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AbstractHistoryArchive Description
'Beth, 18, looks back on the events of the past four years, beginning with the anniversary of her sister's death from leukemia. Sam, a stoic seven-year-old genius, suddenly changes from a docile brother to an uncontrollable child he calls Del-Del (from the constellation Delphinus). Convinced that the boy is possessed by the devil, his distraught family consults an exorcist, whose work temporarily mitigates the ravings. But it is Beth who ultimately risks her life to uncover the psychological foundation of Del-Del's genesis.'
Source: Publishers Weekly.
Notes
-
Dedication: For Ann and Joe
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Other Formats
- Also braille.
- Also sound recording.
Works about this Work
-
The Australian Horror Novel Since 1950
2012
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Sold by the Millions : Australia's Bestsellers 2012; (p. 112-127) According to James Doig the horror genre 'was overlooked by the popular circulating libraries in Australia.' In this chapter he observes that this 'marginalization of horror reflects both the trepidation felt by the conservative library system towards 'penny dreadfuls,' and the fact that horror had limited popular appeal with the British (and Australian) reading public.' Doig concludes that there is 'no Australian author of horror novels with the same commercial cachet' as authors of fantasy or science fiction. He proposes that if Australian horror fiction wants to compete successfully 'in the long-term it needs to develop a flourishing and vibrant small press contingent prepared to nurture new talent' like the USA and UK small presses.' (Editor's foreword xii) -
Untitled
2001
single work
review
— Appears in: Fiction Focus : New Titles for Teenagers , vol. 15 no. 2 2001; (p. 82)
— Review of Del-Del 1991 single work novel -
The Lost and Possessed Child in Henry James's 'The Turn of the Screw', William Friedkin and William Peter Blatty's 'The Excorcist' and Victor Kelleher's 'Del-Del'
1999
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Papers : Explorations into Children's Literature , August vol. 9 no. 2 1999; (p. 40-48) Schober examines a range of texts, including Del-Del by Victor Kelleher, in relation to possible contradictory readings of the lost and possessed child. He argues that 'the relationship between childhood innocence and corruption is problematized by the fact that sometimes the lost-possessed child is complicit in the possession' (40). Particularly in Kelleher's text, where the tensions between 'opposing ideologies of childhood' are overt and the lost-possessed child may be read as 'a vessel of good or evil, innocence and corruption ignorance and knowledge, or both' (40). Schober sees the main site of these tensions as residing in a clash between Calvinist and Romantic traditions, whereby the former perceives the mind of the child as particularly susceptible to possession, while the Romatic ideal of the child is one of pure innocence. To this end, he argues that 'it is necessary...to incorporate the notion of a dialectic, where the ideas of the one influence, emphasize, inform and define our thinking of the other' (47). -
Crazy Boys with Voices in Their Heads : Psychosis in Young Adult Literature
1996
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Viewpoint : On Books for Young Adults , Summer vol. 4 no. 4 1996; (p. 5-7) -
An Interview with Victor Kelleher
Steven Paulsen
(interviewer),
1994
single work
interview
— Appears in: Sirius , February no. 4 1994; (p. 24-29)
-
Untitled
1992
single work
review
— Appears in: Reading Time : The Journal of the Children's Book Council of Australia , vol. 36 no. 1 1992; (p. 30)
— Review of Del-Del 1991 single work novel -
Untitled
1992
single work
review
— Appears in: Magpies : Talking About Books for Children , May vol. 7 no. 2 1992; (p. 33)
— Review of Del-Del 1991 single work novel -
Untitled
1993
single work
review
— Appears in: Fiction Focus : New Titles for Teenagers , vol. 7 no. 3 1993; (p. 32)
— Review of Del-Del 1991 single work novel -
From the Word Go : books for younger readers
1991
single work
review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , November no. 136 1991; (p. 53-55)
— Review of No Such Country : A Book of Antipodean Hours 1991 single work novel ; Del-Del 1991 single work novel -
Tale of Young Burglars Has a Twist
1992
single work
review
— Appears in: The Canberra Times , 25 July 1992; (p. C11)
— Review of Peter 1991 single work novel ; Del-Del 1991 single work novel ; The House Guest 1991 single work novel ; Change the Locks 1991 single work novel -
An Interview with Victor Kelleher
Steven Paulsen
(interviewer),
1994
single work
interview
— Appears in: Sirius , February no. 4 1994; (p. 24-29) -
The Australian Horror Novel Since 1950
2012
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Sold by the Millions : Australia's Bestsellers 2012; (p. 112-127) According to James Doig the horror genre 'was overlooked by the popular circulating libraries in Australia.' In this chapter he observes that this 'marginalization of horror reflects both the trepidation felt by the conservative library system towards 'penny dreadfuls,' and the fact that horror had limited popular appeal with the British (and Australian) reading public.' Doig concludes that there is 'no Australian author of horror novels with the same commercial cachet' as authors of fantasy or science fiction. He proposes that if Australian horror fiction wants to compete successfully 'in the long-term it needs to develop a flourishing and vibrant small press contingent prepared to nurture new talent' like the USA and UK small presses.' (Editor's foreword xii) -
Deep Into the Fuggy Realm of the Physical
1992
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , October no. 145 1992; (p. 13-14) -
Crazy Boys with Voices in Their Heads : Psychosis in Young Adult Literature
1996
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Viewpoint : On Books for Young Adults , Summer vol. 4 no. 4 1996; (p. 5-7) -
The Lost and Possessed Child in Henry James's 'The Turn of the Screw', William Friedkin and William Peter Blatty's 'The Excorcist' and Victor Kelleher's 'Del-Del'
1999
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Papers : Explorations into Children's Literature , August vol. 9 no. 2 1999; (p. 40-48) Schober examines a range of texts, including Del-Del by Victor Kelleher, in relation to possible contradictory readings of the lost and possessed child. He argues that 'the relationship between childhood innocence and corruption is problematized by the fact that sometimes the lost-possessed child is complicit in the possession' (40). Particularly in Kelleher's text, where the tensions between 'opposing ideologies of childhood' are overt and the lost-possessed child may be read as 'a vessel of good or evil, innocence and corruption ignorance and knowledge, or both' (40). Schober sees the main site of these tensions as residing in a clash between Calvinist and Romantic traditions, whereby the former perceives the mind of the child as particularly susceptible to possession, while the Romatic ideal of the child is one of pure innocence. To this end, he argues that 'it is necessary...to incorporate the notion of a dialectic, where the ideas of the one influence, emphasize, inform and define our thinking of the other' (47).
Awards
- 1993 winner West Australian Young Readers' Book Award — Avis Page Award
- 1993 winner COOL Award — Fiction for Older Readers
- 1992 shortlisted Ditmar Awards — Best Novel
- 1992 shortlisted CBCA Book of the Year Awards — Book of the Year: Older Readers
Last amended 25 Jul 2017 16:33:02
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