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27th out of 46 books
—
15 voters
Rhubarb
by
Craig Silvey
Eleanor Rigby is tiny, blind, left behind, and led by her zealous, overprotective guide dog, Warren, coursing constantly through the places she knows. Tired, mired, and sequestered from the world, Eleanor can't shake the feeling she's going nowhere slowly. Until she recognizes something in the sound of Ewan Dempsey, reclusive and compulsive maker and player of cellos, who...more
Paperback, 332 pages
Published
May 1st 2004
by Fremantle Press
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I once heard a radio advert (trying to pimp some pumped-up, testosterone activity no doubt) "define" boring as going to see some art house film where (deep trailer man voice) "he was a hermit who lived in a caravan... she was a bowls champion who liked cats..." Rhubarb is about a man with agrophobia who obsessively makes cellos in his shed and a blind woman with an obsessive, overweight guide-dog called Warren. A woman called Eleanor Rigby. Yes, like the Beatles song.
The last time I was this te...more
The last time I was this te...more
“..against your will it would make you think of just how much of your day comprised simply missing things. Just how much eluded you. Just how many kicks you were behind the play. Unravelled, you would entertain these thoughts. You would be sitting with a guide dog and a slipped guard. And ambivalence. Eleanor Rigby, the girl who kept Distance above all, would feel excluded.”
Rhubarb is the book I never knew I wanted to read – all the makings of a favourite, here all along in a title I’d repeated...more
I stayed up til 1:00 a.m. last night to finish this book - not because I couldn't put it down, but because it had become so disjointed that I was hoping for some explanation to make the agonising last few chapters worth it. Alas I was to be disappointed ...
And I wonder, am I not alone in not knowing what happened to make Ewan so reclusive - and was he agoraphobic or did he just hate people and interacting with people? And why/how did he get to be like this? Was Eleanor truly physically blind, or...more
And I wonder, am I not alone in not knowing what happened to make Ewan so reclusive - and was he agoraphobic or did he just hate people and interacting with people? And why/how did he get to be like this? Was Eleanor truly physically blind, or...more
Rhubarb is Craig Silvey’s first full-length novel. The main characters are the quirky Eleanor Rigby, a petite blind 21 year-old who lives with her reclusive mother, Estelle; and the equally reclusive Ewan Dempsey, aged 23, agoraphobic, maker and player of cellos. Eleanor is ably led by her guide dog Warren (who wishes he had a better name than a habitat for rabbits). Warren guides her by day and guards her by night, but can’t guide her in her Dreams. Eleanor is always on the move through the pla...more
I think I will be forever in love with the paragraphs on pages 36 and 37. I've never read aloud to other adults before but these few paragraphs had me compelled to, despite (or perhaps due to?) recent events that had me doubting the necessity to ever speak out loud again.
"She imagined it. A Place....and if Happy Ness was a Place, then there must be other Places too. Like Cold Ness. And Wet Ness. Quiet Ness..." the whole page thereafter is just pure gold to me. I will read and re-read and re-rea...more
"She imagined it. A Place....and if Happy Ness was a Place, then there must be other Places too. Like Cold Ness. And Wet Ness. Quiet Ness..." the whole page thereafter is just pure gold to me. I will read and re-read and re-rea...more
Absolutely fantastic. Quirky and best imagery I have seen for some years
I really liked this book. It is a beautiful story of two people, Eleanor who is blind, and Ewan, the reclusive cello maker and player, who identify things in each other which they are missing in themselves - Eleanor is drawn by the wonderful music that Ewan creates, and Ewan, Eleanor's positive view on life and handling of her blindness. The writing style is both challenging but engaging, and I had to keep reading to discover the history behind these two characters as well as the other supportin...more
My first book of 2012 was chosen with high hopes. I loved Jasper Jones primarily because the voices of the teenage boys were clear, quirky and quite charming. None of these qualities applied to the two main characters in Rhubarb. It was a chore to finish. The foibles of blind Eleanor and agoraphobic Ewan were tedious, rather than charmingly quirky. Too much magic realism for me as I tried to puzzle through time slips and segues into the lives of strange 'townsfolk'. As this was Craig Silvey's fi...more
This is a book filled with despairing, lonely people ("aah, look at all the lonely people ..."), but strangely enough I never felt like it utterly despaired - there was always life and hope in it, and I felt charmed by the characters of Eleanor and Ewan and lovable guide-dog Warren, and delighted by the humorous pair of possums and cranky Hermit crab. This is one of those books that demands a second reading, owing to the often rather confusing writing style (I also found it a bit difficult keepi...more
I had read Jasper Jones and adored it so thought that I would try another by Craig Silvey. This had little of the charm of Jasper Jones and I did not particularly care about the characters. There is an element of poetry in the writing style that is pleasing. I felt a little beaten about the head with 'rhubarb' by this book as it becomes a metaphor for, well, everything.
No doubt there will be others who love this book and kudos to them, I'm am simply not in that group of readers.
No doubt there will be others who love this book and kudos to them, I'm am simply not in that group of readers.
Jul 25, 2011
Book Bazaar
added it
A cleverly constructed and well written story with very distinctive voices. I loved Craig's second book, Jasper Jones, so I had to get a copy of this debut novel. The two novels are very different - this one has an almost post modern feel due to the structure and the clever word play, but I definitely enjoyed this. An intense read with unusual characters and wonderful, unusual descriptions. I think I still like Jasper Jones more, but this novel is definitely worth a read - I give it 4 stars!
I read this book a while ago but loved it because it was so original. The eccentric characters are funny, tragic and frustrating all at the same time. In a round about way, this is a love story, and they struggle so much to get it together. Another part of the charm of this book is the beautiful and familiar setting, Fremantle. I'm not ashamed to admit that the last scene made me cry...
Apr 26, 2008
Melsha
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Tim Winton fans
Recommended to Melsha by:
ebay !
This lyrical and beautifully written book reads like an autumn day - not too hot and not too cold. The characters are well drawn and likeable. The setting of Fremantle is great but it could be set anywhere. The story of blind girl, Eleanor Rigby and the reclusive cellist Ewan, is at once a love story, a friendship and a telling of how they came to be as and where they are.
For a debut novel it is exceptional. The style of writing is more prosaic than your standard newstand paperback. Perhaps Cra...more
For a debut novel it is exceptional. The style of writing is more prosaic than your standard newstand paperback. Perhaps Cra...more
I absolutely love this book. An all time favourite to be read and re-read multiple times. I love the whimsy about it, the two main and highly flawed characters, and the dog!! Some people found the literacy devices twee but I loved them - totally sucked in! I prefer this novel to Silvey's second novel and best seller. Loved it
Took a little while to grab me but it finally did. Loved the descriptions of the instrument making; laughed out loud at the animal antics; compelling characters to barrack for; all by a promising young Aussie author. Good combo.... definitely worth a read.
Here is a wonderful writer. Lyrical and poetic, the book is more like a prose poem than narrative. Beautiful! The characters are interesting and quirky, very different. The story, however, is not gripping unfortunately and the ending disappoints.
Beautiful portrait of loneliness and the female condition. Honest and truly touching prose from an author who was so young when he wrote it, but wise beyond his years.
Well written for a first novel. I love Warren the dog and the two possums.Some amusing characters like Bruno and the sweet old man Frank. The barbeque is a scream. Would reccoment it.If you love this you will love Jasper Jones his second novel even better.
I struggled with it to start but I am glad I continued reading to the end. By the close of the story I loved this book.
Just read that this has a character called Eleanor Rigby...seriously? Is he a Beatles fan? Really want to read this book now :)
Disappointing effort after his first book Jasper Jones which was totally fabulous!
Loved Craig Silvey's first novel set in Fremantle, Western Australia.
Jun 03, 2011
Cheryl in CC NV
marked it as wishlist
Sounds poetic & moving without being artsy-fartsy or sappy.
Brilliant read but I am a west Australian.
A beautifully written story which I just had to re-read. The author's description of the characters (Ewan and Eleanor) is so warm and accurate, down to the finest detail. I think he makes the reader feel true empathy and you just want them to be happy together. I especially appreciated some of the quirky little characters when I read it for the second time (crazy crab and possums). There's a sense of reality to this book which is hard to describe; almost like you're there experiencing the lives...more
Aug 28, 2009
Chel Hartrick
marked it as to-read
Also the second in series, Jasper Jones
Beautiful. Hard to put down.
Loved it loved it loved it!!!
love a book that makes you think and makes you laugh!!
I don't get it.
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Craig Silvey is an Australian novelist and musician. Silvey grew up on an orchard at Dwellingup in the south-west of Western Australia. He currently lives in Fremantle.
His debut novel, Rhubarb, was published by Fremantle Arts Centre Press in 2004. In 2005 Silvey was named as one of The Sydney Morning Herald's Best Young Novelists. Rhubarb was selected as the inaugural book for the 'One Book' serie...more
More about Craig Silvey...
His debut novel, Rhubarb, was published by Fremantle Arts Centre Press in 2004. In 2005 Silvey was named as one of The Sydney Morning Herald's Best Young Novelists. Rhubarb was selected as the inaugural book for the 'One Book' serie...more
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Mar 01, 2012 12:01am
Jan 28, 2013 07:15pm