What an amazing collection of short stories. The stunning thing about this young Australian writer is that he doesn't restrict himself to the assumed rich vein of autobiographical material which the title seems to suggest. The range blew me away. The courage to inhabit other worlds which has been achieved with such confidence and authenticity (although I must say I have never been a child assassin in Colombia). Never fear, there are two stories which do tap into his background - and done with such emotional vibrancy it is never cliched. It brings this important aspect of Australia's culture alive on the page. A great new voice in the Australian literary landscape - really looking forward to his new work.
Hope everyone is enjoying the short stories as much I did. They really grab you. I think my favourites are the child assassin in Columbia and the father going to meet his estranged daughter. Really engaging emotional landscapes and so not what I was expecting from the author.
This is book is exceptional; the best I've read in the last 12 months. The very best literature has the ability to transport the reader, this book goes further, sucking the reader in to inhabit the characters in the stories. I woke up in the morning after reading 'Halfhead Bay' to feelings of worry for the mother with MS, wondering what caused the teenage girl to behave as she did. Had to remind myself that the story was FICTION. 'The Boat' took me back to the 70s when my mother would invite Vietnamese refugees to our house for lunch. This story was like switching on a light, illuminating for me what they might have experienced. What a diverse collection. I loved the Hiroshima story and it's gentle touch on a brutal topic. Nam Lee hops from one culture another, writes fluently and convincingly with both the male and female voice - he is a genius.
I just did the best comments and have bloody accidentally deleted it - damn. Here's the short version: loved the book, Nam Lee is a genius, best book I've read in the last 12 months.
What an amazing collection of short stories. The stunning thing about this young Australian writer is that he doesn't restrict himself to the assumed rich vein of autobiographical material which the title seems to suggest. The range blew me away. The courage to inhabit other worlds which has been achieved with such confidence and authenticity (although I must say I have never been a child assassin in Colombia). Never fear, there are two stories which do tap into his background - and done with such emotional vibrancy it is never cliched. It brings this important aspect of Australia's culture alive on the page. A great new voice in the Australian literary landscape - really looking forward to his new work.
ReplyDeleteHope everyone is enjoying the short stories as much I did. They really grab you. I think my favourites are the child assassin in Columbia and the father going to meet his estranged daughter. Really engaging emotional landscapes and so not what I was expecting from the author.
ReplyDeleteThis is book is exceptional; the best I've read in the last 12 months. The very best literature has the ability to transport the reader, this book goes further, sucking the reader in to inhabit the characters in the stories. I woke up in the morning after reading 'Halfhead Bay' to feelings of worry for the mother with MS, wondering what caused the teenage girl to behave as she did. Had to remind myself that the story was FICTION. 'The Boat' took me back to the 70s when my mother would invite Vietnamese refugees to our house for lunch. This story was like switching on a light, illuminating for me what they might have experienced. What a diverse collection. I loved the Hiroshima story and it's gentle touch on a brutal topic. Nam Lee hops from one culture another, writes fluently and convincingly with both the male and female voice - he is a genius.
ReplyDeleteI just did the best comments and have bloody accidentally deleted it - damn.
ReplyDeleteHere's the short version: loved the book, Nam Lee is a genius, best book I've read in the last 12 months.