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AbstractHistoryArchive Description
'1939 As a burgeoning city emerges from its landscape, so too does a bridge that will transform it from a sleepy country town. Three young men work on the construction of this iconic steel bridge. Labouring high above the river in dangerous conditions, close bonds develop between them. But one slip can - and does - alter their lives forever. A generation later, Robbie, a young landscaper, grapples with his difficult relationship with his father whose past is inextricably linked with the famous cantilevered bridge. Robbie is also battling to save his future with his girlfriend Freya, after a violent assault by a stranger sends her spiralling into herself. The Comfort of Figs is the engrossing story of the birth of a city and the burden of a family secret. Its legacy is two monuments - one of nature and one of engineering - both of them unforgettable.' (Publication summary)
Notes
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Dedication: For Alisa.
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Epigraph: There is no difficulty in designing a bridge, aesthetic and satisfying all interests. Dr J.J.C. Bradfield December 1931.
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Epigraph: And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew they were naked, and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons. Book of Genesis.
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Simon Cleary's great-grandfather worked as an engineer on the Story Bridge during its construction, and his great-grandfather’s private papers provided some of the inspiration for the novel.
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Other Formats
- Sound recording.
- Dyslexic edition.
- Large print.
Works about this Work
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Story to Tell
2008
single work
review
— Appears in: Brisbane News , 19 - 25 March no. 677 2008; (p. 12-13)
— Review of The Comfort of Figs 2008 single work novel -
[Review] The Comfort of Figs
2008
single work
review
— Appears in: Queensland Review , vol. 15 no. 2 2008; (p. 128-130)
— Review of The Comfort of Figs 2008 single work novel -
Troubled Waters
2008
single work
review
— Appears in: The Advertiser , 17 May 2008; (p. 22)
— Review of The Great Arch 2008 single work novel ; The Comfort of Figs 2008 single work novel -
Facts Get in the Way of a Good Story
2008
single work
review
— Appears in: The Australian Literary Review , May vol. 3 no. 4 2008; (p. 23)
— Review of The Landscape of Desire 2008 single work novel ; The Comfort of Figs 2008 single work novel ; Addition 2008 single work novel -
Bridges Link Tales from Two Cities
2008
single work
review
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 10-11 May 2008; (p. 32)
— Review of The Comfort of Figs 2008 single work novel ; The Great Arch 2008 single work novel
-
The Magical and the Mechanical Bridged
2008
single work
review
— Appears in: The Canberra Times , 8 March 2008; (p. 12)
— Review of The Comfort of Figs 2008 single work novel -
Lifting the Fig Leaf over Quintessential Brisbane
2008
single work
review
— Appears in: The Age , 29 March 2008; (p. 26)
— Review of The Comfort of Figs 2008 single work novel -
Tale Wrapped around the Story Spans Years
2008
single work
review
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 29-30 March 2008; (p. 15)
— Review of The Comfort of Figs 2008 single work novel -
Two Cultures Revisited
2008
single work
review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , April no. 300 2008; (p. 29)
— Review of The Comfort of Figs 2008 single work novel -
Landmark Launch
2008
single work
review
— Appears in: UQNews , April no. 573 2008; (p. 21)
— Review of The Comfort of Figs 2008 single work novel
Awards
Last amended 28 Jul 2021 12:43:34
Settings:
- Brisbane, Queensland,
- 1930s
- 2000s
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