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Down The Hume

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( 353 ratings, 59 reviews)
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
Down The Hume by Peter Polites is a gritty tale set against the backdrop of Western Sydney. The novel follows a young, queer man named Bux as he navigates complex personal relationships and struggles with his identity. Through vivid urban landscapes and raw emotion, the story delves into themes of addiction, love, and self-discovery while providing a poignant exploration of modern life.
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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 interested in a gritty and compelling exploration of identity, desire, and struggle set within the vivid landscape of urban Australia. It's a captivating read for those who appreciate character-driven stories that delve into themes of multiculturalism and the complexities of modern life.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

A confronting and powerful novel from an exciting new voice - for lovers of Christos Tsiolkas (LOADED) and Luke Davies (CANDY).

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
SHORTLISTED FOR NSW PREMIERS LITERARY AWARDS MULTICULTURAL NSW AWARD 2018 'Tough and compelling' - Christos Tsiolkas

He touched my face. When his hand went along my bruised top lip and my almost broken nose, I winced from the pain. His fist went into a deep denim pocket, pulled out a Syrinapx bottle, twisted the cap off and handed me two light blue pills.

How did Bucky get here? A series of accidents. A tragic love for a violent man. An addiction to painkillers he can't seem to kick. An unlikely friendship with an ageing patient.

Drugs, memories and the objects of his desire are colluding against Bucky. And when it hits him. Bam. A ton of bricks...

The shadowy places of Western Sydney can be lit up with the hope of love, but no streetlight can illuminate like obsession.

A novel of addiction, secrets and misplaced love, this is an Australian debut not to be missed.

Down The Hume is essential reading in these times of "border protection" - The Saturday Paper

Down The Hume's propulsive rhythm feels like entering a strong current. Its fast pace and escalating plot are typical of the noir genre, but it is also filled with unexpected and precise turns of phrase, which can shift quickly from the menial to the lyrical.'

- The Guardian

Down The Hume should rightly take its place alongside the fiction of Christos Tsiolkas [and] Maxine Beneba Clarke... as work that reflects the reality and occasional ugliness of Australia's multiculturalism. - AUSTRALIAN BOOK REVIEW

Down The Hume is a robust study of ethnic, class, and sexual identities in contemporary Australia. - The Weekend Australian

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?

Down The Hume is praised for its raw and authentic portrayal of Australia's multicultural society, often drawing comparisons to the works of Christos Tsiolkas and Maxine Beneba Clarke. The book's exploration of cultural and societal complexities resonates with readers, making it a significant contribution to contemporary Australian fiction.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780733635564

Publisher: Hachette Australia

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 28 February 2017

Country: Australia

Imprint: Hachette Australia

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 26.0mm

Width: 134.0mm

Height: 208.0mm

Weight: 260g

Pages: 272

About the Author

Peter Polites is a writer of Greek descent from Western Sydney. As part of the SWEATSHOP writers collective, Peter has written and performed pieces all over Australia.

His first novel, Down the Hume, was shortlisted for a NSW Premier's Literary Award in 2017. The Pillars is his second novel.

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