Questions About Gould's Book of Fish: A Novel in Twelve Fish

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I have read Lithuanian translation of this book and many times Tasmania was called Transylvania. Does this also happen in the original? If yes, what is the point? (I had hard time focusing on the book, so I might have missed some important ideas.)

Matt It's the same in the original English. However, Transylvania refers to specifically the western portion of Tasmania that was relatively unexplored by …moreIt's the same in the original English. However, Transylvania refers to specifically the western portion of Tasmania that was relatively unexplored by the colonists at the time the book is set. Tasmania overall was called Van Dieman's Land. The book is mostly set in Macquarie Harbour which is on the western coast of Tasmania, the usual way to travel was by boat around the coast rather than through the difficult terrain of Transylvania.(less)

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Anybody read Tsai, Robin Chen-Hsing. "(Post) Modernity in the penal colony: Richard Flanagan’s Gould’s Book of Fish." Neohelicon 38.2 (2011): 381-393.?

Hans Bakker Yes, U thought it was well written. However, Robin Chen-Hsing Tsai (Tsai Chen-Hsing?) seems to want to include a few too many theories and theorists. …moreYes, U thought it was well written. However, Robin Chen-Hsing Tsai (Tsai Chen-Hsing?) seems to want to include a few too many theories and theorists. They do not all agree with one another. Also, while a penal colony might be considered part of what we usually think of as colonialism it is hardly the essence of colonialism in the sense of imperialist forces. The use of actual fish as a kind of metonym (I think) is interesting and I would never have even considered reading this book at al if I had not been led by Robin to think of the way the author (Flanagan) does construct an interesting kind of critique of the penal colony nd the people associated with it. However, it is not necessarily a critique of modernity per se. I may be a critique of race relations on a penal colony island but modernity has a lot more to offer than the brutal exploitation of indigenous people for silly research that is pseudo-scientific. I guess my overall feeling is that the paper by Tsai is very good but not quite excellent because the novel is a mixed bag.(less)

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