What I am reading: ‘Breath’ by Tim Winton
Writing a novel – a writer’s journal part 24
Breath by Tim Winton
What I am reading: Breath by Tim Winton.
I must sadly admit that I have not read a great deal of Winton’s work-yet. It’s something I intend correcting in the coming months and years. I had previously seen a stage version of Cloudstreet which I found not only fascinating but also a test of endurance. (From memory the play goes for about five hours, plus two meal breaks.) I have also read an extract from The turning. I had heard so much said about Breath when it was first published, and again when Winton won the Miles Franklin Literary Award this year. This is the fourth time he has won the award, making him arguably Australia’s leading novelist. So it was with a heightened level of expectation I came to his latest novel.
I was not disappointed. Winton’s lyrical style oozes from the text throughout, particularly when he is describing the surfing scenes-which these are frequent-and when he refers to the West Australian landscape. Layer upon this an intriguing account of the coming-of-age experiences of two teenagers and the brooding atmosphere of the setting in both time and place, and you have the elements of a great story.
As I delved deeper into the novel I was mesmerized by the accounts of the ocean and of surfing. I’m not a surfer, nor do I enjoy swimming at the beach, but Winton’s narrative sucked me in like the incredible pull that waves and water must have on those who are obsessively compulsive surfers. I was spellbound by the simple yet profound words of a master storyteller.
There are two technical aspects I wish to highlight. There is an absence of speech marks throughout the text. I thought that this might lead to confusion on the part of the reader, but after several pages I became adjusted to this technique and read without difficulty. Mind you, I’m not about to change my writing style and copy Winton in this, not until I can also boast a string of award-winning novels to my credit-and can get away with it. Besides, I mainly write for young children and almost all publishers would frown upon this technique for children’s books.
The other technical aspect is a short comment on point-of-view. I have struggled with changing point-of-view with my work in progress. Various readers have pointed out my inconsistencies, something I will attend to on the rewrite I’m about to do. Imagine my delight when I discovered that even award winning Winton has an unexpected-but brief-shift in point-of-view. It was so obvious to me that it jarred. It is so easy to do and is something I need to be constantly vigilant about.
Despite my small criticisms, this is a novel which is destined to be held in high regard as belonging firmly in the vanguard of great Australian literary works. In fact, it will deservedly take its place amongst the great works written in English.
Related articles:
- Writing a novel – more articles in this series about how I went about writing my novel.
Reference:
- Winton, T 2008, Breath, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York
What I am reading: ‘One more time: a novel’
No Comments »6th October, 2009; Category: Authors, Books, Fiction, Master of Arts course, Novels, Reviews, Writing a novel
Writing a novel – a writer’s journal part 23
What I am reading: ‘One more time: a novel’ by Damien Leith
One more time: a novel
The children’s novel I am writing is set in Nepal. Until the last few weeks I was unaware of any novels written by Australians which were set in that fascinating part of the world. By searching the internet I have found several novels with this setting written by non-Australians. More recently I have discovered one written for teenagers by a Tasmanian writer. I have purchased this one and look forward to reading it. I also came across several picture books by local Nepali authors. There seem to be very few-perhaps none at all-written by Australian authors for younger readers. It could well be that mine is the first.
I did manage to get hold of a copy of a novel for adults which is set in Nepal. Author Damien Leith was born in Ireland but became an Australian citizen in 2007. His novel One more time covers a similar era to my story. The protagonist Sean is an Irishman trekking through Nepal at about the same time as my story is set (2006) during the political turmoil which destabilized Nepal over the decade leading up to that point in its history.
Sean has constant thoughts of home and family in Ireland, a place he left suddenly. He is covering up a deep secret and his difficult and challenging trek through the Annapurna Mountains in Nepal mirrors the deep spiritual and emotional journey he is struggling with in his mind. There is a very real threat from the Maoist guerrillas who demand ‘donations’ to their cause. Sean befriends several erratic people who do little to stabilize the turmoil of his life. Both his inner life and the external events around him threaten to totally derail his life, but somehow he finds the fortitude to deal with his obsessive secret.
I found this novel to be an enjoyable read but not a great deal of use in helping me with the writing of my novel. That’s not a problem; mine is a totally different story.
For anyone reading this review, the author Damien Leith is the same person who won television’s Australian Idol 2006. I wonder if this novel would have been published if a non celebrity had written it. Sorry-I sometimes get a little cynical about these things. It’s still a good read, but won’t ever be regarded as great literature. (Update: one of my Twitter readers suggested that his novel was with the publishers before he entered Australian Idol. The fact remains that he signed the contract 4 months after winning Idol. I rest my case.)
P.S. I believe he is writing another novel. [sigh]
UPDATE: The Wikipedia article on him states that his new book will be released in 2010.
Related articles:
- Writing a novel – more articles in this series about how I went about writing my novel.
Reference:
- Leith, D 2007, One more time: a novel, Harper Collins Publishers, Sydney.
What I am reading: ‘Braver than the Gurkhas’
No Comments »5th October, 2009; Category: Books, Christian, Fiction, Novels, Reviews, Writing a novel
Writing a novel: a writer’s journal part 22
What I am reading: “Braver than the Gurkhas” by Sikhar
I chose to read this little know book as background reading for the writing of my novel for children. Like my novel, this book is set in Nepal. It is based on true events but is written as fiction.
On the cover it states that this story is an account of ‘heroism of an oppressed minority fighting for survival.’ It is not an understatement. In the dedication it says it has been written in memory of Bir Bahadur Rai, the first known Nepali martyr for ‘Yesu.’
Nepal in the 1980s was still emerging into the modern world. Christian missionaries had been working in the country since the early 1950s, predominantly as medical staff in clinics and hospitals set up in a range of towns and villages. Nepalis throughout the country were slow to embrace the Christian faith and in the 1980s there was an open government policy forbidding conversion to Christianity. Converts were not only ostracized by their families and the wider community, they were usually imprisoned. Many were tortured for their faith in ‘Yesu’ (Jesus) and some were killed.
This novel traces the fortunes of one family who suffer as a result of these policies. The father of the family is a drunken, wife beating, lazy farmer who actually bashes up the local Christian pastor. One night, while drunk yet again, he decides to burn down the church in his village. Instead of being successful in his aim, he overhears several of the Christians praying for him. This leads to his conversion as a follower of Yesu. His life is quickly transformed from his drunkenness. His daughter notices the change in his life and she too becomes a Christian. Things turn nasty only minutes after her father’s baptism in the local river. He is arrested, tried and later tortured in prison.
This is a fast moving, intriguing story with strongly drawn characters. The plot moves forward with the inevitable ending. The simple village life permeates the story. The attitudes of the villagers are shown clearly, contrasting well with the changes Christianity brings to their culture. Although the ending is sad, there is also hope for the future. The Christian church has continued to grow and estimates are that now about 2% of the population claim to be Christian. Although imprisonment is no longer government policy, in practice there is still widespread opposition and persecution of Christians.
While there are only a few references to faith in my novel, my two main characters show a friendship between a Hindu Nepali boy and the son of an Australian missionary doctor. I have set my story in 2006, a time of great political unrest and turmoil in Nepal. While my reading of Braver than the Gurkhas does not have a direct bearing on my story, I found the reading of this novel gave me a greater understanding of the way the Nepali people think.
Reference:
- Sikhar, 1990, Braver than the Gurkhars, Word Publishing, Milton Keynes.
Further reading:
- Writing a novel: more articles in this series outling how I went about writing my novel for children.
What I am reading: Iqbal: a novel
My supervising lecturer let me borrow several novels to read which she thought might give me some ideas and insights about writing a novel set in a troubled country. The first of these was set in Pakistan.
Iqbal: a novel written by Francesco D’Adamo is based on the real life story of Iqbal Masih. Iqbal was sold into slavery at an early age, along with many other young children. They were put to work in appalling conditions in factories. This story follows the experiences of a hardworking group of children in a carpet factory. Iqbal inspires the other children to believe that they can be free of their slavery one day, despite the harshness and cunning of their master.
I found this book to be both inspiring and disturbing. It is disturbing because it is based on a true story. It is a fictionalized account of what actually happened. Child abuse and slavery continues today in many countries. I also found it inspiring to think that totally disempowered children can still be taught to dream – and then act upon their dreams.
While this story has no direct bearing on what I will be writing about in my thesis novel, it was still a valuable piece of background reading. My protagonist, a twelve year old boy caught in the civil war in Nepal, must dare to dream of a country where freedom and peace exist, despite the evidence of conflict all around. I need to let him dream of that place. Then I will need to engineer the plot to allow that to happen.
Reference:
D’Adamo, Francesco, 2001: Iqbal: a novel. Aladdin Paperbacks, New York.
Writing a novel – a writer’s journal part 6
Where am I?
Over the years I have often read in books about writing: ‘Write what you know.’ Sound advice, something I’ve done on frequent occasions.
Drawing on your own life experiences can be a very powerful tool to enhance one’s writing. Sharing the familiar can ensure the integrity of your writing. It is, in a way, being true to yourself.
Drawing on what you know is an important consideration when writing a novel, for it will often determine the setting of your story. I usually set my stories and novels in Australia, and specifically South Australia. This is the part of the world I know best. It is the setting with which I feel most comfortable because I know it so well.
The importance of setting
What if you decide to write a story set in another country? Or another period of time? Or on another planet?
That was the dilemma facing me when I started out writing my current WIP, a novel for children set in Nepal. Sure, I had some knowledge of the country, but visiting as a tourist for four weeks is a far cry from being born and living all your life there. It can be even quite divorced from the impressions and experiences of someone who has lived and worked in that country for some years.
As a result of my problem, it was crucial that I either abandon the project or set to and do some thorough research. The concept of a young boy caught in the midst of a civil war would not go away. Stories have a habit of doing that. Layered upon that idea was the friendship he develops with an Australian expatriot boy whose father is working in Nepal.
I have no idea what it is like to live in another country. I have had to draw deep on being resourceful. I am rapidly devouring a series of books written by expatriate Australians, Canadians and Americans (among others) who have lived a significant portion of their lives in Nepal, and especially rural parts of the country. This has been a revelation to me, and I am fearful that the research will take over and prove more enjoyable than the writing of the novel.
It’s something I must guard against.
It’s a fascinating journey on which I’ve embarked.
Good writing.