Patrick White
1941
Around 385 pages
420, let's go! I don't believe I've ever read an Australian novel, so I was excited to dive into this work, especially given the historical context. However, it's set in London so I still don't know what the hell was going in Australia during World War II.
We begin the novel at Victoria Station in London, where a brother and a sister, Elyot and Eden Standish, are saying goodbye to each other. We then go all the way back to when Catherine Standish married their father Willy. Willy doesn't last long and none of Standishes seem to be capable of sustaining a happy relationship.
The looming threat of World War II is really starting to make me anxious, which means the writing is very effective. All these characters are just adrift and lost, and I'm empathize with their dread and despair.
Still, I didn't love the style and this wasn't the most memorable story. Hopefully we will get more Australian literature in the future.
RATING: ***--
Interesting Facts:
Interesting Facts:
Patrick White won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1973.
UP NEXT: The Poor Mouth by Flann O'Brien
No comments:
Post a Comment