inthelunaseas's review
2.0
Kinda embarrassing as it's so short, but DNF at about 90%.
There was just so many remarks about nude women and faintly misogynstic in parts that I had to stop. Some of the short stories were really good - I enjoyed the one presented as a report about the death on a resort - but I had to stop reading about the size of women's nipples.
There was just so many remarks about nude women and faintly misogynstic in parts that I had to stop. Some of the short stories were really good - I enjoyed the one presented as a report about the death on a resort - but I had to stop reading about the size of women's nipples.
yeahnaar's review
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
The stories convey a sense of nostalgia, for better or worse, for a white, middle class Australia of the past. Although you expect it to an extent from an older book by a male author, there are some less than savoury remarks about women in the book. Generally, it’s moderately well written, but not particularly interesting or worthwhile reading
obsie93's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
hancockeli130's review
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
kavat's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
brettyoung's review against another edition
3.0
Robert Drewe can paint a very specfic picture in his short stories, but the substance of each one is very hit and miss. Some can strike a chord whilst others seem to meander until it's over. Some stories on this book really hit me hard whilst some of the others, I forgot them as soon as I read them.
priya_mackenzie's review
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
brontebucket's review against another edition
4.0
Bought on holiday in Australia as billed as a modern Australian classic. Collection of short stories all linked to the sea/beach life in some way. Some of the stories are linked and others aren’t. Great variety of styles and storylines from the touching story of a man whose wife dies and his children start guessing that he’s sweet on the local hotel manageress, to the uncomfortable chapter of the pervert released from jail but ogling girls on the beach. Loved the one about the couple having an affair and the boyfriend marking the baby oil bottle. Would reread.
boyblue's review
3.0
Some short story collections work really well when the stories are linked and in Western Australian literature there's a few examples most notably Tim Winton collections, particularly The Turning, in which he does a brilliant job of creating stories with their own impetus that still gain something from being part of a larger mesh of meaning. While Drewe is a contemporary of Winton, his stories don't have the same strength, his style is not quite as fluid. Winton seems to be able to breathe underwater, whereas Drewe is always wearing a snorkel.
The order of the stories within the collection is one of the two issues with Drewe's work. In fact it's the first two stories being placed next to each other that blow the whole thing up. They give you the sense of some immediate chronology and set your expectations so that on the third story it takes half the story to realise it's not the deceased mum from the first two in some cross dressing role but a completely different character.
The other major issue with this collection is Drewe's inability to examine the unconscious mind and the motivations that drive people beyond the surface veneer of their daily routine. There are glimpses of his awareness of deeper motivations of behaviour most notably in The Bodysurfers where he tells in depth a character's dream (which isn't particularly effective) but many of the stories feel quite hollow and the connection between them adds little.
Part of me also wishes Drewe had just turned the Lang family into an Australian family saga novel.
In the same way people often say they're most fond of home when they are away or that they love their country most from overseas, I found Drewe's best story was the one set in California "Looking for Malibu". It was only in an overseas setting that I felt Drewe get a firm grip on the Australian psyche and even then only the male Australian psyche.
Which brings up my final point about these stories. Much of them felt like Drewe wrestling with his own issues about Australian masculinity. He seemed incapable of writing female characters that weren't props for guys to use on their journeys of self-discovery. This and the other issues may be more symptomatic of the time the stories were written than Drewe's writing abilities I'll have to read Whipbird next.
Lastly, I only picked up on this because I'm a Kiwi but what was with the incessant mentioning of New Zealand?
The order of the stories within the collection is one of the two issues with Drewe's work. In fact it's the first two stories being placed next to each other that blow the whole thing up. They give you the sense of some immediate chronology and set your expectations so that on the third story it takes half the story to realise it's not the deceased mum from the first two in some cross dressing role but a completely different character.
The other major issue with this collection is Drewe's inability to examine the unconscious mind and the motivations that drive people beyond the surface veneer of their daily routine. There are glimpses of his awareness of deeper motivations of behaviour most notably in The Bodysurfers where he tells in depth a character's dream (which isn't particularly effective) but many of the stories feel quite hollow and the connection between them adds little.
Part of me also wishes Drewe had just turned the Lang family into an Australian family saga novel.
In the same way people often say they're most fond of home when they are away or that they love their country most from overseas, I found Drewe's best story was the one set in California "Looking for Malibu". It was only in an overseas setting that I felt Drewe get a firm grip on the Australian psyche and even then only the male Australian psyche.
Which brings up my final point about these stories. Much of them felt like Drewe wrestling with his own issues about Australian masculinity. He seemed incapable of writing female characters that weren't props for guys to use on their journeys of self-discovery. This and the other issues may be more symptomatic of the time the stories were written than Drewe's writing abilities I'll have to read Whipbird next.
Lastly, I only picked up on this because I'm a Kiwi but what was with the incessant mentioning of New Zealand?