Cloudstreet

I resisted this novel for so long, because the author is a local feature whose middle-aged ponytail makes him a walking Fremantle stereotype. A great friend told me I was a fool, especially because I live in Perth. She was right. Cloudstreet is a sprawling ode to family ties and historic Perth, as well as a long luxurious love letter to the Swan River (true name Derbarl Yerrigan) – that snaking silver stream that Indigenous people will tell you was made by the serpent spirit the Wagyl. I am going to read more Tim Winton and not deny myself good literature because of a douchey haircut.

This is probably Winton\’s best novel—and yet, like many of his novels, it is uneven, inconsistent and ambiguous. Oh, I get Winton\’s possible employment of Magic Realism (the talking pig, the Abo apparition, the sighing, living, breathing old house, etc.). But, what is the point of including The Monster—what does this character do to strengthen or deepen the plot? Some of Winton\’s details seem random. The beautiful power of this book comes and goes, shines brightly and then dims out. And yet, it is an intriguing read—and it reminds me so much—not of John Steinbeck—but of William Faulkner. Why do characters like Fish remind me of both Vardaman and Darl in Faulkner\’s As I Lay Dying? Or of Benjy and Quentin in The Sound and the Fury? Fish is, indeed, a brilliantly conceived character—and it is Fish who makes the novel cohere. Winton\’s feel for the land is also reminiscent of Faulkner\’s mystical and mythical South. Additionally, as did Faulkner, Winton makes interesting use of present and past tenses, shifting back and forth in a way that dissolves the line between waking and dreaming. Actually, this is quite a book.

Albeit towards the end slightly loses the edge. The story blurs & becomes somewhat hard to follow & understand. The appearance of a blacck man for instance and his words to Quick (one of the main characters) are not that clear and it\’s hard to determine whether it\’s a real person or Quick\’s imagination. The plot eventually reaches its cheerful conclusion after long meandering, twists and turns. Good story of two families going thru life\’s ups and downs brought together by the old haunted house given to one family – the Pickles – as inheritance from their relative. Their lives mingle with the Lamb family when they move in as tenants and help their landlords with raising some income. The Lambs are hard working with great work ethos, solid rules and strong family ties which can set an example to the Pickle family. There are some tragic circumstances testing greatly the Lambs\’ faith & family values yet in the end they seem to come out victorious even if battered and shaken. There is some heart breaking drama on the Pickle front too and thats to do with the wife and mother\’s heavy drinking and loose morals. We learn towards the end that there\’s a heart wrenching reason for the way she turned out and alienated her own daughter and it\’s a lesson in compassion and understanding. Winton\’s characters are so genuine it\’s easy to sympathize with them, feel their raw emotions and feel for them. By honest description of their life stories he manages to put the reader in their shoes and become more sympathetic less judgmental.

When a washed up old father decides he is followed by a shadow of bad luck he continues to test it with gambling and a cycle of losses– but his luck changes when he inherits a house called Cloudstreet. In this janky home a life ensues for two families who become forever intertwined. They journey side by side and through this journey they discover the bonds of family love and loyalty along with their deepest joys and sorrows. No one in the story is immune to the hard slaps of Life. But it is their abiding love under one roof where they find peace and redemption.

I became aware of this author when I watched the 6 part series of it on Acorn TV. I was spellbound by the story and when I discovered that it was adapted from a book of the same title, I read it. Tim Winton is a fantastic writer and is revered in his native Australia. He has written several books and I look forward to reading them. The characters were well-defined and reminded me of the down-to-earth people in John Steinbeck stories.I liked the humor that was prevalent and appropriate to the story. If I have any criticism it’s that I would have liked a glossary of the Australian terms that sprinkled almost every page. I either made educated guesses, or looked the words up. There is also a mystic quality that pervades but this wasn’t a distraction for me.

Galaxyaudiobook Member Benefit

- Able to comment

- List watched audiobooks

- List favorite audiobooks

- Bookmark will only available for Galaxyaudiobook member