the infant's skull, he walks off in shock and anger, and the narrator muses, "Who knew this was personal to him?" (p. 217) When characters learn the truth, we're told so: "And of course I had finally seen that all Aboriginal culture was based on country," one character says, "they were exiles, denied the meaning of their lives." (p. 299)
When a novel aims so directly at confession, reparation, and education, I try to imagine its ideal reader. In this case that is depressing exercise, especially if I'm imagining an ideal Australian reader. I am sad to think that Carey probably judged this well enough, and there will be Australians who feel this novel taught them something, opened their eyes to something. To the extent that is true, it points to an obliviousness much deeper than anything that can be usefully addressed by a novel as superficial and abbreviated about its subject as this one is.
- - -
But I don't read to find out about people, ethnicities, nationalities, or history. As a novel, this is weak. Carey fills the book with his kind of manic, kaleidoscopic narrative, whose principal strategies seem to be: never slow down, and pack each short paragraph with as much detail as possible. The relentless present of the narratives is repeatedly momentarily stalled by moments in past retrospective mood: "I didn't realize then that...." but those moments fleeting, like touches on the brakes. The narrators who think these thoughts plunge immediately back into their present.
This breakneck pace also runs across narrators: the book alternates chapters told from several points of view, but there's one style, one voice, one mood, even one way of making jokes and allusions, for all the characters. For me, the chapters putatively narrated by different people are obtrusively similar, as if Carey was intentionally writing against the basic advice of any writing workshop. (If you change narrators, change tone, change detail... change something.)
As in any 350 page novel by an experienced writer, there are moments that are quite good. For me the book's center is the (female) narrator's sense of her husband, whom she loves and admires, but who is hopelessly dependent on his sadistic father. When his father dies, he cries, because "there was nowhere left to hide his relentless secret love." (p. 178)
More could be said about that part of the narrative, but that would misrepresent a novel that is fundamentally not under its author's control. Carey wanted to write a serious, brave, well-researched novel about some Aboriginal experiences and about Australia's history, but he ended up with a book about a mid-century family in Melbourne, a famous road race, and a sprinkling of supposedly deeply revealing facts about Aboriginal culture. Maybe in the end this is what is interesting about "A Long Way From Home": not its history, not its facts, not the road race, not the principal characters, but the fact that even after a lifetime of writing novels, it can prove to be impossible to control the text.
There are many ways this novel could have regained control: the first half, in which Aborigines aren't mentioned, could have dramatized and dwelled on that absence; the first half could have been cut, in order to spend time on one of Carey's original ideas (as he said in an interview), the race around the continent; the factual material on Aboriginal cultures could have been radically expanded, as William Vollmann has done; or it could have been truncated, so that the book lectured less and hinted at more. But it isn't any of those things: it's the mess it was in the author's mind.
Show Less
LibraryThing member thorold
The main setting of A long way from home is - perversely enough - precisely where Carey grew up: Bacchus Marsh, Victoria in the early 1950s. Like Carey's parents, Irene and Titch Bobs are in the motor trade, and have a Holden dealership in Bacchus Marsh. As a publicity stunt to launch their new
But this isn't your ordinary road novel with a bunch of colourful characters pitted against the elements, nor is it a remake of Voss with internal combustion engines - although you could probably read it either of those ways if you wanted to. As you might expect from Carey, he uses the framework of the journey to have a critical dig into the less attractive elements of Australian history, in particular this time looking at some of the many abuses suffered by Aboriginal Australians at the hands of white colonisers, notably the well-known scandal of the forced adoption (read: kidnapping) of mixed-race children. But he also brings out the lesser-known story of cultural resistance through the rewriting of colonial history from the Aboriginal side. All very interesting, and of course told with Carey's usual verve and humour.
Show More
business, they take part in the Redex Challenge, an endurance competition which involves driving around the whole continent in a production car. When they discover that their neighbour, disgraced schoolteacher and professional quiz competitor Willie Bachhuber, has an astonishing affinity for maps, he gets roped in to the adventure as their navigator...But this isn't your ordinary road novel with a bunch of colourful characters pitted against the elements, nor is it a remake of Voss with internal combustion engines - although you could probably read it either of those ways if you wanted to. As you might expect from Carey, he uses the framework of the journey to have a critical dig into the less attractive elements of Australian history, in particular this time looking at some of the many abuses suffered by Aboriginal Australians at the hands of white colonisers, notably the well-known scandal of the forced adoption (read: kidnapping) of mixed-race children. But he also brings out the lesser-known story of cultural resistance through the rewriting of colonial history from the Aboriginal side. All very interesting, and of course told with Carey's usual verve and humour.
Show Less
LibraryThing member elimatta
If you’d like to understand Australia, and colonialsim generally, start here.
LibraryThing member siri51
Lots of stuff going on in this story - the 1954 Redex trial, complicated marital relationships, the navigator with an identity crises; thought he was of German descent but turns out he is aboriginal.
LibraryThing member lilibrarian
Irene and Tisch Bobs love fast cars. In 1954, they decide to enter the Redix Trial - a competition to circumnavigate Australia - which they hope to win and use to publicize their new car dealership. As navigator, they bring their neighbor Willie Bachhuber, who has his own checkered history, some of
Show More
which will be revealed in the course of the competition and be a surprise even to him. Show Less
LibraryThing member abanmally
This book was a challenge to read but worth the trouble. The POV switches back and forth from the main character, Irene Bobs to her neighbor Willie Bachhuber each chapter, but it was off-putting with no indication at the start of the chapter. All of the prose seems to blend together into Australian
However, the 1950's post-WWII Australia that Carey paints is the novel's greatest strength. 'A Long Way from Home' dives deep into Australian history-- the Redex Trial was a real event and the Bobs' goal to put themselves on the map and bring along their map-savvy neighbor feels silly but genuine. The description of Aboriginal life and their treatment by the government pulls few punches and is entirely based on fact. The white-washed, fenced-in Australia that we see with the Bobs is pulled further and further back as they drive into Aboriginal territory.
Carey's 'A Long Way from Home' is not an easy read in both style and content. But it proves to be a worthwhile journey.
I received this e-book for free from First to Read and Penguin Books in exchange for an honest review.
Show More
slang and I had to re-read multiple pages to catch the plot. The publisher has the tagline as "a world every American will recognize" but it is firmly an Australian book. However, the 1950's post-WWII Australia that Carey paints is the novel's greatest strength. 'A Long Way from Home' dives deep into Australian history-- the Redex Trial was a real event and the Bobs' goal to put themselves on the map and bring along their map-savvy neighbor feels silly but genuine. The description of Aboriginal life and their treatment by the government pulls few punches and is entirely based on fact. The white-washed, fenced-in Australia that we see with the Bobs is pulled further and further back as they drive into Aboriginal territory.
Carey's 'A Long Way from Home' is not an easy read in both style and content. But it proves to be a worthwhile journey.
I received this e-book for free from First to Read and Penguin Books in exchange for an honest review.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Robert3167
A long Way From Home encompasses, as did the Redex Trial that runs through the book, all of Australia as it was in the 50's. Harsh, unforgiving, with a horrendous past still not properly acknowledged to this day.
Carey brilliantly captures the tone and speech patterns of the Australia in the
There are so many themes Carey covers that listing them would only provide a glimpse of how powerful this novel is.
Carey brilliantly captures the tone and speech patterns of the Australia in the
Show More
1950's.There are so many themes Carey covers that listing them would only provide a glimpse of how powerful this novel is.
Show Less
LibraryThing member SandraBrower
A Long Way From Home is a long and bumpy ride courtesy of the Redex Race in Australia all the while exploring the tensions of Australia's racial tension between the white people and the aborigines. We get a taste of the traumatic history surrounding the Aboriginal people when Mrs. Bob's happens
The book is filled with broadly unique, quirky characters that sometimes while reading the book I wanted more about one or more of the characters for more pages in the chapter, instead of jumping around chapter to chapter trying to figure out within the first few sentences who the story for that chapter is about, which is like trying to spin your tires out of the mud. I would've loved a little more from Mrs. Bob's history before Mr. Bob's comes into the picture.
Mrs. Bobs is a strong, spirited woman who wished she was my next door neighbor. The adventures we could have would be always fun.
I truly enjoyed the story and its humorist take on road races. I learned a lot about Australia's countryside and cities I had never heard of until this book. This story by Peter Carey which he has written like a love story to his country was lyrically told the last few chapters where the story
seemed to stall like a car when the radiator overheats and then sputters dead in the desert.
I give this book 3.5 instead of 4 only because I took a half point off for the ending.
You can pre-order this book from Amazon or Barnes and Noble or do as I do and buy from an Indie Bookstore.
I appreciate having the chance to read this before it was published. I know I will be reading more from Mr. Carey. Thanks, Penguin Books and First to Read for the opportunity to read, A Long Way From Home in lieu of my honest review.
Show More
upon a mass gravesite and finds a child's skull, and when William Bauchuber is abducted happenstance-ly while navigating for Mr. and Mrs. Bobs, all from Baccus Marsh, while running the Redex Race. He is deposited on a ranch that needs a school teacher and interestingly finds out about his own life to boot.The book is filled with broadly unique, quirky characters that sometimes while reading the book I wanted more about one or more of the characters for more pages in the chapter, instead of jumping around chapter to chapter trying to figure out within the first few sentences who the story for that chapter is about, which is like trying to spin your tires out of the mud. I would've loved a little more from Mrs. Bob's history before Mr. Bob's comes into the picture.
Mrs. Bobs is a strong, spirited woman who wished she was my next door neighbor. The adventures we could have would be always fun.
I truly enjoyed the story and its humorist take on road races. I learned a lot about Australia's countryside and cities I had never heard of until this book. This story by Peter Carey which he has written like a love story to his country was lyrically told the last few chapters where the story
seemed to stall like a car when the radiator overheats and then sputters dead in the desert.
I give this book 3.5 instead of 4 only because I took a half point off for the ending.
You can pre-order this book from Amazon or Barnes and Noble or do as I do and buy from an Indie Bookstore.
I appreciate having the chance to read this before it was published. I know I will be reading more from Mr. Carey. Thanks, Penguin Books and First to Read for the opportunity to read, A Long Way From Home in lieu of my honest review.
Show Less
LibraryThing member hemlokgang
This was a nicely written, if a bit choppy sat times, tale of family, ethnicity, and overcoming hardship. A married couple, along with their neighbor, attempt a car race known as the Red-Ex. Traveling the circumference of Australia brings the unexpected, dangerous terrain, and a myriad of
Show More
obstacles, all of which comprise a metaphor for life struggles. Not my favorite from Peter Carey. Show Less
LibraryThing member SandraBrower
A Long Way From Home is a long and bumpy ride courtesy of the Redex Race in Australia all the while exploring the tensions of Australia's racial tension between the white people and the aborigines. We get a taste of the traumatic history surrounding the Aboriginal people when Mrs. Bob's happens
The book is filled with broadly unique, quirky characters that sometimes while reading the book I wanted more about one or more of the characters for more pages in the chapter, instead of jumping around chapter to chapter trying to figure out within the first few sentences who the story for that chapter is about, which is like trying to spin your tires out of the mud. I would've loved a little more from Mrs. Bob's history before Mr. Bob's comes into the picture.
Mrs. Bobs is a strong, spirited woman who wished she was my next door neighbor. The adventures we could have would be always fun.
I truly enjoyed the story and it's humorist take on road races. I learned a lot about Australia's countryside and cities I had never heard of until this book. This story by Peter Carey which he has written like a love story to his country was lyrically told until the last few chapters where the story
seemed to stall like a car when the radiator overheats and then sputters dead in the desert.
I give this book 3.5 instead of 4 only because I took a half point off for the ending.
You can pre-order this book from Amazon or Barnes and Noble or do as I do and buy from an Indie Bookstore.
I appreciate having the chance to read this before it was published. I know I will be reading more from Mr. Carey. Thanks Penguin Books and First to Read for the opportunity to read, A Long Way From Home in lieu of my honest review.
Show More
upon a mass gravesite and finds a child's skull, and when William Bauchuber is abducted happenstance-ly while navigating for Mr. and Mrs. Bobs, all from Baccus Marsh, while running the Redex Race. He is deposited on a ranch that needs a school teacher and interestingly finds out about his own life to boot.The book is filled with broadly unique, quirky characters that sometimes while reading the book I wanted more about one or more of the characters for more pages in the chapter, instead of jumping around chapter to chapter trying to figure out within the first few sentences who the story for that chapter is about, which is like trying to spin your tires out of the mud. I would've loved a little more from Mrs. Bob's history before Mr. Bob's comes into the picture.
Mrs. Bobs is a strong, spirited woman who wished she was my next door neighbor. The adventures we could have would be always fun.
I truly enjoyed the story and it's humorist take on road races. I learned a lot about Australia's countryside and cities I had never heard of until this book. This story by Peter Carey which he has written like a love story to his country was lyrically told until the last few chapters where the story
seemed to stall like a car when the radiator overheats and then sputters dead in the desert.
I give this book 3.5 instead of 4 only because I took a half point off for the ending.
You can pre-order this book from Amazon or Barnes and Noble or do as I do and buy from an Indie Bookstore.
I appreciate having the chance to read this before it was published. I know I will be reading more from Mr. Carey. Thanks Penguin Books and First to Read for the opportunity to read, A Long Way From Home in lieu of my honest review.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Opinionated
There are at least 2 books nestled here, perhaps even 3. In the first book, Irene Bobs meets her husband Titch, they attempt to set up a Ford and then a Holden dealership in the rural Victorian town of Bacchus Marsh and to escape the baleful influence of Titch's father "Dangerous Dan" Bobs, a
In the second, they partner with their neighbour Willem Bachuber, the schoolteacher son of a Lutheran pastor, running away from his own past, and compete in the 1954 Redex Trial, a real "reliability test" putting automobiles through their paces on a 10,000 km round Australia rally, through dangerous and primitive road conditions, mainly in the outback of Northern Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australia
In the third, Bachuber finds himself on a pastoral station in the north of Western Australia, trying to absorb a completely different concept of place and country as understood by the local Aboriginal population.
The story is primarily told in the strong and unique voices of Irene Bobs and Willem Bachuber; and as the story progresses Bobs' voice fades and Bachuber's becomes more dominant. So what is this all about? Don't believe the blurb about this being a rollicking story of a car race. It is... but its so much more than that. In many ways you could argue that the Redex trial is just a narrative device, albeit an entertaining one, to get Bachuber from Bacchus Marsh to the Kimberley.
Readers who have been slightly underwhelmed by some of Carey's recent work - such as His Illegal Self, Amnesia or The Chemistry of Tears (which I know I've read but can't remember a thing about) - will immediately feel he's back on familiar ground; he recreates the voices and mores of 1950s Australia perfectly. But yet its how he brings 1950s Aboriginal Australia to life that feels deft and sure.
Carey has mentioned that he needed to find a way to talk about Aboriginal experience in Australia, and that the Redex trials of the 1950s gave him that entry point. You can see why; the basic premise of the Redex, that outback Australia needs to be mapped, tamed and conquered, is in complete contrast to how the Aboriginal population perceive and experience country. Ultimately its these contrasts that Carey wants to bring to life; and alongside it, the sheer invisibility, to southern Australians, of Aboriginals and the casual racism that leads to their destruction of their systems, values and ways of life, not least the horrors of kids being removed from their parents, leading to what is known in Australia as "The Stolen Generation".
So this both an entertaining and a powerful book. Minus half a star because I am not sure about the resolution, but still very highly recommended
Show More
character based at least partially on Carey's own aviator grandfather and partially on "Gelignite" Jack Murray. In the second, they partner with their neighbour Willem Bachuber, the schoolteacher son of a Lutheran pastor, running away from his own past, and compete in the 1954 Redex Trial, a real "reliability test" putting automobiles through their paces on a 10,000 km round Australia rally, through dangerous and primitive road conditions, mainly in the outback of Northern Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australia
In the third, Bachuber finds himself on a pastoral station in the north of Western Australia, trying to absorb a completely different concept of place and country as understood by the local Aboriginal population.
The story is primarily told in the strong and unique voices of Irene Bobs and Willem Bachuber; and as the story progresses Bobs' voice fades and Bachuber's becomes more dominant. So what is this all about? Don't believe the blurb about this being a rollicking story of a car race. It is... but its so much more than that. In many ways you could argue that the Redex trial is just a narrative device, albeit an entertaining one, to get Bachuber from Bacchus Marsh to the Kimberley.
Readers who have been slightly underwhelmed by some of Carey's recent work - such as His Illegal Self, Amnesia or The Chemistry of Tears (which I know I've read but can't remember a thing about) - will immediately feel he's back on familiar ground; he recreates the voices and mores of 1950s Australia perfectly. But yet its how he brings 1950s Aboriginal Australia to life that feels deft and sure.
Carey has mentioned that he needed to find a way to talk about Aboriginal experience in Australia, and that the Redex trials of the 1950s gave him that entry point. You can see why; the basic premise of the Redex, that outback Australia needs to be mapped, tamed and conquered, is in complete contrast to how the Aboriginal population perceive and experience country. Ultimately its these contrasts that Carey wants to bring to life; and alongside it, the sheer invisibility, to southern Australians, of Aboriginals and the casual racism that leads to their destruction of their systems, values and ways of life, not least the horrors of kids being removed from their parents, leading to what is known in Australia as "The Stolen Generation".
So this both an entertaining and a powerful book. Minus half a star because I am not sure about the resolution, but still very highly recommended
Show Less
LibraryThing member Ken-Me-Old-Mate
This book comes from a land where the (then) Minister Of Tourism on being asked about Aboriginal sacred sites replied "An Abo just has to piss in a hole in the ground for it to become a sacred site".
If people say that White America still has to come to terms with its history of slavery, then
This is the country where you could shoot (read murder) Aborigines with impunity up to 1926. Honestly, read about the plight of the Aborigines in Australia and you would just weep and weep.
The really weird thing though is that when you go to Oz you see Aboriginal art featured in post offices, banks, malls, everywhere, but you wont see any Abos themselves, at least not in any city centres that I have visited. I was once fishing on a jetty in the wop-wops with two white guys who were friendly and chatty. I mentioned Abos and one said, "mate, an Abo just has to hold his bloody hand out and the government gives them money, those buggers get millions." And so on....
Anyway, if you have spent any time in Oz you know that racism or failed genocide is alive and well over there and that is one very real context for this book.
The other is Oz itself, a (white) country that appeared from nowhere to be a vibrant, go ahead place that produces fearless people who will have a go at anything. These are the people that built this place by hand. As Bill Bryson says, in a country "where everything wants to kill you". These are the characters in this book. Pioneering, flawed and not backward looking.
So the story is read by first person accounts, alternating between the various characters. I liked both Mrs Bobbs and Willie Bachhuber, the main ones really. I liked their respective energies. Mrs Bobbs for her outgoing get up and go and Willie for his reclusive demeanour which hides a healthy appetite for women, just not always the right ones.
No spoilers in my reviews but if you read the blurb it says that they embark on the Redex trial which is what you'd call a cross country rally, but back in the 50s. It is on this rally that everything unfolds in completely unexpected ways.
I loved reading this book, I liked the 50s atmosphere he created and inhabited. I heard that this was released into the US and I wondered if they had "translated" it as they do with so many other good books? To me, this book is quintessentially Australian and firmly rooted in Oz culture and history and I wonder how it would travel?
A look through other eyes indeed.
If people say that White America still has to come to terms with its history of slavery, then
Show More
someone needs to tell the Aussies that they were not there first and in spite of their fences they still do not own that land.This is the country where you could shoot (read murder) Aborigines with impunity up to 1926. Honestly, read about the plight of the Aborigines in Australia and you would just weep and weep.
The really weird thing though is that when you go to Oz you see Aboriginal art featured in post offices, banks, malls, everywhere, but you wont see any Abos themselves, at least not in any city centres that I have visited. I was once fishing on a jetty in the wop-wops with two white guys who were friendly and chatty. I mentioned Abos and one said, "mate, an Abo just has to hold his bloody hand out and the government gives them money, those buggers get millions." And so on....
Anyway, if you have spent any time in Oz you know that racism or failed genocide is alive and well over there and that is one very real context for this book.
The other is Oz itself, a (white) country that appeared from nowhere to be a vibrant, go ahead place that produces fearless people who will have a go at anything. These are the people that built this place by hand. As Bill Bryson says, in a country "where everything wants to kill you". These are the characters in this book. Pioneering, flawed and not backward looking.
So the story is read by first person accounts, alternating between the various characters. I liked both Mrs Bobbs and Willie Bachhuber, the main ones really. I liked their respective energies. Mrs Bobbs for her outgoing get up and go and Willie for his reclusive demeanour which hides a healthy appetite for women, just not always the right ones.
No spoilers in my reviews but if you read the blurb it says that they embark on the Redex trial which is what you'd call a cross country rally, but back in the 50s. It is on this rally that everything unfolds in completely unexpected ways.
I loved reading this book, I liked the 50s atmosphere he created and inhabited. I heard that this was released into the US and I wondered if they had "translated" it as they do with so many other good books? To me, this book is quintessentially Australian and firmly rooted in Oz culture and history and I wonder how it would travel?
A look through other eyes indeed.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Castlelass
This is a book about a race and racism. Set in Australia in the 1950s, the plot revolves around a couple, Irene and Titch Bobs, entering the Redex Trial, a car race around the perimeter of Australia, starting and ending in Sydney. They add a navigator, Willie Bachhuber, their neighbor, teacher, and
The first half of the book focuses on the setup for entering the race and the first part of the race itself. It then takes a significant detour to recount issues related to family secrets. As the drivers enter the backcountry, the race recedes in importance and Australia’s brutal treatment of the Aboriginal people takes center stage.
I can see what the author was trying to do, and I can say I liked it; however, I think the narrative loses steam when the plot shifts so dramatically. I suggest reading it as representative of Australia’s colonial past, but I am not sure this is going to work well for readers interested in the Redex. I listened to the audio book, capably read by Colin McPhillamy, Craig Baldwin, and Saskia Maarleveld.
Show More
trivia quiz master. The story is told by Irene and Willie, in alternating segments. The first half of the book focuses on the setup for entering the race and the first part of the race itself. It then takes a significant detour to recount issues related to family secrets. As the drivers enter the backcountry, the race recedes in importance and Australia’s brutal treatment of the Aboriginal people takes center stage.
I can see what the author was trying to do, and I can say I liked it; however, I think the narrative loses steam when the plot shifts so dramatically. I suggest reading it as representative of Australia’s colonial past, but I am not sure this is going to work well for readers interested in the Redex. I listened to the audio book, capably read by Colin McPhillamy, Craig Baldwin, and Saskia Maarleveld.
Show Less
LibraryThing member adrianburke
First 2/3 ok. Last bit is pretty random and little short of incomprehensible. If I was in thd Redex race I was a non-finisher!
Awards
Dublin Literary Award (Longlist — 2019)
The Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction (Shortlist — 2019)
Australian Book Industry Awards (Shortlist — Literary Fiction — 2018)
Miles Franklin Literary Award (Longlist — 2018)
The Indie Book Award (Longlist — Fiction — 2018)
ALS Gold Medal (Shortlist — Shortlist — 2018)
Prime Minister's Literary Award (Shortlist — Fiction — 2018)
Pages
336
ISBN
0525520171 / 9780525520177
Similar in this library
Bliss by Peter Carey