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Blueprints for a Barbed-Wire Canoe
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"The rain fell hard and unending on the roof. All the ghosts of ur were sleeping. The night was as dark as a whale's belly. She passed by swiftly, cried out softly; I wasn't listening, I couldn't have heard."Bram has a reluctant story to tell. Excavating common objects from the mullock heap of a failed housing estate, he records the lives of those who lived there. One-eyed
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Paperback, 160 pages
Published
January 28th 2004
by Black Pepper
(first published January 2004)
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I have recently read Macauley's most recent novel 'Demons' which I enjoyed and was pleased to go back to this his first novel. Firstly I was intrigued by the title and what did this say about the story that lay ahead? Well it has turned out to be a most thought provoking read and a dark satire on home ownership that has long been the great Australian dream.
It centres on a group of residents who take up residency in a new satellite suburb on the outskirts of Melbourne. Before long planned infastr ...more
It centres on a group of residents who take up residency in a new satellite suburb on the outskirts of Melbourne. Before long planned infastr ...more

Wayne Macauley is the author of The Cook, a dark and funny satire which I read and reviewed a year or so ago just as Macauley was starting to gain an international profile, but I have had Blueprints for a Barbed-wire Canoe and Caravan Story on my TBR for ages. I bought them when I heard that Blueprints for a Barbed-wire Canoe was included in Year 12 reading lists and I was intrigued by the title.
I enjoyed The Cook but I found that Blueprints for a Barbed-wire Canoe was a more thought-provoking b ...more
I enjoyed The Cook but I found that Blueprints for a Barbed-wire Canoe was a more thought-provoking b ...more

Recently, a fierce storm brought trees and power lines down across our street. Not only was the power cut, but for two days, a policeman guarded the cul-de-sac, ensuring that no one left or came into the street. Fortunately, many of our neighbours are friends, so we saw these events as a great excuse for a street party, a time to use the contents of the fridge and freezer, each household contributing to a communal meal, cooked on the BBQ, eaten by candlelight at someone's home.
These events happe ...more
These events happe ...more

This book was so much fun to read. I had been quite ill and picked this book out as it's quite thin. It really picked me up.
Loved the characters, the setting, the storyline....what a great book!
I'll certainly be looking out for this author. ...more
Loved the characters, the setting, the storyline....what a great book!
I'll certainly be looking out for this author. ...more
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Wayne Macauley is the author of the highly acclaimed novels: Blueprints for a Barbed-Wire Canoe, Caravan Story and, most recently, The Cook, which was shortlisted for the Western Australian Premier’s Book Award, a Victorian Premier’s Literary Award and the Melbourne Prize Best Writing Award. His new book Demons will be available in August 2014. He lives in Melbourne.
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