I've just finished it and thought it was incredibly powerful. It was a book for my book group and I was amazed last night to find that almost everyone felt differently! Lots of people found the story improbable or weak, even though everyone agreed the writing was fantastic. I was stunned! Anyone here read it?

Hi Caroline

I read it a few months ago, and I had mixed feelings about it to be honest. I thought it was well-written but I found the language slightly off-putting. I know it was meant to be reflective of the times but it got in the way of the story for me a bit.

Plus a silly thing, but having all the speech in italics got on my nerves!

I did find it very interesting, but also quite sad, and I got really upset and repulsed by some of the violent scenes. I guess it was a good book, because I can certainly remember it!

Just not one of my faves...

Char

Char
It's really strange, because I don't think I'm that tolerant of these stylistic quirks, but it took about 150 pages for me to realise that:
a) there were no proper chapters. Just chunks of text divided into the three sections.
b)all the speech was in italics!

I am not a big fan of huge amounts of physical detail about places, so that might have been a little off-putting, had it not been so well written.
I agree about how harrowing it was...

I haven't read it, Caroline, but I love it when people have very different opinions about a book. I find it fascinating and much more interesting than when everyone agrees. But I was just wondering how your book club reacts in cases like this. Do people take it personally if the others don't agree? Do the discussions get heated or does it remain at an intellectual level?

Ashlinn, I also find it very interesting that people can have such divergent views (do I mean 'divergent' there? doesn't quite sound right!). I think I was the astonished and mildly heated person in this case - I was amazed after all the who-ha about the book that no-one else thought it was that good!

Caroline, It's funny how personally we can feel about a book. As if we established a personal relationship with the author. It's also a bit more 'hurtful' if someone disagrees about a book you love than one you dislike.
I've never been part of a book club but it sounds like fun.
A.

I must admit that I really struggled with this. And in fact gave up on it about 3/4s the way through. Just too dense for me and she seemed to take about 10 pages to say what could be said in half a page. I think it might have made a great novella if cleaned up!!

Though I know that's a strongly minority view, so please don't lynch me. To show what bad taste I have, I hated Andrea Levy's "Small Island" too!!...

==:O

A
xxx

Anne
I think it's fascinating when people disagree about these things! Just to put you at your ease, here a couple of the things 'everyone likes' that I think are completely overrated:
1. Phillip Pullman
2. Champagne

I expect I'll get lynched now!

That makes me feel better, Caroline - thanks! I've never read Pullman, but I do love champagne!!



A
xxx

Great book, wonderful author.

I read "The Secret River" after I read its companion book "Searching for The Secret River". I read both books over a couple of days. Inspirational.

Her sense of place is very accurate and gave great atmosphere to the story. Very readable. (I didn't notice the italics.)

She has a wonderful sensitivity and clear reality of what happened and what is happening to the Australian indigenous people. She gives us a better understanding of what went on and why we weren't told about it.

Australian history is in the process of being brought out into the open by authors who are writing very interesting fiction and non-fiction books. It was a subject that I grew up thinking was very boring and not worth my attention but over the last two years I've been reading and reading about the period between 1800 to 1850. A little voice in my head says over and over, why didn't I know this, why wasn't I told?

I was sitting in a coffee shop in Sydney's Mitchell Library the other day, having an enjoyable and intense conversation with a friend about the wonders and difficulties of writing "creative" non-fiction. Beside me on the table was my newly purchased copy of "The Secret River". A lady walked up to our table, smiling broadly and said, "great book, wonderful author, you'll love that book". And I did.

Di2

here a couple of the things 'everyone likes' that I think are completely overrated: 1. Phillip Pullman 2. Champagne

:-) I agree on Pullman, but disagree on champagne!