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Carpentaria

By Alexis Wright
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3.74 goodreads logo

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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Carpentaria by Alexis Wright is set in the fictional coastal town of Desperance in northern Australia. The story intricately weaves the lives of the Aboriginal inhabitants and the white settler community, highlighting the tensions and interactions between them. The narrative revolves around the powerful Phantom family, exploring themes of identity, belonging, and the clash between traditional beliefs and modern society. Filled with rich, poetic language, the novel offers a profound exploration of the landscape and spirit of the region.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're drawn to epic narratives set in the remote areas of northern Australia, weaving together myth, politics, and indigenous culture. It may appeal to you if you appreciate rich storytelling that explores the complexities of identity and community, set against the backdrop of a striking landscape. With its vivid depiction of the Aboriginal experience and a blend of the lyrical and the harsh realities of life, this novel offers a unique literary journey.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

One of the classics of Australian literature, Alexis Wright's Miles Franklin award-winning novel is being rereleased in a new edition designed by Jenny Grigg.

Accompanies the April release of Praiseworthy, Wright's first work of fiction since 2014.

Carpentaria is an epic of the Gulf country of north-western Queensland. Its portrait of life in the precariously settled coastal town of Desperance centres on the powerful Phantom family, leader of the Westend Pricklebush people, and its battles with old Joseph Midnight's renegade Eastend mob on one hand, and the white officials of Uptown and the neighbouring Gurfurrit mine on the other. Wright's storytelling is operatic and surreal: a blend of myth and scripture, politics and farce.

Carpentaria was the 2007 winner of the Miles Franklin Literary Award, ALS Gold Medal, Queensland Premier's Literary Award and Victorian Premier's Literary Award. It has been published in the US, UK, France, Italy and China.

'a swelling, heaving tsunami of a novel: stinging, sinuous, salted with outrageous humour, sweetened by spiralling lyricism and swaggering with the confident promise of a tale dominated by risk, roguery and revelation.' - The Australian

'Wright breaks all the rules of grammar and syntax to sweep us along on a great torrent of language that thrills and amazes with its inventiveness and humour and with the sheer power of its storytelling. It's brutal and confronting and it's sad and funny at the same time.' - Sydney Morning Herald

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Carpentaria by Alexis Wright has been praised for its unique storytelling and rich portrayal of Australian Indigenous culture. Critics have highlighted the novel's lyrical prose and its complex, magical realism style that interweaves the natural landscape with the spiritual and societal issues faced by the Indigenous community. Some reviews mention its challenging yet rewarding narrative, offering deep insights into life in a remote community.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781922725400

Publisher: Giramondo Publishing Co

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 01 May 2023

Country: Australia

Imprint: Giramondo Publishing Co

Edition: New edition

Illustration: Illustrations

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 148.0mm

Height: 210.0mm

Weight: 500g

Pages: 528

Collections

Alexis Wright Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction

About the Author

Alexis Wright is a member of the Waanyi nation of the southern highlands of the Gulf of Carpentaria. The author of the prize-winning novels Carpentaria and The Swan Book, Wright has published three works of non-fiction: Take Power, an oral history of the Central Land Council; Grog War, a study of alcohol abuse in the Northern Territory; and Tracker, an award-winning collective memoir of Aboriginal leader, Tracker Tilmouth. Her books have been published widely overseas, including in China, the US, the UK, Italy, France and Poland. She holds the position of Boisbouvier Chair in Australian Literature at the University of Melbourne. Wright is the only author to win both the Miles Franklin Award (in 2007 for Carpentaria) and the Stella Prize (in 2018 for Tracker). Alexis Wright's fourth novel, Praiseworthy, will be published in early 2023.

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