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AbstractHistoryArchive Description
'Rory Buchanan has it all: looks, talent, charisma - an all around good-guy, he's the centre of every party and a loving father and husband. Then one summer's afternoon, tragedy strikes. Those who are closest to him struggle to come to terms with their loss. Friendships are strained, marriages falter and loyalties are tested in a gripping and brilliantly crafted novel about loss, grief and desire.
'Told from the points of view of nine of the people who are mourning Rory, this riveting novel presents a vivid snapshot of contemporary suburban Australia and how we live now. Marriage, friendship, family - all are dissected with great psychological insight as they start to unravel under the pressure of grief. The characters live on the page; their lives are unfolded and their dilemmas are as real as our own.
'Last Summer is a stunning novel about loss - the terrible pain of losing a husband, brother or friend - but also all those smaller losses that everyone must face: the loss of youth, the shattering of dreams, the fading of convictions and the change in our notions of who we thought we were. It is also about what comes after the loss: how we pick up the pieces and the way we remake our lives.' (From the publisher's website.)
'Told from the points of view of nine of the people who are mourning Rory, this riveting novel presents a vivid snapshot of contemporary suburban Australia and how we live now. Marriage, friendship, family - all are dissected with great psychological insight as they start to unravel under the pressure of grief. The characters live on the page; their lives are unfolded and their dilemmas are as real as our own.
'Last Summer is a stunning novel about loss - the terrible pain of losing a husband, brother or friend - but also all those smaller losses that everyone must face: the loss of youth, the shattering of dreams, the fading of convictions and the change in our notions of who we thought we were. It is also about what comes after the loss: how we pick up the pieces and the way we remake our lives.' (From the publisher's website.)
Notes
-
Dedication:
In memory of Geoff 'Gonzo' Williams, 1964-2004
Not Rory, but not forgotten. -
Epigraph:
All of you who sleep tonight
Far from the one you love,
No hand to left or right
An emptiness above-
Know that you aren't alone:
The whole world shares your tears,
Some for two nights or one,
And some for all their years.
Vikram Seth
Copyright © Vikram Seth, 1990.
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Other Formats
- Sound recording.
Works about this Work
-
Kylie Ladd – Author Interview
2011
single work
interview
— Appears in: The Australian Literature Review , July 2011; -
Tales of Sexuality and Death in This Sporting Life
2011
single work
review
— Appears in: The Saturday Age , 6 August 2011; (p. 29)
— Review of Faces in the Clouds 2011 single work novel ; Last Summer 2011 single work novel -
Passionate Rendering of Songs for Suburbia
2011
single work
review
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 30 -31 July 2011; (p. 20-21)
— Review of Two Greeks 2011 single work novel ; Last Summer 2011 single work novel -
Untitled
2011
single work
review
— Appears in: Bookseller + Publisher Magazine , June vol. 90 no. 9 2011; (p. 27)
— Review of Last Summer 2011 single work novel
-
Untitled
2011
single work
review
— Appears in: Bookseller + Publisher Magazine , June vol. 90 no. 9 2011; (p. 27)
— Review of Last Summer 2011 single work novel -
Passionate Rendering of Songs for Suburbia
2011
single work
review
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 30 -31 July 2011; (p. 20-21)
— Review of Two Greeks 2011 single work novel ; Last Summer 2011 single work novel -
Tales of Sexuality and Death in This Sporting Life
2011
single work
review
— Appears in: The Saturday Age , 6 August 2011; (p. 29)
— Review of Faces in the Clouds 2011 single work novel ; Last Summer 2011 single work novel -
Kylie Ladd – Author Interview
2011
single work
interview
— Appears in: The Australian Literature Review , July 2011;
Awards
Last amended 20 Sep 2019 13:19:30
Settings:
- Melbourne, Victoria,
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