Romulus, My Father

Romulus, My Father

3.46 of 5 stars 3.46  ·  rating details  ·  541 ratings  ·  51 reviews
Raimond Gaita is a philosopher by profession (he teaches in Australia and at King's College, London) but a writer by vocation. This elegantly written memoir takes in the social history of 1950s rural Victoria as well as recording the emotional displacement of European immigrants in Australia. He recounts the story of his father's migration, first from Yugoslavia and then f...more
Published July 8th 1999 by Headline (first published 1998)
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notgettingenough
Update: 26 March 2011 walking around London. The Westminster city council has decided that homeless people should find somewhere else to be. So, as well as declaring that the homeless will no longer make the city their home, the Council has told charities that they aren't allowed to feed the homeless any more. My friend S-L who told me this said that the Council did that to get rid of pigeons, now they are doing it with human beings. Attention Londoners, no feeding the homeless.

Lady Di is quickl...more
Wayne
Mar 19, 2009 Wayne rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: EVERYONE
Recommended to Wayne by: several friends
A brutal book.
An absolutely astounding book.
Without a shadow of sentimentality.
Which is why it just tears at you.
Read it with a valium.

I put it on my philosophy shelf too.
For this book is all about living an ethical life within the constraints of one's own personality, family and friends, environment, society and the joys and tragedies they bring every day.

When the author, Raimond Gaita, visited the set of the film of his book during its recent production, the young boy playing him, flung himsel...more
Blake
INITIAL REVIEW:
It wasn't great, but it wasn't terrible. That's all I've got to say, really. It wasn't life changing, but it wasn't a waste either. Mind you, I wouldn't have read it if I didn't have to for school.

UPON REREADING (over a year later):
I seriously wouldn't've reread this if I didn't think it would help me in my HSC (Higher School Certificate - New South Wales final exams), but rereading it did evoke again in me the sense that this could be made so much better by simply putting the eve...more
Kaye
Raimond Gaita's biography is a touching memoir of his beloved father, Romulus. Romulus is a fascinating and engaging character, who faces so much tragedy in his life, yet retains a strong sense of identity and morality.

The book paints a very interesting picture of 1950s and 1960s rural Australia, when large numbers of Europeans migrated to Australia, and describes how those immigrants tried to fit with their new country.

I can understand why this book is on the school curriculum and why it won li...more
Trevor
This is a book that is often studied in the final year of high school here in Australia, written by a philosopher about his dead father – that was all I knew about this book before I started reading it earlier this week. So, I expected it to be quite another kind of book to what it turned out to be.

There were things I didn’t like about the author – for example, his tendency to be very general in some of his ‘summing up’ of people or events. I also really disliked him referring to his chosen pro...more
Al Bità
I consider this to be a masterpiece of biography. Thanks, Wayne, for directing me to it!

The writing is spare, simple and direct, philosophically reserved, yet intensely moving. As a tribute to his father, Gaita has done a superb job of educating us all to what it must have been like for a Yugoslav migrant to arrive in Australia and struggle to make a new life in his new land. The writing is so effortless and so beguiling that one does not almost notice how terribly tragic this particular migrant...more
Ursula
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
Julia
I've been requested as a requirement of my senior study to read this book for my advanced English course. As my classmates read it they told me of how good it was and how interesting which are always strange comments from high school students. It also set the bar pretty high in my expectations of how this story would eventually pan out. I didn't end up enjoying it as much as my peers did unfortunately but that may be solely due to our gaping differences in literary opinion. I absolutely adore bi...more
Jane
how anyone can be so analytical and philosophical about such great tragedy and sorrow is beyond me. a beautiful book that is admirably understated. will make you think about what standard of ethics you are capable of.
Michelle
There is a reason why this book is read for many high school examinations. A beautiful memoir which makes me think about the way we all have a story to tell.
Raimond Gaita's love for his parents and the other adults who surrounded him and influenced him as he grew is evident in his retelling oftheir lives and incidents that occurred during that period of time. A wonderful example of Australian social history. It even caused me to think of my grandparents and other distant relatives and the events...more
Elisabeth
This biographical novel is so beautifully written and manages to encompass post-war immigration, mental illness, philosphy, the meaning of work and the importance of love, loyalty and morality in a heartbreaking tale of a son and his father.

The love and respect that Gaita has for his father, Romulus, comes across in every page and makes this book a precious thing to hold.

By telling his father's story and the story of his relationship with his father, Gaita teaches us the profound lessons that h...more
Alexandra
This is not the sort of book I would tend to choose for myself; I don't tend to go in for memoirs... and let's face it, I don't tend to go in for real-world stuff that often. Especially not such modern real-world stuff.

I read this in an afternoon. Partly because I had to (for a class I had to teach); partly because I couldn't put it down. The prose it glorious and the story itself is captivating - tragic and funny and everything else that real life really is.

Raimond's parents, Romulus and Christ...more
Jennifer (JC-S)
Dec 26, 2011 Jennifer (JC-S) rated it 4 of 5 stars
Recommended to Jennifer (JC-S) by: fionnabhair@bigpond.com
Shelves: librarybooks
‘He was truly a man who would rather suffer evil than do it.’

This book is a memoir and a tribute to Romulus Gaita (1922-1996) by his son Raimond. Raimond’s eulogy for his father was published in Quadrant magazine in 1996, and was then developed into this book. Who was Romulus Gaita, and why read this memoir? Romulus Gaita was born in Markovac, a village in a Romanian-speaking part of Yugoslavia in 1922. At the age of 13, Romulus fled his home in Yugoslavia. The memoir briefly describes Romulus G...more
Caroline
Written as a recollection, not as a present experience, this story spans 50 years in just over 200 pages. There is no room for detail, for sharing the journey, rather the reader bears witness and connects through empathy. It’s like sitting in an older person’s living room and listening to their life story – something I very much enjoy doing if the experiences are vastly different from my own, and these are. Through Raimond’s words, he offered me an opportunity to witness his childhood, the obser...more
Lauz
It was clear from the start that Raimond Gaita, like most sons, idolised his father. While this made for a biography through sometimes rose-tinted glasses, Raimond Gaita draws on interesting philosophical ideas which tempers this fact. He examines his father's life and creates a highly insightful novel. The philosophy isn't too heavy (& easily skippable if the reader isn't interested) and mainly draws on moral character. What's more, the life of Romulus is actually an interesting tale so it'...more
Tim
Having heard Raimond Gaita speak on higher education a couple of weeks ago, I was inspired enough to buy this book that his friend, colleague and fellow speaker Robert Manne spoke of. Its main subject is one that I am myself drawn to write about; memoirs of his relationship with his father, and I with mine. So too is an underlying theme of life in Australia. Though I cannot speak of similar experiences, I learned much from this wonderfully recounted tale of a man of outstanding character. This b...more
David Balfour
Pretty bland and unremarkable. It touches upon some very important themes like mental illness but it doesn't really explore them beyond the surface. The prose is overly straightforward and bland, really taking away from the potentially emotional (if unremarkable) events.

Additionally, Romulus may have been a principled man, but he was also a bit of a dick and totally unremarkable. Raimond's mother Christina was also not a particularly caring individual but at least she was interesting and I thin...more
Ruth
As I was reading this, I was reminded of my Opa, who like Romulus came from Germany to Australia after WWII and was sent to Bonegilla in country Victoria before settling in the town he lived for the rest of his life. My Opa was also a man of high morality and honesty. This book was a wonderful memoir and tribute.
Alison Francis
This book is riveting and is particularly well written. A wonderful insight into the struggles of migrants, the bonds of friendship. Gaita displays an astute awareness of character, never judging, closely observing and understanding of the complexities of life. A truly passionate and absorbing read.
Naomi
This book is very different from the types of books I normally read. To be honest I only read it because I had to for school and was surprised to find that I enjoyed it (normally I hate the books they get us to read for school). Romulus, My Father tells the story of Romulus's life from when he was a teenager up to his death. The story is told from the perspective of Romulus's son, Raimond. It tells us about his teenage years in Europe, him falling in love, getting married and having a child. But...more
Meowmy Mandy
I found this an interesting book. The story was good, but i had to to dig to find it amongst all the philosophy which dampened it a lot for me.
Sarah
Had to read this in high school for english. One of the few assigned books I actually finished. Amazing story, although tragic at times.
Donna
Look, I really liked this, but can't be sure how much I was influenced by the movie which I loved ! I want to read more of Gaita.
John
Hmmm. Beautiful in it's simplicity. A moral tale. A story about compassion. Insightful analysis of what drives the author's father.
Jane
Aug 02, 2011 Jane added it
Could not put this book down until I finished this incredible story. Enjoyed reading much more than watching the film.
Shannon Luxford
Forced to read this novel. Would never have read it if it wasn't my belonging text for my HSC
Julia
Extremely insightful but was made a torture to read as it was a school-based text
Erinjereb
Enjoyed the movie more, but an inspiring book. Brings beauty to hearthache.
Doug
ok. So I read this because I have to teach it to my students. It has literary value... Lots of it.
Saurabh Bhattacharya
Beautifully written and deeply complex memoir of a complex father
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Romulus, My Father (Paperback)
Romulus, My Father
Romulus, My Father (Paperback)
Romulus, My Father (Paperback)
Romulus, My Father (Paperback)

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