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Simpson Returns

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( 72 ratings, 16 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
Simpson Returns by Wayne Macauley follows the journey of an ordinary man, Simpson, who ventures into the rugged Australian bush with a group of friends. As they travel, they must confront personal challenges and the raw, untamed nature that tests their resolve. The novel is an exploration of friendship, human endurance, and the search for meaning amidst the wild.
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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 intrigued by thought-provoking narratives that intertwine modern life with historical figures. It seamlessly plays with ideas of identity and belonging, challenging the reader to reflect on the past's influence on the present. This captivating tale is sure to engage fans of literary fiction who appreciate a mix of humour and deep philosophical inquiries.

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A satirical and surreal twist on the Anzac legend of Simpson and his donkey

A satirical and surreal twist on the Anzac legend of Simpson and his donkey.

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

Simpson Returns by Wayne Macauley offers a satirical and surreal twist on the Anzac legend of Simpson and his donkey.

Ninety years after they were thought to have died heroically in the Great War, the stretcher-bearer Simpson and his donkey journey through country Victoria, performing minor miracles and surviving on offerings left at war memorials. They are making their twenty-ninth, and perhaps final, attempt to find the country's famed Inland Sea.

On the road north from Melbourne, Simpson and his weary donkey encounter a broke single mother, a suicidal Vietnam veteran, a refugee who has lost everything, an abused teenager and a deranged ex-teacher. These are society's downtrodden, whom Simpson believes can be renewed by the healing waters of the sea.

In Simpson Returns, Wayne Macauley sticks a pin in the balloon of our national myth. A concise satire of Australian platitudes about fairness and egalitarianism, it is timely, devastating and witheringly funny.

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?

Wayne Macauley's Simpson Returns is praised for its satirical narrative that brings real-world problems to light through an other-worldly lens. Reviewers commend its meditation on selflessness and compassion, juxtaposed with societal inequalities and Australian middle-class delusions. The book is noted for its ability to provoke reflection on national identity, compassion, and the gap between ideals and reality, making it both unsettling and thought-provoking.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781925773507

Publisher: Text Publishing

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 02 April 2019

Country: Australia

Imprint: The Text Publishing Company

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 16.0mm

Width: 137.0mm

Height: 209.0mm

Weight: 160g

Pages: 144

About the Author

Wayne Macauley is a highly acclaimed novelist whose works include Some Tests, Demons, The Cook, Caravan Story and Blueprints for a Barbed-Wire Canoe. He lives in Brunswick, Melbourne

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