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wrussell1984's review against another edition
5.0
I bought this book back into 2018, started reading, got overwhelmed by Winton's complete hatred of quotation marks and forgot the book at the bottom of my work bag.
Found it and picked it back up a week ago and relieved that I didn't give up. Honestly this book is a master class in portraying the complexities of family relationships, especially within f_cked up families. Yes, there are arguably too many characters (which Pickles and which Lamb is that?) and some of the narrative shifts are jarring at first but I strongly recommend sticking with this one. Winton ultimately builds the story into beautiful collision of the two families with a wallop of an ending.
Found it and picked it back up a week ago and relieved that I didn't give up. Honestly this book is a master class in portraying the complexities of family relationships, especially within f_cked up families. Yes, there are arguably too many characters (which Pickles and which Lamb is that?) and some of the narrative shifts are jarring at first but I strongly recommend sticking with this one. Winton ultimately builds the story into beautiful collision of the two families with a wallop of an ending.
ptvsoph's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
╰┈➤ 4 stars! *ੈ✩‧₊˚
exhausted__reader's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
miffyf's review against another edition
5.0
Brilliant. Was worried it wouldn't do the novel justice. I was wrong.
sophielouise98's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
mollytucker's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
timmytunter's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Reading "Cloudstreet" was something of a transcendental experience. Packed with familiar Australian elements, it felt like a comfortable world to enter into. Yet, with its off-piste mystical elements, this familiar world is elevated to that of myth or legend. The real strength of the novel lies in the characters Tim Winton has created. The narrative focuses on two families, the Pickles and the Lambs, largely concentrating on the four parents, the eldest Pickles daughter, Rose, and two of the Lamb boys, Fish and Quick. We don’t get a lot of detail about their other siblings. Through these seven protagonists, we are given a broad range of perspectives and experiences to draw on, all bound by their context of post-WWII Australia—a time of lingering racial division, male breadwinners, and post-Depression poverty.
The story feels almost parabolic, especially when you reach the end and realise thatthe entire narrative has been recounted by Fish in his final seconds of life as he throws himself into the sea .
The story feels almost parabolic, especially when you reach the end and realise that
While it could be argued that not much happens throughout the twenty-odd years expounded upon in the story, I contend that a lot occurs between the cracks—in the relationships between characters, with the anthropomorphic house on Cloud Street, and between the physical and spiritual realms. In these cracks, Winton explores a host of topics: love, luck, self-determination, the constancy of the human experience, ingrained racist tendencies, systemic racial discrimination, and class and gender issues. One particularly poignant moment comes when Rose declares to Quick, her husband ,
If it means being alone, I don’t want [independence]… I want to live, I want to be with people, Quick. I want to battle it out… I don’t want our new house. I want the life I have. Don’t be disappointed.
And I love Quick’s reply:
Disappointed? Love, I'm putrid with ... with happiness. I've been wantin to tell you for months.
This sentiment captures one of the major themes of the novel, where independence is weighed against the deep, complex bonds of family and community.
Tim Winton's prose stands out for its stunning imagery, rooted in his masterful use of metaphors and idioms. He has a knack for combining words to create unique compound terms like halfdark, rainstarved, sweetmouthed, sunbrown, carpetbacked, and of course Cloudstreet. I was so captivated by his inventive language that I started listing all of Winton’s novel compound words as I came across them, and they totaled over fifty. However, Winton's departure from conventional punctuation, particularly his omission of quotation marks, posed a challenge for me. This stylistic choice, rather than adding to the text, often distracted from the narrative. That said, when listening to the audiobook superbly read by Peter Hosking, this issue dissipated. Hosking’s use of different voices for each character was expertly done, such that I still hear these voices when I reflect on each character.
"Cloudstreet" is a richly textured novel filled with vivid imagery, complex characters, and deep thematic resonance which makes it a memorable and rewarding read. I highly recommend it to anyone seeking a uniquely Australian literary experience.
Tim Winton's prose stands out for its stunning imagery, rooted in his masterful use of metaphors and idioms. He has a knack for combining words to create unique compound terms like halfdark, rainstarved, sweetmouthed, sunbrown, carpetbacked, and of course Cloudstreet. I was so captivated by his inventive language that I started listing all of Winton’s novel compound words as I came across them, and they totaled over fifty. However, Winton's departure from conventional punctuation, particularly his omission of quotation marks, posed a challenge for me. This stylistic choice, rather than adding to the text, often distracted from the narrative. That said, when listening to the audiobook superbly read by Peter Hosking, this issue dissipated. Hosking’s use of different voices for each character was expertly done, such that I still hear these voices when I reflect on each character.
"Cloudstreet" is a richly textured novel filled with vivid imagery, complex characters, and deep thematic resonance which makes it a memorable and rewarding read. I highly recommend it to anyone seeking a uniquely Australian literary experience.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Eating disorder, and Miscarriage
Moderate: Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Grief, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: War
codosbankarena's review against another edition
4.0
A melancholy offering of connection and spirited battle cries from two working class families that bond together over the decades past their own unique tragedies. It makes you feel, it makes you laugh, and it makes you wonder about that brilliant enchanting mind that belongs to Tim Winton.