Gerald murnane is a most mysterious author of strangely seductive books, and im currently reading inland, first published in 1988 and now reprinted as part of the australian classics library. I only came across it because my australian publisher sent it to me in 2016, along with a few other books. Murnanes books are strange and wonderful and nearly impossible to describe in a sentence or two. I picked it up out of curiosity, and was immediately drawn in. Given the importance that murnane places on this distinction, im particularly wary of reading too glibly into the plains aspects of the breathing gerald murnane. Gerald murnane born 25 february 1939 is an australian writer, perhaps best known for his novel the plains 1982. His debut novel, tamarisk row 1974, was followed by ten other works of fiction, including the plainsand most recently border districts.
Go search best sellers gift ideas new releases deals. His novel the plains, first published thirtyfive years ago and. Okay, the plains is that on the very tip of the surface but how to adequately describe the layers and depth. And yet, murnanes 2001 talk nevertheless suggests that the breathing author is well represented in the implied author of the plains. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the plains text classics. On their vast estates, the landowning families of the plains have prese. A nameless young man arrives on the plains and begins to document the strange and rich culture of the plains families. The plains text classics kindle edition by murnane, gerald, lerner, ben. About 30 pages into the book i had to stop reading to dig out my reading journal vol12, p58 to see what i had written about the plains, which i read back in 2007. He is the author of seven highly praised books of fiction, and in 1999 he received the prestigious patrick white literary award. It could be claimed and i am about to that gerald murnanes 1982 novel the plains has the most compelling opening in australian fiction twenty years ago, when i first arrived on the plains. His debut novel, tamarisk row 1974, was followed by ten other works of fiction, including the plains and most recently border districts. Is the next nobel laureate in literature tending bar in a. In 1999 murnane won the patrick white award and in 2009 he won the melbourne prize for literature.
The plains an affordable boutique hardcover for murnane fans, featuring a new introduction by ben lerner. Jul 25, 2018 t he first gerald murnane book i read was the plains, originally published in 1982. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Indeed, this novel, which was first published in 1982, took me on such a surreal journey im still not quite sure if i fully got what it was about.
Twenty years ago, when i first arrived on the plains, i. Foreword by andrew zawacki, editor of verse magazine. The case for gerald murnanes the plains the conversation. I would suggest, in brief, that gerald murnane has written a firstrate, latterday gullivers travels books three and four. May 20, 2014 it could be claimed and i am about to that gerald murnanes 1982 novel the plains has the most compelling opening in australian fiction. The narrator, a filmmaker, arrives at the plains inner australia, the other australia the australia of mystery and spirit, you gatherin which the rugged individualists who make up its nearly feudal society seem to spend most of their energies in defining and redefining. The plains are the mind all right, but the plainsmen intellectuals. The plains by murnane, gerald and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at.
T he first gerald murnane book i read was the plains, originally published in 1982. Gerald murnanes the plains is a strange australian. The plains, by gerald murnane anz litlovers litblog. And how delighted to have a discovered a newtome writer with at least another nine books to dive into. The new york times, in a big feature published on 27 march 2018, called him the greatest living englishlanguage writer most people have never heard of. One of australias most highly regarded authors, he has published several volumes of fiction, including barley patch, the plains, and a million windows, as well as a collection of essays, invisible yet enduring lilacs, and a memoir, something for the pain. Gerald murnane has 27 books on goodreads with 12883 ratings. He calls murnanes sentences little dialectics of boredom and beauty, flatness.
He is a recipient of the patrick white literary award, the melbourne prize. The australian writer gerald murnane was born in a suburb of melbourne, in 1939, and has spent his entire life in australia. It is also subtly satirical and often ingeniously funny. Read the plains by gerald murnane available from rakuten kobo. The meaning of that text may be debated, but the text itself is a fixed entity. Shirley hazzarddeeply mysterious yet grounded in familiar, everyday detail, this novel is an. The wimmera, the district the town of goroke is a part of, is the furthest point on the plains of murnanes fiction. Buy plains, the text classics 2 by gerald murnane, ben lerner isbn. The australian novelist gerald murnane has become known for works of difficult genius, and his latest will only burnish. Text publishing the plains, book by gerald murnane.
His debut novel, tamarisk row 1974, was followed by nine other works of fiction, including the plains and, most recently, a million windows. When i first embarked on my project to read exclusively australian literature for a year, i was excited by the prospect of discovering some intriguing and perhaps unusual titles lurking in my tottering tbr pile. Jun 19, 2016 a million windows by gerald murnane 192 pp. It could be claimed and i am about to that gerald murnanes 1982. The narrator, a filmmaker, arrives at the plainsinner australia, the other australia the australia of mystery and spirit, you gatherin which the rugged individualists who make up its nearly feudal society seem to spend most of their energies in defining and redefining. Few living writers anywhere are as ambitious with the prose form as gerald murnane. An author who retired long ago, then went on to produce his richest work. For the common reader and the scholar alike, the words of the title denote a text of about 35,000 words. The plains is parable, fable, allegory, analogue, mythology, and vision. His first two books, tarmarisk row 1974 and a lifetime on clouds 1976, were comingofage novels that drew on the authors upbringing in a.
Nov 29, 2012 the plains could be seen as the perfect novel for readers, because you can, within reason, pretty much make of it what you will. Teju colea careful stylist and a slyly comic writer with large ideas. Mar 29, 2017 the australian writer gerald murnane was born in a suburb of melbourne, in 1939, and has spent his entire life in australia. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Jan 26, 2018 the australian writer gerald murnane is a man of profound contradictions. Sep 20, 2018 gerald murnanes border districts was shortlisted for the 2018 miles franklin award. Last november i visited gerald murnane where he lives in the very small town of goroke in western victoria. The plains by gerald murnane 9781925355901 booktopia. Like the world in which it is set, it eludes concise description, or, rather, any attempt to contain it fails to capture its rare and strange beauty. It was about the feat of imagination how many australian books dared go where this one went.
Landscape with landscape 1985, inland 1988, velvet waters 1990, and emerald blue 1995. Nov 26, 2017 gerald murnane s the plains tells the story of the families of the plains obsessed with their land and history, their culture and mythology and of the man who ventured into their world. The australian novelist gerald murnane has become known for works of. May 30, 20 gerald murnane was born in melbourne in 1939. The plains text classics kindle edition by murnane. Born in melbourne, austrailia, in 1939, gerald murnane recently retired as the senior lecturer in fiction writing at.
It could be claimed and i am about to that gerald murnane s 1982 novel the plains has the most compelling opening in australian fiction. He has published books and developed a cult following in literary circles around the world, but most australians have never heard of him. Gerald murnane is unquestionably one of the most original writers working in australia today and the plains is a fascinating and rewarding bookthe. Mar 27, 2018 murnanes books are strange and wonderful and nearly impossible to describe in a sentence or two. Murnane s first two books, tamarisk row 1974 and a lifetime on clouds 1976, seem to be semiautobiographical accounts of his ch. It is a tribute to the books shifting opaque character, that you sense you cannot quite observe it in the right light. Like the world in which it is set, it eludes concise description, or, rather, any attempt to contain it. He has been a primary teacher, an editor and a university lecturer. Gerald murnane is unquestionably one of the most original writers working in australia today and the plains is a fascinating and rewarding book the australian. A million windows, by gerald murnane the new york times.
He was recently treated for prostate cancer, and yet hes still the sprightliest person in the room. This is the story of the families of the plainsobsessed with their land and history, their culture and mythologyand of. Giramondo publishing murnane says it would be a mistake to think he worked out how he wanted to. A short novelette by australian murnane, allegorical in intent, very drawnout and parchingly dry in execution. As his story unfolds, the novel becomes, in the words of murray bail, a mirage of landscape, memory, love and literature itself. The experience of reading the plains by gerald murnane is similar to viewing a shifting mirage or experiencing a dream.
He is the author of seven highly praised books of fiction, and. Gerald murnanes border districts was shortlisted for the 2018 miles franklin award. Aug 27, 2003 given the importance that murnane places on this distinction, im particularly wary of reading too glibly into the plains aspects of the breathing gerald murnane. Buy the plains by gerald murnane 9781921922275 from boomerang books, australias online independent bookstore. In 1999 murnane won the patrick white award and in 2009 he won the melbourne prize for. First published in 1982, the plains is a mesmerising work of startling originality. After his third novel, the plains, a fablelike story reminiscent of italo calvino. Ive prepared and delivered this sort of address once before. His debut novel, tamarisk row 1974, was followed by ten other works of fiction. If it doesnt, murnane may not be the writer for you. His debut novel, tamarisk row 1974, was followed by eleven other works of fiction, including the plains, a million windows and, most recently, border districts shortlisted for the miles franklin award.
The australian writer gerald murnane is a man of profound contradictions. For me, the text of the published work is sometimes far from my attention when i respond to the sound or the sight of the title the plains. This is the story of the families of the plainsobsessed with their land and history, their culture and mythologyand of the man who ventured into their world. The plains, by gerald murnane gerald murnane is a most mysterious author of strangely seductive books, and im currently reading inland, first published in 1988 and now reprinted as part of the australian classics library. What i hadnt expected, when i picked up gerald murnanes the plains, was to find the australian equivalent of kafka on my shelf. The blurb on the back of my text classic says, gerald murnanes the plains tells the story of the families of the plains obsessed with their land and history. And yet, murnane s 2001 talk nevertheless suggests that the breathing author is well represented in the implied author of the plains. Gerald murnanes the plains is a strange australian masterpiece. The plains became for me an iconic book, a black diamond, a rosetta stone. Oct 31, 2003 the plains is parable, fable, allegory, analogue, mythology, and vision. Apr 04, 2018 the plains is also an unusual work for murnane. Ben lerner writes about gerald murnanes novel the plains, which is. That was in september 2001, at a conference similar to this in newcastle, new south wales.
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