Breathless or Emotionless?

Breath
by Tim Winton

"More than once since then I've wondered whether the life-threatening high jinks that Loonie and I and Sando and Eva got up to in the years of my adolescence were anything more that a rebellion against the monotony of drawing breath."

Genre; Fiction/Drama
Publisher; Hamish Hamilton/Penguin/Australia/2008
Pages; 216
ISBN; 978-0-241-01530-8

Plot; Bruce Pike, Pikelet, is a young boy, in a small town on the western coast of Australia.

Life has been ordinary for Pikelet and his best mate Loonie, until they discover the adrenaline boost of the white, bubbling, swelling surf. It is under the experienced and fearless tutelage of surfing notable, Sando, that they come to explore a new side of life. An exciting side of life.

Years come and go as these two young boys learn to take more and more risks, forcing themselves and each other to push the boundaries further and further.

But, just as there is to any wave, there is a breaking point.

My Thoughts; This is the book for my book club next month. It was decided weeks ago to read this book, but at our last meeting one of our newest members expressed some very strong opinions.

The term which instantly springs to mind, which she used, is "foul". With this opinion most of the other club members were put off from reading it, but it was this strong reaction which immediately made me what to devour it. I wanted to know what could possibly be in this book to cause such a strong reaction in a reader.

The clubber who referred to this book as "foul" also said that it is a book about selfishness, which is in many ways true. Other reviews and discussions also describe Breath as a book about selfishness and the insatiable need for an adrenaline rush that the characters crave.

For me this is a book about depression. My understanding of depression is that it doesn't leave the sufferer feeling neither sad, nor happy, but it is a lack of emotion. The loss of emotion and want of feeling.

For me the characters of Breath are a bunch of depressives who need to push themselves and take risks, not for the fun of it, but for the sheer need of feeling.

Which makes it interesting that this book, with all its risk taking and near misses, left me with a want of feeling. As I read the final page I wasn't happy, I wasn't sad, I wasn't even mad... As I read that final page, all I could think was, "Oh, is that it?"

I don't know whether it was the "foul" build up, or whether I would have felt the same having heard no reviews before attempting it, but I was left feeling.. well, really, NOT feeling.

This is strange because it has all the makings of an emotive read- death, sex, fear, suspense.

I think I look at Breath and see the waste of it. The waste of life, the waste of possibilities, the waste of talent. It isn't that the book is a waste, but the characters are a waste, the choices they make are a waste.

Maybe this is the point of the book. To leave the reader with the emotionlessness of the characters, even after they have pushed themselves and pushed those boundaries.

I am a Tim Winton fan, those of you who have read my other Winton reviews will know I rate them highly, but with this book I am stuck. I don't know how to recommend it.

I can't say it is one to walk past, because I know that at my book club it will make for great discussion, but I can't say it is a "must read" either.

To me this is the kind of book you need to read with other people. I think that with discussion you can appreciate this book, and it will make for great debate as everyone will view it differently.

Happy Reading!

Fast Friday Fable

Blueback by Tim Winton

Genre; Fiction/Children's
Publisher; Bolinda Press/Sydney/1998/Large Print Ed.
Pages; 147

Plot; Described as a "fable for all ages", Blueback is the story of Abel Jackson, a young man who has spent his life by the sea hoping to unlock its secrets.

The only child of a widowed Mother, Abel spends his days in the sea at Longboat Bay. It is a tough life, but it is a happy one, filled with fun and adventures. Most importantly, this life includes an old and wise friend; Blueback, a large and cheeky groper who befriends the boy and his Mother.

It is this life that Abel must leave behind. He must leave it behind so that he can better understand it.

My Thoughts; This is an exceptional little read. It doesn't take long to devour this little gem but you walk away feeling more than satisfied.

To some this book is about the fight for the environment and the effects of people on that environment, a story about people learning from nature, but to me this is a story about the circle of life. It starts with a young Abel who has many fun times with an energetic and "go-getter" Mother and as the book progresses the reader watches these characters progress. We watch the Mother deteriorate and we watch Abel grow to be a man. The book then ends where it begins; a child and its parent watching Blueback fin through the water.

Maybe this is the reason why it is referred to as the "fable for all ages", because anyone, no matter age or background, can read this book and take something different from it.

This may not be Winton's most intricate or immense novel, but it is a great yarn.

I recommend this little gem to anyone, young or old, as a valuable coming-of-age tale.

Happy Reading!

My Visit to ABC Studios - Part 2

My Visit to ABC Studios - Part 2
and Cloudstreet by Tim Winton

In Part 1 of the ABC series of posts I talked about the filming of Jennifer Byrne Presents: Book to Film. This post will focus on the filming of First Tuesday Bookclub, focusing on the discussion concerning the great Australian novel, Cloudstreet by Tim Winton.

The Show...

Firstly I will just introduce the show to those of you who are not familiar with it and I will introduce the special guests.

First Tuesday Bookclub which, as the name depicts, is a bookclub programme that is aired on the first Tuesday of each month.

As the ABC Website states;

"First Tuesday Book Club is ABC TV's first nationally televised book club. Hosted by Jennifer Byrne it draws on the basic models of national and international book clubs, the series brings to the screen the pleasures that draw millions of clubbers worldwide to these groups with their shared love of reading. It is a nationally televised forum for literary debate and conversation not easily found elsewhere.

First Tuesday Book Club gathers Australian booklovers together on a monthly basis, a reading shot in the arm on the first Tuesday of each month. Each episode aims to rekindle nostalgic literary favourites and encourage viewers to read books they might not have otherwise read . a spine tingling experience."

The host, Jennifer Bryne, is well known for her work as a reporter on both television and in print. She has reported for such programmes as Foreign Correspondent, Lateline and the 7:30 Report and has worked for such publications as The Bulletin, The Age, The Sunday Times and The Weekend Magazine. While continuing to write, she hosted the ABC's successful My Favourite Book programme, and now has what she describes as her "dream job" as host of the First Tuesday Book Club.

The show also showcases the reviewing genius of Jennifer Byrne's two co-hosts, Marieke Hardy and Jason Steger.

Marieke Hardy has made a name for herself by appearing in such Australian television shows as Blue Heelers and Always Greener which lead her into scriptwriting. She also has a successful blog and a radio show and is currently writing a feature film and attempting her first novel.

Jason Steger has an extensive career in the newsprint industry and is currently the book editor for The Age and The Sunday Age.

The two special guests for this programme were Peter Garrett and Mem Fox.

Peter Garrett is the current Australian Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts but he is also known for having been the lead man for rock band, Midnight Oil from 1973 to 2002.

Mem Fox, having started as a University lecturer, is one of Australia's most beloved children's writers, with her most famous (and most beautiful) work being Possum Magic.



The Book...

Cloudstreet by Tim Winton

Genre; Australian Drama
Publisher; Scribner Paperback Fiction/USA/2002
Pages; 426

Plot; The Lambs and the Pickles are two, post-war, working-class, Australian families living together in a big old house in Perth which as been left to the Pickles by a wealthy family member.

Both families have suffered catastrophes and this is the story of how these two families survive these catastrophes and come together in their big old house.

The Pickles are a self-described "unlucky" family, with an alcoholic mother and a gabling obsessed Father. The Lamb family believes in making their own luck and use their side of the house to open a successful grocery store. But this is no ordinary house, it is a house with a past, a past which is trying to make itself a present.

Cloudstreet is the story of these two families from 1944 to 1964, running the gamut from drunkenness, adultery, death to resurrection, marriage and birth.

The Panellists Thoughts; All of those on the panel agreed that this is a must read for all Australians, with Mem Fox going as far as saying that "if you have not read Cloudstreet your life is diminished".

"Rhythm of a hymn" - Jennifer Byrne
"Tim Winton at his best" - Jason Steger
"One of the best sex scene writers in Australia" - Marieke Hardy
"Great Australian novel... a true classic" - Peter Garrett
"Few books have given as much pleasure" - Jennifer Byrne

My Thoughts; I agree with everything that the panellists had to say about Cloudstreet. It is a powerful story which hits on every Australian note, making it great.

Firstly I want to talk about how beautifully written this book is. Tim Winton has cultivated this tale in such an emotive way paying the most detail to the most mundane things which paints such a brilliant portrait of these two families, while limiting the detail given to the catastrophes of the story to instill suspense and shock.

Winton isn't afraid to describe in detail those things, which are part of life, that other authors quite happily steer clear of. The less attractive sides and aspects of life. That is what makes this book so real and so appealing, it doesn't shy away from reality.

Jennifer Byrne posed an interesting question during the show; does this story depict how Australians really are, or how we would like to be? I would like to think this is how Australians really are. The type to laugh in times of absolute turmoil. The type to wish for luck when all we have had is bad luck.

When I sit back and think of all those pathetically bad novels they made us read in High School, even making us watch the movie Witness (which is a great movie, but totally irrelevant to the Australian teen), it makes me sick to think that those children are missing out on a book like Cloudstreet. Why is this book not on the curriculum? Not only is it a great story, but it is our heritage and about our way of life.

I recommend this book to every Australian as an important addition to any library.
I would go as far to say that it would be a good read for the international audience as well, but Tim Winton has made no concessions for the international reader so it may be a challenge. But, it really is worth the challenge.

Stay tuned for Part 3 of the ABC Studios series of posts.
Part 3 will focus on Zeitoun by Dave Eggers; a true story of Hurricane Katrina.

Happy Reading!

First Tuesday Bookclub Filming

I am so happy to announce that I received my tickets today to the filming of ABC's First Tuesday Bookclub and Jennifer Byrne Presents: Books to Film.

"The First Tuesday Bookclub"

First Tuesday Book Club is ABC TV's first nationally televised book club. Hosted by Jennifer Byrne, with co-hosts Marieke Hardy and Jason Steger, it draws on the basic models of national and international book clubs, the series brings to the screen the pleasures that draw millions of clubbers worldwide to these groups with their shared love of reading. It is a nationally televised forum for literary debate and conversation not easily found elsewhere.
First Tuesday Book Club gathers Australian booklovers together on a monthly basis, a reading shot in the arm on the first Tuesday of each month. Each episode aims to rekindle nostalgic literary favourites and encourage viewers to read books they might not have otherwise read . a spine tingling experience.

The show that I will be attending the filming of will focus on two books;

Cloudstreet by Tim Winton and,

Zeitoun by Dave Eggers

and the guest hosts will be the Australian Minister for Environment, Heritage and the Arts Peter Garrett and Australia’s most highly regarded picture-book author Mem Fox..

"Jennifer Byrne Presents: Books to Film"

Jennifer Byrne Presents is a series of special episodes screening on specially selected Tuesdays at 10pm. A panel of leading authors and expert celebrity guests join Jennifer for investigations into some of the most popular reading genres, they reveal the conventions, controversies, and titles that have helped shaped the literary landscape.

The show that I will be attending the filming of will be about books and their journey into being films with guest hosts Margaret Pomeranz from At The Movies, renowned screen writer John Collee, Australian film and television director Anna Kokkinos and accomplished author John Marsden.

Filming will take place on Friday 5th Febuary and I will post pictures and notes on the filming soon after.