Sinead's review
Oscar and Lucinda by Peter Carey
Sinead's review
rating:
bookshelves: favourites
recommended for: people interested in how characters are drawn
status: Read in January, 2005
rating:
bookshelves: favourites
recommended for: people interested in how characters are drawn
status: Read in January, 2005
Peter Carey is one of the greatest living Australian writers and he is not all that well known or liked in Australia - possibly because he committed the cardinal sin of moving to America! Some of his books are indeed heavy going and not overly enjoyable but Oscar and Lucinda is masterfully put together - entertaining to read and interesting as an example of how to draw utterly rounded and compelling characters.
Oscar and Lucinda are portrayed not just from their own perspectives but from inside the heads of the people around them and from the perspectives of others we come to truly understand the contradictions and compulsions of these two people. Oscar and Lucinda is a story of many things; faith, gambling, love, obsession, glass... as I read it I was in awe of the skill of the writing. It's not for everyone but its one of my all time favourite books.
Oscar and Lucinda are portrayed not just from their own perspectives but from inside the heads of the people around them and from the perspectives of others we come to truly understand the contradictions and compulsions of these two people. Oscar and Lucinda is a story of many things; faith, gambling, love, obsession, glass... as I read it I was in awe of the skill of the writing. It's not for everyone but its one of my all time favourite books.
