Review by LI chose Carpentaria, 'sight unread' as such, as I felt that it would be a good choice to read the winner of the Miles Franklin Literary award for 2007.
Central to the book are issues of land rights and mining as well as a host of social issues affecting Aboriginal people and how the four groups interact as well as their different belief systems. Wright explains that a central concern was 'How do you mend the broken line - the effect of colonisation?'
When I started reading Carpentaria I began to regret my choice. This was echoed by the grumblings from other Book Club members. The book is difficult to penetrate and requires real effort. However, the consensus of those who persevered was that it was well worth the effort. Wright says herself she expects her readers to work.
The story is told in a narrative style in the language of an Aboriginal elder. You soon realise although very descriptive, in the words of our 'linguist' club member, every word is there for a reason, nothing is superfluous. Wright did attempt to write the story in a more conventional style but felt it didn't strike the right tone.
During our discussion, four members who were not raised in Australia quizzed the others as to details of the background of Aboriginal affairs in Australia. This highlighted how little direct exposure the rest of us have had to Aboriginal people although very much a current affairs topic.
The range of scores from the five members of our Book Club who finished and rated the book were: 9 highest and 7.5 lowest with an average of 8.1. After our discussion several of the members who were there, and had not persevered, did commit to giving it another go. I hope they do.
Caprentaria is a story about an Aboriginal community set in the fictional town of Desperance on the Gulf of Carpentaria. Desperance is made up of four groups of people co-existing: the Westside mob who live on the edge of the rubbish dump, the Eastside mob who claim to be the traditional land owners, the Uptown people who are the whites and the Pricklebush people who are the 'old people'.
Central to the book are issues of land rights and mining as well as a host of social issues affecting Aboriginal people and how the four groups interact as well as their different belief systems. Wright explains that a central concern was 'How do you mend the broken line - the effect of colonisation?'
When I started reading Carpentaria I began to regret my choice. This was echoed by the grumblings from other Book Club members. The book is difficult to penetrate and requires real effort. However, the consensus of those who persevered was that it was well worth the effort. Wright says herself she expects her readers to work.
The story is told in a narrative style in the language of an Aboriginal elder. You soon realise although very descriptive, in the words of our 'linguist' club member, every word is there for a reason, nothing is superfluous. Wright did attempt to write the story in a more conventional style but felt it didn't strike the right tone.
The characters in the book give the story the depth to expose the serious social issues up for discussion, with an added humorous slant to elicit some chuckles. The three generations of female characters are almost 'extras' while the male characters are more extraordinary. The story centers around the lives of Norm Phantom and his family (Westend Pricklebush people) and their battles with the Eastend mob led by Joseph Midnight against a backdrop of struggles with the white officials of Uptown and Gurfurrit mine.
During our discussion, four members who were not raised in Australia quizzed the others as to details of the background of Aboriginal affairs in Australia. This highlighted how little direct exposure the rest of us have had to Aboriginal people although very much a current affairs topic.
1 comment:
I LOVED this book. Definitely one of the best books I've read hence by rating of 9. However, it took me the first 250 pages to get into it. Once in, I was hooked and it really came to life with a second reading.
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