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Monkey Grip

By Charlotte Wood and Helen Garner
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3.69 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
Monkey Grip by Helen Garner is a compelling tale set in Melbourne during the 1970s, exploring the complexities of love and addiction. It follows the character of Nora, who navigates an intense emotional relationship with a troubled heroin addict. The story beautifully captures the atmosphere of communal living, the struggles of personal freedoms, and the search for stability amidst chaos.
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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 stories exploring the intricacies of human relationships, particularly those navigating the complexities of love and addiction. Set against a vividly depicted urban backdrop, it offers a raw and honest portrayal of life's chaotic and beautiful messiness, making it a compelling read for those who appreciate character-driven narratives.

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An elegant hardback edition of the novel that launched Helen Garner’s career

An elegant hardback edition of the novel that launched Helen Garner's career

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

Helen Garner's gritty, lyrical first novel divided the critics upon its publication in 1977. Today, Monkey Grip is regarded as a masterpiece—a novel that shines a light on a time, a place, and a way of living never before presented in Australian literature: communal households, music, friendships, children, love, drugs, and sex.

When Nora falls in love with Javo, she is caught in the web of his addiction. As he moves between loving her and leaving, between his need for her and promises broken, Nora's life becomes an intense dance of loving and trying to let go.

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?

Reviews of Monkey Grip highlight Helen Garner's natural storytelling ability and sublime use of language. Critics praise her writing for its precision and profound impact, offering readers distilled experiences of life. This novel, in particular, is noted for capturing the 1970s spirit with its exploration of sex, drugs, and communal living, aiming to revive a modernist style of estrangement.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781925773156

Publisher: Text Publishing

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 29 October 2018

Country: Australia

Imprint: The Text Publishing Company

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 160.0mm

Height: 242.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 172

Collections

Charlotte Wood Fiction General Fiction Helen Garner Literary Fiction Penguin Books

About the Author

Helen Garner writes novels, stories, screenplays and works of non-fiction. In 2006 she received the inaugural Melbourne Prize for Literature, and in 2016 she won the prestigious Windham–Campbell Prize for non-fiction and the Western Australian Premier’s Book Award. In 2019 she was honoured with the Australia Council Award for Lifetime Achievement in Literature. Her novels include The Children’s Bach, Cosmo Cosmolino and The Spare Room. She lives in Melbourne.

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