Shipping Through the Holidays β˜€οΈπŸ“¦

Boxing Day Sale is live! Up to 20% off 2000+ Books

The Watch Tower

3.56 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating.
( 1,265 ratings, 191 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
The Watch Tower by Elizabeth Harrower focuses on two sisters, Laura and Clare, who find themselves trapped in oppressive circumstances. After their father's death, they move to Sydney and fall under the control of a manipulative businessman. Set in mid-20th century Australia, the novel explores themes of power, dependency, and resilience amidst a stifling domestic environment.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$1799
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 3-4 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

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 compelling narratives exploring the intricacies of human relationships and the psychological tensions within them. Set in post-World War II Australia, it artfully delves into the lives of two sisters caught in a struggle for independence and identity, depicted with a haunting and emotional depth. Fans of character-driven stories with rich emotional undercurrents and complex dynamics may find this a captivating read.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

The Watch Tower

The Watch Tower is a novel of relentless and acute psychological power, from one of Australia's greatest writers.

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

"Breaking their poses like trees snapping branches, the women urgently regarded each other, cleared away all signs of work in an instant, examined their souls for defects, in a sense crossed themselves, and waited."

After Laura and Clare are abandoned by their mother, Felix is there to help, even to marry Laura if she will have him. Little by little, the two sisters grow complicit with his obsessions, his cruelty, his need to control.

Set in the leafy northern suburbs of Sydney during the 1940s, The Watch Tower is a novel of relentless and acute psychological power.

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?

Elizabeth Harrower's The Watch Tower has been widely praised for its incisive portrayal of psychological cruelty and entrapment, focusing on the lives of two sisters subjected to the control of an oppressive figure, Felix. Critics commend the novel for its powerful depiction of the vulnerabilities and struggles faced, especially in a patriarchal society. Described as haunting, gripping, with a novelistic tension that brings out the complexities of power, isolation, and resistance, it highlights Harrower's skill in rendering psychological depth with a compelling narrative. The book is considered a significant work that artfully balances themes of entrapment, vulnerability, and a pursuit of self-identity.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781921922428

Publisher: Text Publishing

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 26 April 2012

Country: Australia

Imprint: Text Classics

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 284g

Pages: 338

About the Author

Elizabeth Harrower is the author of the novels Down in the City, The Long Prospect, and The Catherine Wheel.

Also by Elizabeth Harrower

View all

More from General Fiction

View all

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 80,000 books and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.