AustLit
Latest Issues
Includes
-
y
The Bodysurfers
Darlinghurst
:
James Fraser Publishing
,
1983
Z442291
1983
selected work
short story
'Set among the surf and sandhills of the Australian beach – and the tidal changes of three generations of the Lang family – The Bodysurfers is an Australian classic. A short-story collection which has become a bestseller and been adapted for film, television, radio and the theatre, The Bodysurfers on its first publication marked a major change in Australian literature.'
Source: Publisher's blurb (Penguin 2009 ed.)
Camberwell : Penguin , 2009 -
y
And the Ass Saw the Angel
London
:
Black Spring Press
,
1989
Z409188
1989
single work
novel
Cave’s debut novel takes on the southern gothic in this bizarre baroque tale. Born mute to a drunken mother and a demented father, tortured Euchrid Eucrow finds more compassion in the family mule than in his fellow men. But he alone will grasp the cruel fate of Cosey Mo, the beautiful young prostitute in the pink caravan on Hooper’s Hill. And it is Euchrid, spiraling ever deeper into his mad angelic vision, who will ultimately redeem both the town and its people.
Source: publisher's blurb
Camberwell : Penguin , 2009 -
y
His Natural Life
For the Term of His Natural Life
1870-1872
Z1032375
1870-1872
single work
novel
(taught in 15 units)
'Scarcely out of print since the early 1870s, For the Term of His Natural Life has provided successive generations with a vivid account of a brutal phase of colonial life. The main focus of this great convict novel is the complex interaction between those in power and those who suffer, made meaningful because of its hero's struggle against his wrongful imprisonment. Elements of romance, incidents of family life and passages of scenic description both relieve and give emphasis to the tragedy that forms its heart.' (Publication summary : Penguin Books 2009)
Camberwell : Penguin , 2009 -
y
The Getting of Wisdom
London
:
Heinemann
,
1910
Z901329
1910
single work
novel
(taught in 25 units)
'A coming-of-age story of a spontaneous heroine who finds herself ensconced in the rigidity of a turn-of-the-century boarding school. The clever and highly imaginative Laura has difficulty fitting in with her wealthy classmates and begins to compromise her ideals in her search for popularity and acceptance.' (From the publisher's website.)
Camberwell : Penguin , 2009 -
y
The Harp in the South
1947
Z1326724
1947
single work
novel
(taught in 2 units)
— Appears in: The Harp in the South Trilogy 1987;
— Appears in: Great Australian Writers : Miles Franklin, Henry Handel Richardson, Mrs Aeneas Gunn, Ruth Park 1987; (p. 513-698)'Amid the brothels, grog shops and run-down boarding houses of inner-city Surry Hills, money is scarce and life is not easy. Crammed together within the thin walls of Twelve-and-a-Half Plymouth Street are the Darcy family: Mumma, loving and softhearted; Hughie, her drunken husband; pipe-smoking Grandma; Roie, suffering torments over her bitter-sweet first love; while her younger sister Dolour learns about life the hard way.' (Book description from publisher's website.)
Camberwell : Penguin , 2009 -
y
Holding the Man
Melbourne
:
McPhee Gribble
,
1995
Z551412
1995
single work
autobiography
'The mid-seventies - and satin baggies and chunky platforms reigned supreme. Jethro Tull did battle with glam-rock for the airwaves. At an all-boys Catholic school in Melbourne Timothy Conigrave fell wildly and sweetly in love with the captain of the football team. So began a relationship that was to last for fifteen years, a love affair that weathered disapproval, separation and, ultimately, death. Holding the Man recreates that relationship. With honesty and insight it explore the highs and lows of any partnership: the intimacy, constraints, temptations. And the strength of heart both men had to find when they tested positive to HIV.' (Publisher's blurb)
Camberwell : Penguin , 2009 -
y
Journey from Venice : A Memoir
Ringwood
:
Viking
,
2000
Z965230
2000
single work
autobiography
'The Serene City beckons, promising Paradise regained for Ruth Cracknell and her husband, Eric, as they set forth on a carefully planned holiday.
What they are seeking is time. Time to think, time to gaze, time for each other. But from the moment the holiday becomes an uncharted journey, their time is measured.
Journey From Venice is confronting yet deeply comforting – an acknowledgement of the miracle that is unconditional love.' (Publisher's blurb)
Camberwell : Penguin , 2009 - y The Lucky Country Ringwood : Penguin , 1964 Z1005731 1964 single work non-fiction (taught in 2 units) Camberwell : Penguin , 2009
- y The Merry-Go-Round in the Sea London : MacDonald , 1965 Z320676 1965 single work novel (taught in 7 units) Camberwell : Penguin , 2009
-
y
Monkey Grip
Melbourne
:
McPhee Gribble
,
1977
Z115661
1977
single work
novel
(taught in 12 units)
Set in inner suburban 1970s Melbourne, Monkey Grip describes the fluid relationships of a community of friends who are living and loving in new ways. Single parent Nora falls in love with Javo, a heroin addict, and together they try to make sense of their lives and the choices they have made.
Camberwell : Penguin , 2009 - y Of a Boy Ringwood : Viking , 2002 Z969271 2002 single work novel mystery (taught in 3 units) The year is 1977, and Adrian is nine. He lives with his gran and his uncle Rory; his best friend is Clinton Tull. He loves to draw and he wants a dog; he's afraid of quicksand, shopping centres and self-combustion. Adrian watches his suburban world, but there is much he cannot understand. He does not for instance, know why three neighbourhood children might set out to buy ice-cream and never come back home. Camberwell : Penguin , 2009
-
y
Picnic at Hanging Rock
Melbourne
:
Cheshire
,
1967
Z305085
1967
single work
novel
historical fiction
mystery
(taught in 2 units)
'It was a cloudless summer day in the year 1900. Everyone at Appleyard College for Young Ladies agreed it was just right for a picnic at Hanging Rock. After lunch, a group of three girls climbed into the blaze of the afternoon sun, pressing on through the scrub into the shadows of the secluded volcanic outcropping. Farther, higher, until at last they disappeared. They never returned. ...'
Source: Publisher's blurb (Penguin Random House, 2014).
Camberwell : Penguin , 2009 -
y
The Well
Ringwood
:
Viking
,
1986
Z385481
1986
single work
novel
(taught in 17 units)
— Appears in: Kokainovyj Bljuz [and] Kolodec 1991;'Miss Hester Harper, middle-aged and eccentric, brings Katherine into her emotionally impoverished life. Together they sew, cook gourmet dishes for two, run the farm, make music and throw dirty dishes down the well. One night, driving along the deserted track that leads to the farm, they run into a mysterious creature. They heave the body from the roo bar and dump it into the farm's deep well. But the voice of the injured intruder will not be stilled and, most disturbing of all, the closer Katherine is drawn to the edge of the well, the farther away she gets from Hester.' (From the publisher's website.)
Camberwell : Penguin , 2009 -
y
It's Raining in Mango : Pictures from the Family Album
New York (City)
:
G. P. Putnam's Sons
,
1987
Z355929
1987
selected work
short story
(taught in 2 units)
Wresting his family from the easy living of nineteenth-century Sydney, Cornelius Laffey takes them to northern Queensland where thousands of hopefuls are digging for gold in the mud. They confront the horror of Aboriginal dispossession, and Cornelius is sacked for reporting the slaughter. This is an unforgettable tale of the other side of Australia's heritage.
Source: Penguin Random House Australia.
(https://penguin.com.au/books/its-raining-in-mango-popular-penguins-9780143204749)
Camberwell : Penguin , 2010 -
y
The Power of One
Richmond
:
Heinemann
,
1989
6159943
1989
single work
novel
'For the young Peekay, it is a piece of advice that he will carry with him throughout his life.Born in a South Africa divided by racism and hatred, this one small boy will come to lead all the tribes of Africa. Through enduring friendships with Hymie and Gideon, Peekay gains the strength he needs to win out. And in a final conflict with his childhood enemy, the Judge, Peekay will fight to the death for justice. Bryce Courtenay's classic bestseller is a story of the triumph of the human spirit - a spellbinding tale for all ages.' (Publication summary)
Camberwell East : Penguin , 2010 -
y
Obernewtyn
Ringwood
:
Puffin
,
1987
Z301844
1987
single work
novel
young adult
fantasy
'Elspeth is one of a new breed born into a world recovering from widespread destruction. The ruling council will tolerate no opposition. Elspeth must hide her telepathic powers in order to survive. In the mountain orphanage of Obernewtyn, Elspeth meets others with similar powers and together they confront the evil hidden there.' (Source: Trove)
Camberwell : Penguin , 2010 -
y
Picnic at Hanging Rock
Melbourne
:
Cheshire
,
1967
Z305085
1967
single work
novel
historical fiction
mystery
(taught in 2 units)
'It was a cloudless summer day in the year 1900. Everyone at Appleyard College for Young Ladies agreed it was just right for a picnic at Hanging Rock. After lunch, a group of three girls climbed into the blaze of the afternoon sun, pressing on through the scrub into the shadows of the secluded volcanic outcropping. Farther, higher, until at last they disappeared. They never returned. ...'
Source: Publisher's blurb (Penguin Random House, 2014).
Camberwell : Penguin , 2013