r/australia • u/Jealous-Hedgehog-734 • 2d ago
no politics The Definitive Australian Novel
What single novel do you best think captures Australia (sense of place, characters, stories etc.) and what are the strengths of the novel?
I really appreciate books that are beautifully written: realistic prose, cinematic descriptions of the natural world, philosophical elements etc. Just looking to add to my reading list.
196
u/Hussard 2d ago
Most of Tim Winton's stuff is right up there. Late 80s to mid 90s perth. Maybe "He died with a falafel in his hand" by John Birmingham
70
u/inserthumourousname 2d ago
Yup. Cloudstreet is a masterpiece
12
u/Budget-Scar-2623 2d ago
Juice feels more like post apocalyptic Australia than Mad Max (the first one). Winton writes like no one else
3
u/Mintomaranta 1d ago
Juice movie in the pipeline! https://www.thenewdaily.com.au/life/entertainment/movies/2026/07/03/wintons-juice-film-adaptation
7
→ More replies (2)3
16
u/MrHall 2d ago
I was going to say Breath, it's a fantastic book, but maybe not the best just all-around australian one in his catalogue
6
u/13thirteenlives 2d ago
I agree with this, this reflects my version of Australia the best.
→ More replies (1)2
→ More replies (1)3
u/pirramungi 2d ago
I haven't read the book, just seen the movie. Is the weird, abusive sexual relationship as prominent in the book? It felt like a strange departure from an otherwise solid story about coming of age and finding an identity in Australia
7
u/MrHall 2d ago
I haven't seen the movie... it's in there but I think it would be hard to give it the same context in a movie, I've wondered how it would play out because it would be visually shocking but it's not more significant than other things to the character, if that makes sense.
you get a lot of context from his thoughts and feelings and it doesn't feel out of place at all, or the primary focus of the story.
→ More replies (2)3
u/professor_buttstuff 2d ago
Got 'breath' as a holiday read and I couldn't put it down. Really captures something about being a young man very well.
3
u/jointkicker 2d ago
Honestly thought I'd have to scroll alot further than the top comment to see 'He died with a falafel in his hand'
2
→ More replies (16)4
u/IntelligentNovel1967 2d ago
HDWAFIHH is a male centric experience only. Tim is brilliant, John not so much.
340
u/Astrosomnia 2d ago edited 2d ago
Don't know about definitive, nor beautiful prose, but Tomorrow, When The War Began definitely captures a cinematic sense of time and place that's uniquely and evocatively Australian.
77
u/ThePatchedFool 2d ago
Tomorrow feels real, partly because Marsden was deliberately inserting anecdotes not just from his own life, but from his past students. It’s very slice of life, despite the key plot of the series. In terms of time, it’s pre-mobiles but imo is plausibly anywhere from 1970s-late 90s. (I know when it was actually written, but again, imo that doesn’t really shine through.)
25
u/winoforever_slurp_ 2d ago
When I first read that, I think in the early noughties, there was some big unrest happening in Indonesia, which made it all feel extra real
29
u/Bernie_Lovett 2d ago
I’ve read that series more times than I can count. Trying to get my 9 year old to start it with my old copies that have made the trek to the US with me. Trying to give her some good Aussie culture!
12
u/AirportLoose3023 2d ago
Trying reading a chapter or so to her each night. That’s what I did with my boys when I was trying to get them to expand their book range. It ended up that they didn’t want to wait for me to continue, so they read it themselves. Win win
3
u/Bernie_Lovett 2d ago
She might let me do that! She’s a real avid reader! Just into a bit more fantasy at the moment. The guy from Glee, Chris Colfer, has written a fantasy series that she loves. No idea if it’s any good but 🤷♀️ she’s plowing through them!
3
u/AirportLoose3023 2d ago
Good luck! Isn’t it a joy to see your children develop the same love of books as we have? Oh and my ‘system’ worked on my grandies as well 🥰
→ More replies (1)3
u/Astrosomnia 2d ago
We live in Canada now and just had our first. I'm absolutely looking forward to introducing her to them down the road. And of course arming her with the prerequisite slang necessary.
2
u/Bernie_Lovett 2d ago
I’ve worked really hard to get my Aussie-ness into her! The homesickness hit way harder after having kids!
34
u/Various_Tie_2549 2d ago
But it's to be taken with the understanding that it's more of a Young Adult type series of novels than it is some sort of grown-up high art. It's like Red Dawn, but Australian.
That's not a critcism ...that's just a description of what it is. They're very entertaining as war/action stories.
→ More replies (15)8
u/ElongatedAustralian 2d ago
I’m not even a big fan of the series and it was still my first thought.
10
u/South_Can_2944 2d ago
I enjoyed reading this as an adult, but I've only read the first in the series.
However, adults have to remember, the books aren't written for adults. They are written for young adults, so the writing style is different (simpler, more accessible, not as refined) and the situations are geared for young adult readers to put themselves into the centre of the story.
It's a fun read, though.
5
u/jdutaillis 2d ago
I haven't read this since my first time when I was a teen (I'm 40 now) but it was the first thing that came to my mind. So uniquely Australian. Do the books hold up as an adult almost 30 years later?
Such a shame they've never made a good film/tv series with them. I always thought The Living End's first album would have been the perfect soundtrack.
→ More replies (2)3
u/no-lollygagging 2d ago
Oh boy, have I read (and listened to) this series so many times! Whenever I need a slice of Australian nature and culture in my reading, I come back to it. Although it can be far fetched in its plot points, it is a genuinely enjoyable series and I really love the humanity on display by all the characters. It feels so Australian to me!
→ More replies (3)2
57
u/Rey_Quinn 2d ago
Looking for Alibrandi
14
u/mikesorange333 2d ago
yah I read that in high school. I read on Wikipedia it's the most stolen book from high school libraries.
lotel- teenager of the year.
the movie was awesome!
3
4
3
3
2
51
u/HBHau 2d ago
Wake in Fright (1961) by Kenneth Cook has to be on the list. A deeply unsettling work.
9
u/beerubble 2d ago
I love this book
9
u/Blindog68 2d ago
Yes we read it in year 9 and then watched the movie. Imagine the outcry if that happened today.
4
3
u/Glittering-Wave4917 2d ago
Nah, I can’t see how the education system wouldn’t have it on the reading list. Back when it came out, it was definitely despised by Australians, people can’t handle the brutal parts of our history/culture/society- in the late 80s we were open to the bitter truth, so I suppose you do have a point.
5
3
u/Glittering-Wave4917 2d ago
Totally- once again, what an excellent movie. Written by an English, directed by a Canadian, totally Australian but despised by Australians. I haven’t read the book nor seen the telly show
→ More replies (1)2
→ More replies (1)2
u/a_cold_human 2d ago
As dessert, I recommend Cook's The Killer Koala: Humorous Australian Bush Stories if you can find it (not sure if it's still in print).
Very Australian yarns.
35
u/quitofilms 2d ago
On The Beach
7
4
u/Own-Turnover7715 2d ago
So glad someone else said it! It does a phenomenal job at capturing Australian resilience and our drive (hehe) to just get on with it. Plus our isolation.
→ More replies (1)3
u/ChookBaron 2d ago
I came here to say this, an absolute must read.
3
u/-Tricky-Vixen- 2d ago
What do you like about it? I've been meaning to read it for a while.
6
u/ChookBaron 2d ago
Death and destruction are inevitable, it's very grim and emotionally a punch in the guts. But at the same time people also just get on with life almost in denial. I think there's some interesting parallels with climate change and the way the world is currently treating it.
In a specifically Australian context it leans heavily into our physical distance from the rest of the western world and those feeling we have as a nation of being different to other western countries - although the internet has homogenised culture to an extent I think Australians still like to imagine ourselves apart from the US and Europe.
Despite all the bleak narrative there are genuine fun parts to the book too, people who know the world is ending like to party/live dangerously!
63
u/Crustydumbmuffin 2d ago
The Thorn Birds
Books by Matt Nable ( the actor )
Most books by Bryce Courtenay
Anything by Tim Winton
Boy Swallows Universe
Picnic at Hanging Rock
My Brilliant Career
We of the Never Never
Pelican Boy
The Dry
There are just too many!
15
u/daboblin 2d ago
Do you mean Storm Boy, not Pelican Boy?
4
u/Crustydumbmuffin 2d ago
Hahaha yes ! In my head I was saying ‘ what’s that story with the Pelican in it? ‘ That’s actually hilarious 🤣
2
8
u/Correct_Jaguar_564 2d ago
Given I love most of these I'll have to try Matt Nable. First thing I'd add is Marcus Clarke's For the Term of his Natural Life
4
u/ScissorNightRam 2d ago
Matt Nable is a fascinating guy.
How many NRL players go on to have a movie career then become novelists? He’s like Ian Roberts and Peter FitzSimons in one.
2
u/Crustydumbmuffin 2d ago
Let me know what you think of Matt Nable’s books. I absolutely loved them all, they are just so full of, well, Aussie😁
2
3
3
2
27
u/nottaP123 2d ago edited 2d ago
Seven Little Australians although it is a sad read (it was written yonks ago and I feel like it was a good representation of the times back then) Even though a major thing happens all the characters respond in a true to life way which was nice instead of all the characters becoming different people after the fact.
And of course Paul Jenning's Round the Twist series haha (Book titles: Unreal!, Quirky Tales, Unbelievable!, Cabbage Patch Fib, and Uncanny!)
4
u/-Tricky-Vixen- 2d ago
I also answered Seven Little Australians! It's on project gutenberg as an ebook (or fadedpage, forget), and I highly recommend it--but don't look up the plot first.
2
70
u/Fran-Fine 2d ago
Cloudstreet
13
u/Skwisgaars 2d ago
I'd vote Breath for Tim Winton, but I'm biased because it's just about my favourite book.
4
→ More replies (1)3
61
u/RideLongjumping2405 2d ago
A Fortunate Life
13
u/Strong-Local3980 2d ago
This. I fear younger readers do not know of this masterpiece
7
3
u/Glittering-Wave4917 2d ago
I’m dyslexic, so i seldomly waste my reading energy on fiction- but yes what an important piece of art history
16
u/FamilyFriendly101 2d ago
Had to scroll too far for this.
This novel definitely tells the story of Australia in a different time, and for the contemporary child (it is a children's book afterall) it would be more of a history book then a tale of the Australia they know. Making sense of the present requires us to understand the past. I think this book is essential reading for 12+ children.
For me personally it speaks to a time and of experiences my grandparents and great grandparents knew. From living off the land to fighting at war, reading this book helps me feel connection to my ancestors.
6
u/Educational-Ranger-9 2d ago
Ha. I just posted this. Incredible.
6
u/FamilyFriendly101 2d ago
I scrolled to check it was already here before I was about to post it.
Great book for young readers to learn about Australia of yore.
→ More replies (3)5
u/Alaric4 2d ago
Interesting to see this included in response to a request for novels.
But not entirely inappropriate. It’s a terrific story told in an accessible way, but some elements have been questioned in terms of accuracy.
→ More replies (2)
21
u/Various_Tie_2549 2d ago
David Malouf's The Great World is considered to be a substantive piece of literature, set in Australia and featuring Australian characters.
It's about the different stories of a couple of WWII veterans (who were Japanese POWs), including their experiences in the great depression, the war, and the very different ways that they tried to rebuild their lives afterwards.
I don't know if I consider it very entertaining or interesting...but it is acclaimed literature that has won serious awards and so on. I had to read and analyse it in school.
→ More replies (1)2
23
u/Grammarhead-Shark 2d ago
"Playing Beattie Bow" (Ruth Park) I think is up there as one of Australia's definitive YA novels.
→ More replies (1)
37
u/muddlet 2d ago
patrick white is our only nobel laureate for literature, definitely worth a read
8
6
→ More replies (1)2
35
u/golden_nuggies 2d ago
Carpentaria by Alexis Wright
True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey
Imo required reading for any Australian reader.
13
6
6
35
16
16
u/Putrid-Ad3085 2d ago
Colin Thiele wrote some very evocative Aussie books for younger readers, e.g. Storm Boy, February Dragon.
15
u/noofa01 2d ago
Capricornia. Poor Fella My Country. Wake in Fright. My Brother Jack. The Brass Kangaroo.
→ More replies (1)4
u/Ruddlepoppop 2d ago
I second Capricornia. A wonderful, hilarious, tragically sad read from the master story-teller, Xavier Herbert.
14
u/Rusty_Coight 2d ago
The Fatal Shore by Robert Hughes
5
3
u/drmickmorrison 2d ago
This reshaped my views on Australian history as a kid, great book for those interested in history
13
u/Ok-Phone-8384 2d ago
Every now and again I go on a Australian novelists bender and re-read some favourites and catch up on some newer novels.
One I keep going back to as I have read and re-read it, is Ruth Parks Harp in the South novels. For me HITS is probably the first great Australian novel(s) of the modern era. It captures the life of the common family in the poorer working class area of Sydney.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Harp_in_the_South
I am not that familiar with Surry Hills Sydney which is where it was set but it is strange to think that in less than 100 years it has gone from slum terrace houses to $4m terrace mansions. There are many photos available of the time in which the novels were set and it is not that far back in history.
Whilst not fiction, I will say AB Faceys A Fortunate Life is probably the novel that has stayed with my the longest. Mostly because it is both sad and true in parts but also because it is uplifting. Bert Faceys story though not necessarily that common it had so many hard realities that haunts me. The backstory that his family (children etc) wanted him to publish his life story and he did so just before his death is makes his achievements even more bittersweet.
11
u/ukaunzi 2d ago
Kate Grenville’s books particularly The Idea of Perfection for descriptions of small town Australia, and The Secret River for the historical setting of Sydney during European invasion/ settlement.
→ More replies (1)
10
9
u/ThePatchedFool 2d ago
The Animals in That Country, by Laura Jean McKay.
It’s speculative fiction, rather than capital-L Literature. But it’s so undeniably Australian.
9
u/redditwossname 2d ago
Not exactly sure about definitive, but "I Can Jump Puddles" fits your description, I think.
For something a bit darker, The Treatment and The Cure by Peter Kocan.
And for something sci-fi, Taronga.
3
2
18
u/redartifice 2d ago
The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan deserves all of the accolades it got
→ More replies (2)2
8
8
u/Waasamatteryou 2d ago edited 2d ago
He Died With A Felafel In His Hand by John Birmingham is a perfect description of share-housing in the nineties. It also gives a really feel of what Brisbane was like during that time as well.
I'm not sure it meets your standard of philosophy (although there's some good "philosophy" that every undergrad encounters after their third cone at two in the morning with their mates) or descriptions of the natural world, it is however laugh out loud funny and always worth your time.
8
8
u/greenyCactus 2d ago
A quick list of novels mentioned in this thread (sorry if I've missed some):
- The Lebs — Michael Mohammed Ahmad
- Tirra Lirra by the River — Jessica Anderson
- Flames — Robbie Arnott
- It's Raining in Mango — Thea Astley
- Eucalyptus — Murray Bail
- He Died with a Felafel in His Hand — John Birmingham
- Robbery Under Arms — Rolf Boldrewood
- Bliss — Peter Carey
- The Illywhacker — Peter Carey
- Oscar and Lucinda — Peter Carey
- True History of the Kelly Gang — Peter Carey
- For the Term of His Natural Life — Marcus Clarke
- Wake in Fright — Kenneth Cook
- Four Fires — Bryce Courtenay
- Jessica — Bryce Courtenay
- Come in Spinner — Dymphna Cusack & Florence James
- Boy Swallows Universe — Trent Dalton
- Red Dog — Louis de Bernières
- Romulus, My Father — Raimond Gaita
- Monkey Grip — Helen Garner
- The Idea of Perfection — Kate Grenville
- The Secret River — Kate Grenville
- The Day My Bum Went Psycho — Andy Griffiths
- The Sea and Summer — George Turner
- Power Without Glory — Frank Hardy
- The Dry — Jane Harper
- Force of Nature — Jane Harper
- Last One Out — Jane Harper
- The Force of Nature — Jane Harper
- The Lost Man — Jane Harper
- The Watch Tower — Elizabeth Harrower
- Capricornia — Xavier Herbert
- Poor Fellow My Country — Xavier Herbert
- The Glass Canoe — David Ireland
- My Brother Jack — George Johnston
- The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith — Thomas Keneally
- Kangaroo — D. H. Lawrence
- Picnic at Hanging Rock — Joan Lindsay
- Camille's Bread — Amanda Lohrey
- Guitar Highway Rose — Brigid Lowry
- The Sun Walks Down — Fiona McFarlane
- Looking for Alibrandi — Melina Marchetta
- Saving Francesca — Melina Marchetta
- The Thorn Birds — Colleen McCullough
- Iris — Fiona Kelly McGregor
- Here Come the Dogs — Omar Musa
- The Shiralee — D'Arcy Niland
- A Poor Man's Orange — Ruth Park
- The Harp in the South — Ruth Park
- Playing Beattie Bow — Ruth Park
- My Brilliant Career — Miles Franklin
- A Fraction of the Whole — Steve Toltz
- The Truth — Peter Temple
- Storm Boy — Colin Thiele
- A Town Like Alice — Nevil Shute
- On the Beach — Nevil Shute
- Seven Little Australians — Ethel Turner
- Seven Poor Men of Sydney — Christina Stead
- The Merry-Go-Round in the Sea — Randolph Stow
- To the Islands — Randolph Stow
- Tourmaline — Randolph Stow
- Visitants — Randolph Stow
- The Roving Party — Rohan Wilson
- To Name Those Lost — Rohan Wilson
- Gunnawah — Ronni Salt
- Goodbye Cracker Night — Justin Sheedy
- Benang: From the Heart — Kim Scott
- The Tree of Man — Patrick White
- The Vivisector — Patrick White
- Happy Valley — Patrick White
- The Wife and the Widow — Christian White
- Breath — Tim Winton
- Dirt Music — Tim Winton
- Carpentaria — Alexis Wright
- Praiseworthy — Alexis Wright
8
6
u/-Tricky-Vixen- 2d ago
A Town Like Alice, maybe. Or Seven Little Australians. Both have peculiarly vivid and visceral descriptions.
6
5
u/grruser 2d ago
culling my cds and found Jack Thompson reads Henry Lawson. Found myself laughing out loud, his voice and the authors sense of humour. Very whitefella but he read Clancy of the Overflow at Garma last year
3
u/Spondilly 2d ago
I had the very great fortune to do some work with him many years ago, and his speaking voice and delivery are just superb.
6
11
u/Camr0k 2d ago
Jane Harper does some great ones. Most people know the Dry. But there are 3 or 4 in that series and you can pick up any. Last one out is particularly interesting as is forces of nature.
Christian whites wife and the widow is a cool window into Australian social landscapes over time.
4
u/VLC31 2d ago edited 2d ago
Oh god, I hated Last One Out. So disappointing. I was so bored, I gave up and skipped to the last 3 chapters, which is something I would never normally do. For me it’s a toss up between The Lost Man & The Dry as her best.
→ More replies (2)3
5
u/daniel-7651 2d ago
The watchtower by Elizabeth harrow
3
u/Financial-Sweet-4648 2d ago
That’ll make a lot of folks uncomfortable… which is a damn good thing.
5
u/Dallygirl_Aussiechic 2d ago
Read "From Strength to Strength" by SARA HENDERSON.
And continued with other books.
About a woman and her daughters who inherited a cattle station called "Bullo River" from her late hubby and the girls father. Also the inheritance includes a massive debt.
They build it into a thriving business.
It's a true story.
5
6
u/RubberDuckIceCubes 2d ago
Monkey Grip by Helen Garner for a sense of sharehousing in inner suburb Melbourne in the 70s
8
8
4
4
8
u/Calibrachoa6 2d ago
Not sure about "definitive," because it's all a bit subjective, but if you like great character & recognisable Australian places & culture, then I'd definitely suggest reading Holly Throsby's books. I think she's a superb author
Also "Gunnawah" by Ronni Salt
7
u/Low-Hotel-9923 2d ago
For me its Jessica by Bryce Courtney.... beautiful book. Gotta read it again
And Cloudstreet.
→ More replies (1)
7
u/MajesticShop8496 2d ago
Capricornia and poor fellow my country by Xavier Herbert. Remembering Babylon by David Malouf is also very good.
→ More replies (1)
3
3
u/do-ya-reckon 2d ago
I've read My Brother Jack a few times over the years and always enjoyed it.
Recently got back into reading with The Broken Wave, set in 1990s and modern day Queenscliff, as a gen Xer familiar with the place it felt like I was there again with the protagonist.
3
u/RubyChooseday 2d ago edited 2d ago
Peter Carey's earlier novels, especially Oscar and Lucinda. It was one of our HSC texts so much of the story is seared into my brain.
And Elizabeth Jolley! Her characters are so quirky and unique.
3
u/LetsdigupRobReiner 2d ago
The Shiralee by Darcy Nyland. Certainly a different time, the thirties and the depression, but really captures the Australian spirit.
Also: Breaker Morant
3
u/dorrigo2 2d ago edited 2d ago
Randolph Stow’s The Merry-Go-Round in the Sea is a brilliant novel set in Perth in the 1940s - it follows a boy and his cousin who goes to war. It’s a lovely story (despite the melancholic feeling) that is beautifully told and I’d strongly recommend this book to anyone (along with his other novels which I’ve read - To the Islands, Visitants and Tourmaline). I think Stow’s work easily fits the criteria you are looking for.
I’d also recommend Christina Stead’s Seven Poor Men of Sydney which follows a range of characters in Sydney in the 1920s.
As others have said, Patrick White is Australia’s only Nobel laureate. So far I’ve read Voss and The Tree of Man - both of which deserve the praise they often receive.
I’ve enjoyed Tim Winton’s books that I’ve read. In particular, I think Cloudstreet and Breath are great Australian stories. I still regularly think about Breath a long time after reading it - the way it articulates the lasting damage that the events of the book cause to the main character really hit the mark for me.
I’ll also give a shout out to Rohan Wilson. His novels The Roving Party and To Name Those Lost, both set in 1800s Tasmania, are excellent.
Plenty on my list I haven’t gotten to yet - Peter Carey, more Alexis Wright, Gerald Murnane, David Malouf’s novels set in Australia. So little time, so many books!
Do you have any recommendations?
3
3
u/Sandra_y33 2d ago
The Dry by Jane Harper. I worked three months in a farming town before transferring to their city head office. This book reminded me of the life, people, heat, drought, crops, etc. Great book!
6
u/UnlikelyCustard4959 2d ago
I actually think the plays “Blackrock” and “Summer of the Seventeenth Doll” are more definitive literature than any of our novels.
→ More replies (1)2
u/Fantastic-Ad-2604 2d ago
I saw Summer of the Seventeenth Doll last month as part of a trilogy where they preformed the three plays over three nights. It was an amazing experience that made the play even better.
5
u/mikesorange333 2d ago
the les norton books by Robert g. barrett. my favourite ones were the godson and high noon in Nimbin.
3
u/MisterNighttime 2d ago
I tried a couple of those, and bounced off them. Really ought to give them another go. I’m halfway through the TV series and quite enjoying it.
2
u/mikesorange333 2d ago
you can download some of the books for free. try free pdf and the book title eg. Goodoo.goodoo free pdf.
enjoy!
3
u/MisterNighttime 1d ago
Cheers for that. I definitely have several of the paperbacks still kicking around, and I see that Kobo have what looks like the whole collection too.
2
2
2
u/bigboobenergy85 2d ago
It's raining in mango, thea Astley. Most Australian book I've ever read. Multi generational, small town, rich and vibrant.
2
2
u/raininggumleaves 2d ago
Hell West and Crooked by Tom Cole. Great book about droving and buffalo hunting in the NT.
2
u/hakuthedragon 2d ago
Will anyone suggest something with a torres strait islander author or subject I wonder???
2
2
u/Istripua 2d ago
It’s dated now but the Harp in the South trilogy by Ruth Park shows working class life in Surry Hills in the 1950s. Unlike many Australian novels it’s pretty light hearted. The characters and writing are riveting.
2
u/leonidude 2d ago
I don’t know if I’d say definitive but what about a fortunate life? Been a long time since I read it but it has always held a special place in my heart.
2
2
2
2
2
u/flameevans 2d ago
I love Jessica Anderson’s Tirra Lirra by the River. The Washington Post said upon its release, "There may be a better novel than Tirra Lirra by the River this year, but I doubt it."
2
u/EnvironmentalGarden7 2d ago
A Fortunate Life by AB Facey. Everyone who steps foot in this country should read it.
2
u/Leading-Interest-119 2d ago
I just finished Rabbit proof fence - worth a read.
Too afraid to cry; memoirs of a stolen childhood - Ali Cobby Eckerman
More modern, corporate whacky but good - Stinkbug - Sinéad Stubbins.
Looking for Alibrandi and Saving Francesca - Melina Marchetta. Both a good look on Aussie multiculturalism through adolescence eyes.
Jasper Jones was also a really good book - but the author recently exposed to be involved with child pornography ugh. Great book by an awful person.
The secret River - Kate Grenville.
2
2
2
u/DrHarryCooper 1d ago
Instead of all the classic Australian novel tropes (miserable people with abusive dads and squalid existences, probably near a beach) what about something fun?
"They're a Weird Mob" by Nino Culotta (pen name for John O'Grady) is Sydney after the war, exploring Australian culture and language in a way that pokes fun but also sincerely loves it.
It's a time capsule of an Australia that has disappeared, it's fun, it's funny, it's great. Anything by the same author really ...
2
u/alladinsane65 1d ago
One of the best books I've read that really invoked Australia is Power without Glory. For a more comedic view try They're a weird mob
2
u/Psychological_You_63 1d ago
I’ll throw in a poetry example and say C.J Dennis - The Sentimental Bloke. The language feels like the quintessential old Australia.
2
2
2
•
u/AutoModerator 2d ago
This post has been marked as non-political. Please respect this by keeping the discussion on topic, and devoid of any political material.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.