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The Water Diviner
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When the Great War ends, Joshua Connor, a grieving farmer and sometime water diviner from the Mallee in Victoria, sets out to fulfil his wife's dying wish - to travel to Gallipoli to recover the bodies of his three sons and bury them in consecrated ground. Crescent collides with cross, and hope with reason as he discovers that his eldest son, Art, may still be alive. When
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Paperback, 368 pages
Published
December 9th 2014
by Pan Australia
(first published 2014)
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When I read somewhere that this novel was written after the script for the movie was developed I noticed the writing style definitely reflected an actual script, mostly the dialogue between characters, of which there isn't much. And what dialogue there was was kinda wooden at times. In fact even the internal self talk was wooden.
Still, I love a good story and that sums up the plot pretty well. It's a good story.
The novel found its beginnings from a brief (but true!) diary entry written by a Bri ...more
Still, I love a good story and that sums up the plot pretty well. It's a good story.
The novel found its beginnings from a brief (but true!) diary entry written by a Bri ...more
A beautiful, touching story with a different perspective on the sad events at Gallipoli. Well written and i can't wait to see the movie if it's true to the book.
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Although I haven't seen the movie, I knew I'd want to read the book. It is based off the screenplay and can sound a little odd at times, but the essential story is good and I enjoyed it. I think I will watch it now, just to see what was changed because I asked my mother and she couldn't remember anything I asked.
An emotional story, but I guessed as much. My reviews are so short at the moment because I'm on holidays with just my tablet, longer reviews soon! ...more
An emotional story, but I guessed as much. My reviews are so short at the moment because I'm on holidays with just my tablet, longer reviews soon! ...more
Based upon the movie,coz i have no reach to the novel
The grieving father,his wife desperate wish,all of his three sons went to war,no one came back,and the parents world day by day fell apart...
He embarked on his apparently futile journey,to find their ashes and bring them back to be buried beside their mother...
The noble mission mingled with the hardships of going through anew,strange land and people
and at the end of the tunnel love awaits for his true,sincere seekers
a nice novel on the whole.. ...more
The grieving father,his wife desperate wish,all of his three sons went to war,no one came back,and the parents world day by day fell apart...
He embarked on his apparently futile journey,to find their ashes and bring them back to be buried beside their mother...
The noble mission mingled with the hardships of going through anew,strange land and people
and at the end of the tunnel love awaits for his true,sincere seekers
a nice novel on the whole.. ...more
What a pleasure to revisit the sights and sounds of my 2012 journey to Turkey through this marvellous novel - it is a grand, touching and uplifting story. Well done to the authors who fashioned the story of Connor and his boys from the original screenplay.
This was a really good story, even if it was written after the film was made. This book caused me to do some more research into the events that took place in Turkey during WWI. Having the story read to me by an Australian actor definitely added a missing piece especially since I have not watched the film.
Joshua O'Connor is a an Australian farmer, always struggling in the brutal climate that besets the land on which he makes his living. The year is 1914 and Joshua's three sons enlist for the Australian forces to fight for the Empire a whole away. Henry, Ed and Art leave Joshua and their mother Eliza and before they know it they are on the beaches of Gallipoli fighting for their lives. Back home in Mallee Eliza receives the devastating news that her three sons are missing in action in action. Befo
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lets talk about this book. The audiobook won an Audie Award, so I decided to listen. I had not seen the movie, knew nothing about the book. I started, didn't last long. Started again, lasted even less time. Third time, I was determined to get past the first 20 minutes. At the end, emotionally rung out I could not stop thinking about this book. I researched for days about Gallipoli. I could not believe this story from WWI that I knew nothing about. What a wonderful telling of such a horrific even
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This was not originally a book but a movie based on diaries and journals. The screenplay was made into a book. I listened to the audio version and it was really good. Australian actor, Jack Thompson, is the reader and he does an amazing job.
A nice story that attempts to provide insight into fatherhood, war, 20th century Australia, Turkey and cultural clashes, I rate this book two stars because it achieves its role 2/5 times in providing this insight.
Filled with simple cliches I don't think I learnt anything or felt anything every time the hero explored Turkey, interacted with a local, or longed for his lost children. During those times it was predictable and simple. When our hero entered a building, a paragraph followed explaining ...more
Filled with simple cliches I don't think I learnt anything or felt anything every time the hero explored Turkey, interacted with a local, or longed for his lost children. During those times it was predictable and simple. When our hero entered a building, a paragraph followed explaining ...more
Dec 11, 2014
Kirstie Ellen
rated it
really liked it
Recommends it for:
Australians, but really anyone.
Shelves:
historical-fiction,
books-to-movies
The Water Diviner
This book is heart-breakingly beautiful. It is the story of a father who, after World War One, goes in search of his sons who fought at Gallipoli and presumably died there. On the heel of his wife's death he promises to find them and bring them home and that's how this book winds it way from the desert like existence of Australia to the chaos of Turkey.
From cheeky Turkish boys to stuck up British soldiers and burly Anzacs this is such an enjoyable story. Released as a novel and ...more
This book is heart-breakingly beautiful. It is the story of a father who, after World War One, goes in search of his sons who fought at Gallipoli and presumably died there. On the heel of his wife's death he promises to find them and bring them home and that's how this book winds it way from the desert like existence of Australia to the chaos of Turkey.
From cheeky Turkish boys to stuck up British soldiers and burly Anzacs this is such an enjoyable story. Released as a novel and ...more
This is a poignant and evocative story of one man's deep love for his family. Joshua Connor is a hard-working man who has more than his fair share of grief and loss. He also has a strong sense of always trying to do the right thing, even in a clumsy way at times. This beautifully written and engaging story easily helps the reader to strongly identify with the characters: Joshua, who strives to provide for his family, his wife Lizzie who falls into deep depression after receiving news that all 3
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Well-written, very well researched, and totally interesting when I honestly thought it wouldn't be. This historical fiction is based on a letter actually found in records from WWII, and and the main character is loosely modeled on the author's grandfather. It is the story of an Australian man whose life has been shattered, first by the loss of his sons in Turkey during WWII, then by tragedy closer to home. A water diviner who has never before left the unforgiving desert of the Australian outback
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I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I read somewhere that the book was written after the movie? I wonder if that is correct. I really liked the pace of the book and for me it was almost a page turner. I also believe is was take from a true life event. It is a period that interests me. The first world war was a very idealistic war and one that very many of Australians young men entered full of enthusiasm. I believe this book humanised the time and gave an understanding of the true tragedies of this w
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I loved reading this book that was mostly set in Turkey. The vivid descriptions of Constantinople and the surrounding area brought back memories of my time spent there (now Istanbul). The strong Turkish coffee, dolma, borek, and Turkish delight made my mouth water. The plot was engaging. It took place in a time of turmoil for Turkey. The war was ruthless. The hard feelings between the Turks and the Greeks still exist today. I enjoyed this taste of history. There are many books about World War II
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Didn't like this nearly as much as I thought I would. I'm a sentimental guy, I love stories that honour the young men (and women) that gave their lives for our freedom, I am quite interested in the history of Constantinople and the once-great Ottoman Empire. But this just didn't work for me. From the guy braining his dog with a gun at the start of the book, I didn't like him. So when raw emotion gave way to sappy romance, I had very little reason to remain invested at all. In fact, I had initial
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This book started as a 5-star for me. Tense, complex, adventurous and interesting historical information, set in a time and place I know little about, all of which I enjoyed. Good character development as well. But about three-quarters through, it became somewhat bogged down with too much descriptive detail, although the action was still engaging. Unfortunately for me, it closed as a "happily ever after" romance novel with a predictable ending. I prefer edgy books with endings that leave unanswe
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The protagonist is an Australian farmer in post WWI Turkey looking for his three missing sons. While the book doesn't immediately dazzle you with action, it turns into a very satisfying piece of historical fiction. While I haven't seen the movie with Russell Crowe, I can understand why he wanted to direct and star in it. While there is some violence, and some sexual content, it was mostly just a very good "historical".
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This novel, I mean the actual book, tells the complete story of The Water Diviner and is based on the original screenplay by Andrew Anastasios and Andrew Knight but the book is written by Andrew Anastasios and Meaghan Wilson-Anastasios. It is usually done the other way around. Anyhow, it’s inspired by true events found within personal accounts and official records from the First World War.
A favourite line from the book:
The bone-chillingly cold air is still. Silent.
A favourite line from the book:
The bone-chillingly cold air is still. Silent.
Don't waste your time reading a perverted interpretation of history. How can the brutality of the Turks be depicted as anything but horrifically criminal. Shame on the authors. This is an insult to all the Anzacs, Greeks, Armenians, British and the allies. The authors need to do some serious research.
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It read like the usual Hollywood version of events, hollow, predictable and boring. The characters were so empty I had zero empathy with them. Two stars because anything with Aussies in it gets my vote ;)
This book was really really good. I decided to read this book after watching and enjoying the movie.
Book about an Australian father going to Gallipoli to find the bodies of his sons after the first World War. Interesting depiction of the impact of the war on both Australians and the Turks.
*posted by teacher on behalf of student, done as a class activity*
The water diviner by Meaghan Wilson Anastasios and Andrew Anastasios is by far one of the most boring and dragged on book's I've ever read. The overall plot of the book is about some Australian farmer named Joshua Connor that happens to know how to water divine (but basically never uses it in the book) that goes to Turkey in the now collapsing ottoman empire looking for his sons after the end of the Great War.
While the book is su ...more
The water diviner by Meaghan Wilson Anastasios and Andrew Anastasios is by far one of the most boring and dragged on book's I've ever read. The overall plot of the book is about some Australian farmer named Joshua Connor that happens to know how to water divine (but basically never uses it in the book) that goes to Turkey in the now collapsing ottoman empire looking for his sons after the end of the Great War.
While the book is su ...more
Borrow Box audio 13/8/2021
Read by Jack Thomson
This book was written to extend the script of the movie and to flesh out the characters, motivations and bring the two cultures, Turkish and Australian to life. So it is more like a novelised script than a book.
For me the plot was very interesting but the story was told slowly, it was gruesome and predictable, and unnecessarily graphic in the violence and sex. It had a happy ending which is always good, and I was very interested in the authors' note ...more
Read by Jack Thomson
This book was written to extend the script of the movie and to flesh out the characters, motivations and bring the two cultures, Turkish and Australian to life. So it is more like a novelised script than a book.
For me the plot was very interesting but the story was told slowly, it was gruesome and predictable, and unnecessarily graphic in the violence and sex. It had a happy ending which is always good, and I was very interested in the authors' note ...more
This book wasn't exactly what I expected. I saw the movie first and didn't realize until I got the book that it's basically a fleshed out screenplay. In many places, it reads that way. It's a bit choppy, especially at any points of action. Oh, how my little editor heart wanted to do some polishing and re-writing.
I found the first third to be beautiful and everything I wanted. Tears, sorry, the ravages of war.
The next third, I found a bit boring. I wasn't particularly interested in the romance s ...more
I found the first third to be beautiful and everything I wanted. Tears, sorry, the ravages of war.
The next third, I found a bit boring. I wasn't particularly interested in the romance s ...more
Being from New Zealand I thought I knew a lot about the history of the Gallipoli fighting, but obviously only from the ANZAC forces perspective. This book gives a very brutal look at the impact on the Turkish people and one Australian family in the aftermath of WW1. It also made me think about the scale and difficulty of the effort of the Commonwealth Graves Commission. There are some horrific passages in this book, describing events that actually occurred, from both sides. But there is also bea
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I have not seen the movie but found this book by accident and what a wonderful read it was. Truly captivating storey, of a father’s love for his three sons, and the shattered man he becomes after learning that his son perished at Lone Pine. His journey across the world to find his lost sons and bring them home. I found this one tugged at the hearts strings more than once.
I would recommend this one
I would recommend this one
this was an interesting book and I wanted to hear more, so that it kept me enthralled. I was disappointed at the ending, which left a number of questions unanswered for me.
Possible spoilers...
a) did Connor stay in Turkey or did he and his Turkish wife and step-son go to Australia? How was this possible if he had no passport anymore?
b) did Arthur stay in turkey or go back to Australia?
At times I found the narrator's style disconcerting, but generally it was good. ...more
Possible spoilers...
a) did Connor stay in Turkey or did he and his Turkish wife and step-son go to Australia? How was this possible if he had no passport anymore?
b) did Arthur stay in turkey or go back to Australia?
At times I found the narrator's style disconcerting, but generally it was good. ...more
A beautiful story, apparently based on true events. I look forward to seeing the movie having now read the novel.
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The key part of this story that stuck with me was "trust". We naturally trust certain characters based on their origins, but as the story unfolds the reader learns to trust different characters and distance themselves from others. The binding pieces between characters, irrespective of their cultural background, are their convictions towards love and family. ...more
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The key part of this story that stuck with me was "trust". We naturally trust certain characters based on their origins, but as the story unfolds the reader learns to trust different characters and distance themselves from others. The binding pieces between characters, irrespective of their cultural background, are their convictions towards love and family. ...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Water Diviner Movie | 5 | 6 | Nov 20, 2017 03:22PM |
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“The bone-chillingingly cold air is still. Silent.”
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