Bass Strait, 1839. A young Aboriginal girl, Mathinna, runs through the wet wallaby grass of a wild island at the edge of the world to get help for her dying father. Eighteen years later in Manchester, the great novelist Charles Dickens is a sensation, starring in a play that more and more resembles the frozen landscape of his own inner life.
Last month's book certainly left a few of us wanting. Left us wanting more direction, more continuity and a movie version please!
It has been a while since we have had so many of our group give up on a book with at least half never finishing this novel and for much the same reasons; very disjointed with the story line jumping around too much and tenuously connected characters. Nadine felt that the writer was just trying to be too clever, leaving most readers simply 'not getting it'. There were a few head nods around the table at this comment, so Nadine was not alone.
On the other side, there were a few who could see the book's merit, but would not go so far as to say they enjoyed it. Respected it and its writer would have to be its highest reward. And then Jeanette waked us all from our stupor and announced that she loved this book and proceeded to point out the humour and the wonderfully descriptive passages of London and its characters. She found the writing intelligent and the contrast of civilisation and savagery brilliantly done. Viti agreed with her and we then found ourselves delving into the title's meaning and where it was relevant throughout the book. We discussed Richard Flanagan's other novels, which some of us had read and we marvelled at how each of them seem to be written in a different style. Something very unusual indeed, forcing at least some of us to try him again. But it was universally agreed ... we still want a movie!
