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A Stolen Season
Adam's life has been ruined by war . . . veteran of the Iraq conflict who has suffered such extensive bodily trauma that he can only really survive by means of a mechanical skeleton.
Marianna's has been ruined by men . . . A woman who has had to flee the country after her husband lied to the wrong people.
John Philip's by too much money . . . Until he receives a surprise inheritance in the evening of his own life.
Rodney Hall, two-times winner of the Miles Franklin Literary Award, presents the story of three people experiencing a period of life they never thought possible, and, perhaps, should never have been granted at all...
PRAISE FOR RODNEY HALL
"Reminiscent of both Joyce and Garcia Marquez" Washington Post
"Magnificent. So good that you wish you had written it yourself" Salman Rushdie
"A wondrous blend of the fabulous and the surreal" The Australian
"Brilliant" David Mitchell
Marianna's has been ruined by men . . . A woman who has had to flee the country after her husband lied to the wrong people.
John Philip's by too much money . . . Until he receives a surprise inheritance in the evening of his own life.
Rodney Hall, two-times winner of the Miles Franklin Literary Award, presents the story of three people experiencing a period of life they never thought possible, and, perhaps, should never have been granted at all...
PRAISE FOR RODNEY HALL
"Reminiscent of both Joyce and Garcia Marquez" Washington Post
"Magnificent. So good that you wish you had written it yourself" Salman Rushdie
"A wondrous blend of the fabulous and the surreal" The Australian
"Brilliant" David Mitchell
352 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2018
12 people are currently reading
187 people want to read
About the author
Rodney Hall
63 books21 followersBorn in Solihull, Warwickshire, England, Hall came to Australia as a child after World War II and studied at the University of Queensland. Between 1967 and 1978 he was the Poetry Editor of The Australian. After a period living in Shanghai in the 1980s, Hall returned to Australia, and took up residence in Victoria.
Hall has twice won the Australian Literature Society Gold Medal, and has received seven nominations for the prestigious Miles Franklin Award, for which he has twice won ("Just Relations" in 1982 and "The Grisly Wife" in 1994).
Hall has twice won the Australian Literature Society Gold Medal, and has received seven nominations for the prestigious Miles Franklin Award, for which he has twice won ("Just Relations" in 1982 and "The Grisly Wife" in 1994).
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
July 7, 2019
A Stolen Season
combines three seemingly disparate stories: that of a severely injured Iraq war veteran and his strained marriage; the next is about a woman’s existential crisis at a Mayan temple in Belize; and finally, a propitious discovery of lost art by an older man born to wealth and privilege.
The three stories are not given equal weight. Again and again the novel returns to Adam, the army veteran whose body is so profoundly scarred and damaged that he must wear a powered mechanical exoskeleton to move around. This story makes up the bulk of the book, and although it includes multiple perspectives (his wife, her lover, a neighbour), Adam’s is the most compelling.
In several long sections, Adam’s experience veers between his painstaking rehabilitation and flashbacks to the war, often without any transitions, in a close third-person limited perspective. ‘Stream-of-consciousness’ to me suggests long digressive run-on sentences that eddy across the page, but Hall’s approach is more staccato: clipped fragments flickering between realistic passages and expressionistic shards. Strung together, the pieces approximate a mental process obtruded by physical pain almost constantly. Adam’s memories of the war are particularly searing, the writing so vivid and arresting that I re-read some of these passages several times.
At first it’s a little difficult to grasp the relevance of the other two storylines, but pondering over it, thematic links do emerge: the intoxicating rush and illusory nature of power; the importance of agency to a human life; the ways that power structures - military, religious, financial - subsume those human lives. The Mayan temple (from the Belize section) equates ancient human sacrifices with attempts to justify atrocities as ‘necessary’ in today’s wars. The third story sees five hundred years of family money “piling up, beyond use or application, impenetrable as a pyramid”. The novel’s structure, at once irregular and symmetrical, mimics the Mayan pyramid too. But these connections are not obvious, and as well-written as they are, these two additional stories never feel more than ancillary to Adam's.
A Stolen Season is a bit of an odd duck, but definitely an interesting and worthwhile read.
The three stories are not given equal weight. Again and again the novel returns to Adam, the army veteran whose body is so profoundly scarred and damaged that he must wear a powered mechanical exoskeleton to move around. This story makes up the bulk of the book, and although it includes multiple perspectives (his wife, her lover, a neighbour), Adam’s is the most compelling.
In several long sections, Adam’s experience veers between his painstaking rehabilitation and flashbacks to the war, often without any transitions, in a close third-person limited perspective. ‘Stream-of-consciousness’ to me suggests long digressive run-on sentences that eddy across the page, but Hall’s approach is more staccato: clipped fragments flickering between realistic passages and expressionistic shards. Strung together, the pieces approximate a mental process obtruded by physical pain almost constantly. Adam’s memories of the war are particularly searing, the writing so vivid and arresting that I re-read some of these passages several times.
At first it’s a little difficult to grasp the relevance of the other two storylines, but pondering over it, thematic links do emerge: the intoxicating rush and illusory nature of power; the importance of agency to a human life; the ways that power structures - military, religious, financial - subsume those human lives. The Mayan temple (from the Belize section) equates ancient human sacrifices with attempts to justify atrocities as ‘necessary’ in today’s wars. The third story sees five hundred years of family money “piling up, beyond use or application, impenetrable as a pyramid”. The novel’s structure, at once irregular and symmetrical, mimics the Mayan pyramid too. But these connections are not obvious, and as well-written as they are, these two additional stories never feel more than ancillary to Adam's.
A Stolen Season is a bit of an odd duck, but definitely an interesting and worthwhile read.
June 12, 2019
LONGLISTED FOR THE 2019 MILES FRANKLIN AWARD.
The explosion that left Adam teetering on the edge of death is clouded in ambiguity. It seems he may not have even been the target.All we know is that is has changed Adam’s life forever. If there were even a sliver of a doubt as to whether he has become a physical monstrosity, it is dispelled by the look of horror and shock on his wife’s face, that she fails to hide in time, upon their first meeting back from the war. Australia, instead of working on ways to prevent and stay free from these conflicts uses its military budget, power, scientists, and technology, to build a bionic exoskeleton. Adam is the lucky one to first try out this prototype. Does he feel lucky? The tech tells his wife, “He’ll be helping science by trying it out”. Comforting words for a shell of a man.
Adam and Bridget are both young and their rushed marriage has never been solid. They were divorced in everything except the eyes of the law. Bridget had been seeing another man, however, she remained living in their house while Adam was in Iraq. When she heard of Adam’s maiming and return, she already has her bags packed. Secretly she is wracked with guilt but for who Adam or herself?
Marianna is sitting at a restaurant, pondering a secret she keeps deep within herself. A secret that she desperately wants to expose, to purge. She met Manfred at her studio, where she worked as a ballroom dancing instructor, when one day he simply burst in, his only excuse for the rude interruption, that he was being followed. Marianna knew what she was getting into when she signed Manfred up for lessons.
“He was busy, busy as busy Manfred – busy keeping out of sight of the authorities, by disappearing into her life. “
He promises to fix up the accounts for the studio and they are quickly married. However, after they are married, his behaviour becomes more blatantly secretive. He throws away a computer but not before copying something to a USB stick. He throws away his mobile phone. By the time she finds out the truth about her husband, it is already too late. She is in so deep, the water has covered her head.
John Philip was born a Hardingham. This meant that his destiny was assured, he, by birth was destined for great things. The Hardingham’s are almost what you would call royalty. Through the generations John’s ancestors have held mayoral, parliamentary, ecclesiastical positions, and yet John has reached the age of sixty-seven and achieved little. With no threats to his way of life, his aspirations have never risen to drive him to the heights expected by the family. However, at sixty-eight things are about to change. After his birthday he finds out that his great-granduncle has left him a sealed package as his legacy. A legacy which could be more than a thorn in the side of the family name he has come to despise.
Despite the Marianna and John Philip narratives, the major narrative belongs to Adam and Bridget. Their chapters alternate between their perspective and thoughts. Adam is coming to terms with how great a change his physical condition is having on both their lives. He explores, searching for information. Information on the international legality of the invasion of Iraq, why Australia joined the coalition? He also explores language, the meaning of words, where they originated from, he starts to read the Bible. It’s almost as if his mental condition has grown in use to compensate for his lost physical condition. Bridget could be described as a soul in turmoil. She teeters back and forth from loathing herself for wishing to leave Adam, and admiration, and empathy for his situation that she paradoxically wants to help him with. She vacillates between staying and leaving. The irony is that had Adam returned unharmed they would have now been divorced. It is the horrific injury that has tethered them together again.
I can see why Rodney Hall has won the Miles Franklin Award twice before. His writing is beautiful and at times descriptive and poetic. He uses this style to vividly describe the pain, mental and physical that Adam is going through splendidly and at times feels a little too real.
I wanted to give this a 4.5, but the other two narratives, while being extremely entertaining in their own right, feel like short stories that have a vague tenuous connection to the main plot. I thought perhaps with the title of the book. the connection may be that they all have had something stolen from their lives. Adam has lost his body and perhaps Bridgette. Marianna has lost her old life and freedom on the run from the law, and John Philip lost his childhood, never living up to the impossibly high standards of the family. Also there is some crossover of characters.
I think my favourite part of this novel is Hall’s writing, it’s flawless and the pages just seem to fly by. I have a strong feeling this will make the shortlist. 4 Stars.
The explosion that left Adam teetering on the edge of death is clouded in ambiguity. It seems he may not have even been the target.All we know is that is has changed Adam’s life forever. If there were even a sliver of a doubt as to whether he has become a physical monstrosity, it is dispelled by the look of horror and shock on his wife’s face, that she fails to hide in time, upon their first meeting back from the war. Australia, instead of working on ways to prevent and stay free from these conflicts uses its military budget, power, scientists, and technology, to build a bionic exoskeleton. Adam is the lucky one to first try out this prototype. Does he feel lucky? The tech tells his wife, “He’ll be helping science by trying it out”. Comforting words for a shell of a man.
Adam and Bridget are both young and their rushed marriage has never been solid. They were divorced in everything except the eyes of the law. Bridget had been seeing another man, however, she remained living in their house while Adam was in Iraq. When she heard of Adam’s maiming and return, she already has her bags packed. Secretly she is wracked with guilt but for who Adam or herself?
Marianna is sitting at a restaurant, pondering a secret she keeps deep within herself. A secret that she desperately wants to expose, to purge. She met Manfred at her studio, where she worked as a ballroom dancing instructor, when one day he simply burst in, his only excuse for the rude interruption, that he was being followed. Marianna knew what she was getting into when she signed Manfred up for lessons.
“He was busy, busy as busy Manfred – busy keeping out of sight of the authorities, by disappearing into her life. “
He promises to fix up the accounts for the studio and they are quickly married. However, after they are married, his behaviour becomes more blatantly secretive. He throws away a computer but not before copying something to a USB stick. He throws away his mobile phone. By the time she finds out the truth about her husband, it is already too late. She is in so deep, the water has covered her head.
John Philip was born a Hardingham. This meant that his destiny was assured, he, by birth was destined for great things. The Hardingham’s are almost what you would call royalty. Through the generations John’s ancestors have held mayoral, parliamentary, ecclesiastical positions, and yet John has reached the age of sixty-seven and achieved little. With no threats to his way of life, his aspirations have never risen to drive him to the heights expected by the family. However, at sixty-eight things are about to change. After his birthday he finds out that his great-granduncle has left him a sealed package as his legacy. A legacy which could be more than a thorn in the side of the family name he has come to despise.
Despite the Marianna and John Philip narratives, the major narrative belongs to Adam and Bridget. Their chapters alternate between their perspective and thoughts. Adam is coming to terms with how great a change his physical condition is having on both their lives. He explores, searching for information. Information on the international legality of the invasion of Iraq, why Australia joined the coalition? He also explores language, the meaning of words, where they originated from, he starts to read the Bible. It’s almost as if his mental condition has grown in use to compensate for his lost physical condition. Bridget could be described as a soul in turmoil. She teeters back and forth from loathing herself for wishing to leave Adam, and admiration, and empathy for his situation that she paradoxically wants to help him with. She vacillates between staying and leaving. The irony is that had Adam returned unharmed they would have now been divorced. It is the horrific injury that has tethered them together again.
I can see why Rodney Hall has won the Miles Franklin Award twice before. His writing is beautiful and at times descriptive and poetic. He uses this style to vividly describe the pain, mental and physical that Adam is going through splendidly and at times feels a little too real.
I wanted to give this a 4.5, but the other two narratives, while being extremely entertaining in their own right, feel like short stories that have a vague tenuous connection to the main plot. I thought perhaps with the title of the book. the connection may be that they all have had something stolen from their lives. Adam has lost his body and perhaps Bridgette. Marianna has lost her old life and freedom on the run from the law, and John Philip lost his childhood, never living up to the impossibly high standards of the family. Also there is some crossover of characters.
I think my favourite part of this novel is Hall’s writing, it’s flawless and the pages just seem to fly by. I have a strong feeling this will make the shortlist. 4 Stars.
July 10, 2019
UPDATE : Could not stop thinking about the clever format of this (at times hard to read, like "A little life") realist, contemporary, novel. Just announced as on the Miles Franklin Award, shortlist.
Nearer 4 1/2 stars, but could even be rounded up if some parts were not so long, but each sentence has a hint, so I realised I could not afford to skip any of it. What an amazing concept. The sliding door moments in one's life ! Sometimes we impact on others we don't even know, and vice versa. I am so glad I didn't read any reviews . LOVED IT !
May 17, 2018
What I’ve always loved about Rodney Hall AM is that he’s a writer of social conscience. If you check out his Twitter feed @rhallwriter you can see that he cares passionately about social issues and he turns that concern into books that are invariably very good to read even when they expose difficult truths that we’d rather not confront. A Stolen Season is no exception.
For most of the novel it seems as if there are three separate stories, all focussing on how people resurrect some control in their meaningless lives when fate gives them the opportunity. The main characters are:
*Adam, a grievously wounded Iraq veteran, and his wife Bridget, and how they struggle to come to terms with what’s happened. Their marriage was dead when he enlisted and now Bridget is trapped in the role of carer. Adam is riddled with guilt about that, knowing that he should let her have her freedom, but afraid to let her go. The intricacies of this fraught relationship are brilliantly depicted and very thought-provoking. For both of them, the question is, what could make life worth living;
*Marion Gluck, a wealthy woman on the run because of her husband’s perfidy. She attempts to take control of her life again by pursuing a bizarre quest in remote Belize in South America; and
*John Philip, a very rich man at the end of a long and powerful dynasty, who finds a way to use a bequest in a way that shows his contempt for the values of his family.
These threads do all come together at the end, but I think most readers will focus on the tragedy of Adam and Bridget’s lives because it is utterly compelling, and because it forms the bulk of the story. (I completely forgot about Marian until she resurfaced near the end of the book and to be honest, I think the book could have done without these side stories, though there would have to be a bit of plot-tweaking to get rid of them).
Anyway…
As the book progresses Hall reveals the full extent of Adam’s injuries from the explosion in Iraq but the detail is delivered in Adam’s flip tone, which lightens the horror a little:
And then…
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2018/05/17/a...
For most of the novel it seems as if there are three separate stories, all focussing on how people resurrect some control in their meaningless lives when fate gives them the opportunity. The main characters are:
*Adam, a grievously wounded Iraq veteran, and his wife Bridget, and how they struggle to come to terms with what’s happened. Their marriage was dead when he enlisted and now Bridget is trapped in the role of carer. Adam is riddled with guilt about that, knowing that he should let her have her freedom, but afraid to let her go. The intricacies of this fraught relationship are brilliantly depicted and very thought-provoking. For both of them, the question is, what could make life worth living;
*Marion Gluck, a wealthy woman on the run because of her husband’s perfidy. She attempts to take control of her life again by pursuing a bizarre quest in remote Belize in South America; and
*John Philip, a very rich man at the end of a long and powerful dynasty, who finds a way to use a bequest in a way that shows his contempt for the values of his family.
These threads do all come together at the end, but I think most readers will focus on the tragedy of Adam and Bridget’s lives because it is utterly compelling, and because it forms the bulk of the story. (I completely forgot about Marian until she resurfaced near the end of the book and to be honest, I think the book could have done without these side stories, though there would have to be a bit of plot-tweaking to get rid of them).
Anyway…
As the book progresses Hall reveals the full extent of Adam’s injuries from the explosion in Iraq but the detail is delivered in Adam’s flip tone, which lightens the horror a little:
Ogling reporters descend, eager to secure his ordeal as public property. The only way out is up. Declared fit for discharge he finds himself winched like some treasured relic to take his place in a museum of the grotesque. Spectators lean so close a man can’t breathe in the enveloping depth of their amazement. Crowded out by the humorous intimacy of noses – pitted with pixilated pores and thrust his way – he would laugh if he could. But instead of lungs he has these red hot pincers. He’ll have to put off seeing the bright side till later. (p.6)
And then…
Adam’s first glimpse of Bridget coincides with her first sight of him. The door to the airbridge opens just long enough for a shock of recognition on both sides. His wheelchair glides though an arc of light bent to the curve of the slab-glass walls, but he has already seen her face contorted with horror as she hides her feelings against her shoulder. Meanwhile the pilot and first officer insist on thanking him for flying with them. Courtesies must be observed and they shake hands with his remaining fingers. This gives Bridget just enough time to collect her courage so, when the chair spins his vision in reverse through the same dazzling reflections, she composes herself and steps his way. (p.6-7)
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2018/05/17/a...
March 31, 2018
I knew that Rodney Hall has twice won a Miles Franklin, and now having read his latest book, A Stolen Season, I thought, well, no wonder. The three stories in A Stolen Season are distinct with the promise of coming together in the end. I anticipated this with some suspicion – how can these stories ever possibly come together? They do, and yet I was not at all prepared for the resolution. In fact, I feel like I’ve been put through the wringer. Rodney Hall packs a punch.
The story of Adam and Bridget takes you inside a combat role in Iraq and closer to being war wounded as you’ll never want be. Adam’s injuries are so catastrophic that Rodney Hall gives Adam “a mockery of opportunities” – only the smallest choices of independent movement. Marianna’s story is fascinating for its mystery and mathematics. John’s story will be enjoyed most by anyone who has wealthy family they don’t like. Altogether, they are unexpected, clever, heart-wrenching, brutal.
I found myself re-reading many lines just for their perfection.
I think the title A Stolen Season refers to this period in each of the three lives that they should never really have had. Borrowed time, perhaps.
One more thing. I notice a very different tone to other modern war stories I’ve read, which happened to be American. Adam and his unit are definitely Australian; reactions, interactions, humour, the dialogue right down to the very last line in the book are deftly given a nationality that is masterful.
The story of Adam and Bridget takes you inside a combat role in Iraq and closer to being war wounded as you’ll never want be. Adam’s injuries are so catastrophic that Rodney Hall gives Adam “a mockery of opportunities” – only the smallest choices of independent movement. Marianna’s story is fascinating for its mystery and mathematics. John’s story will be enjoyed most by anyone who has wealthy family they don’t like. Altogether, they are unexpected, clever, heart-wrenching, brutal.
I found myself re-reading many lines just for their perfection.
I think the title A Stolen Season refers to this period in each of the three lives that they should never really have had. Borrowed time, perhaps.
One more thing. I notice a very different tone to other modern war stories I’ve read, which happened to be American. Adam and his unit are definitely Australian; reactions, interactions, humour, the dialogue right down to the very last line in the book are deftly given a nationality that is masterful.
July 25, 2019
3 1/2 stars. The three separate storyline’s were utterly compelling, especially Bridget and Adam’s, which was devastating. I knew there would be something linking these stories together and I was happy to wait until the end for this to be revealed but ultimately I found the links to be unbelievable and a bit frivolous when dealing with such a deeply distressing scenario.
March 16, 2018
I feel the weight of responsibility, being the first to review this book, but here I go.
This book was very very good. Hall’s writing was very clever with some beautiful passages. I was impressed with how distinctive the narratives were, there is no way you could mix them up. They did come together in the end, but this story is not plot driven.
The most salient uniting factor between the three narratives is the sense that none of the characters are where they thought they would be, and each takes decisive action to make sense of it and get their life moving in a more meaningful direction.
I think the most poignant aspect of the story is Bridget and Adam reconnecting on a much deeper emotional level after physical intimacy becomes problematic. This occurred in the context of Adam deciding to let Bridget go so she can live a full life.
Those who prefer plot driven novels may find the going a bit slow, but I have to say, I didn’t. Hall's writing kept me happily reading, bearing witness to the emotional drama playing out on the pages and discerning the subtle and not so subtle connections between the characters.
In relation to the title, I wasn’t sure whether the stolen season is one that was taken from the characters leaving them in their predicaments, or them taking back control in some way and so stealing back another chance. In truth, it’s probably both.
This book was very very good. Hall’s writing was very clever with some beautiful passages. I was impressed with how distinctive the narratives were, there is no way you could mix them up. They did come together in the end, but this story is not plot driven.
The most salient uniting factor between the three narratives is the sense that none of the characters are where they thought they would be, and each takes decisive action to make sense of it and get their life moving in a more meaningful direction.
I think the most poignant aspect of the story is Bridget and Adam reconnecting on a much deeper emotional level after physical intimacy becomes problematic. This occurred in the context of Adam deciding to let Bridget go so she can live a full life.
Those who prefer plot driven novels may find the going a bit slow, but I have to say, I didn’t. Hall's writing kept me happily reading, bearing witness to the emotional drama playing out on the pages and discerning the subtle and not so subtle connections between the characters.
In relation to the title, I wasn’t sure whether the stolen season is one that was taken from the characters leaving them in their predicaments, or them taking back control in some way and so stealing back another chance. In truth, it’s probably both.
May 3, 2018
It’s a long time since I read a book written in a very solid stream-of-consciousness style that simply carried me along for the ride. The dominant story of the (at least) three entwined in the book is compelling and, as others have said, could stand alone. The other two stories, however, add another dimension, a story of human beings exploring integrity, challenging dominant cultures, making choices that are somewhere between a statement and a disruption.
For me, Hall’s greatest achievement is to draw me into an understanding of and sympathy for characters entirely different to myself, with interests and behaviours I do not share. He evokes empathy, drawing on emotional drivers and values. His characters are as far from stereotypes as writing can get.
It has left me pondering the great ethical questions of the value of life, of wicked choices, of personal versus collective responsibility and the space I have to exercise the choices through which those questions are answered.
For me, Hall’s greatest achievement is to draw me into an understanding of and sympathy for characters entirely different to myself, with interests and behaviours I do not share. He evokes empathy, drawing on emotional drivers and values. His characters are as far from stereotypes as writing can get.
It has left me pondering the great ethical questions of the value of life, of wicked choices, of personal versus collective responsibility and the space I have to exercise the choices through which those questions are answered.
July 20, 2018
Interesting story line but such cluttered, dense writing. Whole paras I just gave up on trying to understand. I have loved Hall's previous work, but this just felt like trying to gnaw on a tough biscuit, with bits of soggy story breaking off in my mouth. Good luck reader - put aside time to be confused.
March 20, 2019
Enjoyed ..it sort of & then was left very frustrated at the end . Rodney is always a good read but in the end this story did not satisfy.
May 23, 2019
Rodney Hall is one of Australia's pre-eminent authors and poets, with a swag of work to his name: I have reviewed on this site the magnificent The Island in the Mind, and so was very keen to read his new book, which, as it turns out, is very different to the afore-mentioned title but still good. While the subject matter is completely different to The Island in the Mind, the structure of the work has some similarities, being an intertwined set of stories about different characters.
The main thread of the book centres around Adam & Bridget. Adam was a soldier in the Australian Army in Iraq, who has been horribly injured by a missile strike, so much so that it has taken years for him to be well enough to come home, and so much so that he requires a mechanical "body" to be able to move at all, and requires constant attention to be able to feed and so on. The book starts with him coming back to his wife Bridget, and their house in Melbourne. It soon becomes clear that their marriage was essentially over before Adam left for war, and that Bridget has had a romance in the time he's been gone.
So the story revolves around Adam coming to terms with his new self, and asking questions about why he and other soldiers were in Iraq in the first place, and around Bridget's crisis of living not only with a man she no longer loves, but a man who is a more-or-less completely helpless bag of reconstructed flesh. She wants to leave, but feels obliged to stay. Her anguish at her situation, and for Adam's injuries, tears at her, while Adam grapples with the thought that it might have been better if the missile had killed him. Their mutual problems are not helped by their neighbour Yao, who Bridget is falling for, and Bridget's lover Ryan, who runs a TV interview show and is desperate to get Adam on the air.
This story is intertwined with another, of Marianna, a middle-aged dance teacher, who has found love late in life, only to lose it. She is on the run, why and from whom is not clear, and has made it to Belize, where she intends to climb a Mayan pyramid to await the end of days. As she moves toward her goal we find that her life has been hard, and to find that her new partner was not all that he said was the final straw.
The centrepiece of the work is the story of John Philip Hardingham, a member of one of Australia's patrician families, whose strange inheritance gives him the chance to make his own mark on the World, rather than be a minor ghostly figure in a family of note.
These two peripheral stories are only tenuously connected to the tale of Adam & Bridget (Marianna requires a blood transfusion and Adam is the only person with her blood-type, and one of Adam's army platoon who has a major role in one of the flashbacks that is related in the book happens to attend a function with John Philip), and are complete in themselves.
Hall, with his usual exact choice of language and wonderful descriptive writing, explores the morality of the war in Iraq, and the internal morality of his characters, how they react to their situations, and how their situations shape them. He explores the loyalty the characters show to their families and partners, and how they grapple with being loyal to themselves at the same time.
This is quite a moving book, with a shocking ending which I won't reveal here. It is also an interesting book in terms of its structure and language.
Worth a look.
Check out my other reviews at http://aviewoverthebell.blogspot.com.au/
The main thread of the book centres around Adam & Bridget. Adam was a soldier in the Australian Army in Iraq, who has been horribly injured by a missile strike, so much so that it has taken years for him to be well enough to come home, and so much so that he requires a mechanical "body" to be able to move at all, and requires constant attention to be able to feed and so on. The book starts with him coming back to his wife Bridget, and their house in Melbourne. It soon becomes clear that their marriage was essentially over before Adam left for war, and that Bridget has had a romance in the time he's been gone.
So the story revolves around Adam coming to terms with his new self, and asking questions about why he and other soldiers were in Iraq in the first place, and around Bridget's crisis of living not only with a man she no longer loves, but a man who is a more-or-less completely helpless bag of reconstructed flesh. She wants to leave, but feels obliged to stay. Her anguish at her situation, and for Adam's injuries, tears at her, while Adam grapples with the thought that it might have been better if the missile had killed him. Their mutual problems are not helped by their neighbour Yao, who Bridget is falling for, and Bridget's lover Ryan, who runs a TV interview show and is desperate to get Adam on the air.
This story is intertwined with another, of Marianna, a middle-aged dance teacher, who has found love late in life, only to lose it. She is on the run, why and from whom is not clear, and has made it to Belize, where she intends to climb a Mayan pyramid to await the end of days. As she moves toward her goal we find that her life has been hard, and to find that her new partner was not all that he said was the final straw.
The centrepiece of the work is the story of John Philip Hardingham, a member of one of Australia's patrician families, whose strange inheritance gives him the chance to make his own mark on the World, rather than be a minor ghostly figure in a family of note.
These two peripheral stories are only tenuously connected to the tale of Adam & Bridget (Marianna requires a blood transfusion and Adam is the only person with her blood-type, and one of Adam's army platoon who has a major role in one of the flashbacks that is related in the book happens to attend a function with John Philip), and are complete in themselves.
Hall, with his usual exact choice of language and wonderful descriptive writing, explores the morality of the war in Iraq, and the internal morality of his characters, how they react to their situations, and how their situations shape them. He explores the loyalty the characters show to their families and partners, and how they grapple with being loyal to themselves at the same time.
This is quite a moving book, with a shocking ending which I won't reveal here. It is also an interesting book in terms of its structure and language.
Worth a look.
Check out my other reviews at http://aviewoverthebell.blogspot.com.au/
July 24, 2019
Giving this a 4, may revise to a very high 3 or 3.5.
Follows 3 people going through a crisis, which wouldn't have happened except they've fallen into certain circumstances.
That is pretty much where their stories similarities end.
I found the story of Adam and his wife Bridget's to be the most powerful and compelling and it seems to take up most of the book. The other two stories feel lighter in comparison perhaps providing a bit a softening foil.
There was sometimes a bit of a surreal element to this that, for me, distracted from the other expertly rendered parts of the writing.
Brilliantly written, however, not quite as memorable as some of the others on the long-list. Still very pleased to have read it and I'll be looking out for Rodney Hall's backlist.
Follows 3 people going through a crisis, which wouldn't have happened except they've fallen into certain circumstances.
That is pretty much where their stories similarities end.
I found the story of Adam and his wife Bridget's to be the most powerful and compelling and it seems to take up most of the book. The other two stories feel lighter in comparison perhaps providing a bit a softening foil.
There was sometimes a bit of a surreal element to this that, for me, distracted from the other expertly rendered parts of the writing.
Brilliantly written, however, not quite as memorable as some of the others on the long-list. Still very pleased to have read it and I'll be looking out for Rodney Hall's backlist.
Read
April 11, 2018Twice Miles Franklin Award winner Rodney Hall's A Stolen Season is an outstanding book. I have not been so affected by the culmination of a book since … I can’t remember when. It is literary fiction, with impressive writing, and a fascinating blend of fact and fiction. It is character driven, and yet the three distinct stories have the momentum to keep you hungry for a resolution you cannot imagine.
The main story is about Adam, a young Australian soldier who is so devastatingly injured in Iraq that he needs the new high-tech carbon fibre exoskeleton to keep him upright. Rodney Hall used the recent announcement of this technological advancement convincingly in this story. This is an impressive and memorable journey of personal struggle, young love, loyalty and duty, and Australia's place in modern wars. Adam’s injuries and the reality of his rehabilitation are confronting. The combat scenes are particularly evocative. All the military personnel and dialogue have a distinct Australian flavour -- an optimism and unpretentiousness that I enjoyed very much.
The next is the curious story of Marianna, an Australian woman on a mathematical mission that investigates the construction of an ancient pyramid in Central America, in which Rodney Hall weaves fact with his fiction. The third story is again based on fact – some long-lost artwork of William Turner, the English Romantic painter. Rodney Hall gives us John, who inherits the artwork. How John chooses to use it can only have one outcome for his exceedingly wealthy family, who he can’t like very much and who he calls to Melbourne from all corners of the globe.
Each story has its characters living ‘a stolen season’ in their lives that they have happened upon, that fate has provided them, and that perhaps they should never have had.
There are many wonderful lines in A Stolen Season and my favourite are when the author perfectly encapsulates the minutiae of horribly-injured Adam’s life: “Nothing alters the fact that Adam ought to have died. So now he confronts a mockery of opportunities.” He can choose to sit on the chair or sit on the couch. He can choose to take a sip of water. “Great choices for a man of action, by the way.” Awful.
We encounter a red herring or two, and the intrigue continues past the last, startling line, into Notes & Acknowledgements where the author explains some of the fact that he used in his fiction. - Jenny
The main story is about Adam, a young Australian soldier who is so devastatingly injured in Iraq that he needs the new high-tech carbon fibre exoskeleton to keep him upright. Rodney Hall used the recent announcement of this technological advancement convincingly in this story. This is an impressive and memorable journey of personal struggle, young love, loyalty and duty, and Australia's place in modern wars. Adam’s injuries and the reality of his rehabilitation are confronting. The combat scenes are particularly evocative. All the military personnel and dialogue have a distinct Australian flavour -- an optimism and unpretentiousness that I enjoyed very much.
The next is the curious story of Marianna, an Australian woman on a mathematical mission that investigates the construction of an ancient pyramid in Central America, in which Rodney Hall weaves fact with his fiction. The third story is again based on fact – some long-lost artwork of William Turner, the English Romantic painter. Rodney Hall gives us John, who inherits the artwork. How John chooses to use it can only have one outcome for his exceedingly wealthy family, who he can’t like very much and who he calls to Melbourne from all corners of the globe.
Each story has its characters living ‘a stolen season’ in their lives that they have happened upon, that fate has provided them, and that perhaps they should never have had.
There are many wonderful lines in A Stolen Season and my favourite are when the author perfectly encapsulates the minutiae of horribly-injured Adam’s life: “Nothing alters the fact that Adam ought to have died. So now he confronts a mockery of opportunities.” He can choose to sit on the chair or sit on the couch. He can choose to take a sip of water. “Great choices for a man of action, by the way.” Awful.
We encounter a red herring or two, and the intrigue continues past the last, startling line, into Notes & Acknowledgements where the author explains some of the fact that he used in his fiction. - Jenny
July 30, 2020
A very accomplished author
Reading a good or great writers’ later works is a delight. They have honed and distilled their craft. Sentences and word choice are assured, less is more and when used appropriately more is also more.
Here the through story is supported by two related-but-separate plot lines. One admittedly more supporting than the other (leave any expectation of a tidy resolve at the door). Themes of betrayal, the hidden, deceit and desire bring the novel to a coalesced resolve for me. A soupçon of science magic, a dash of haute art grande scandale push the boundary but ultimately remain within the factual.
I read a couple of reviewers who abandoned ship at 50%...just when I was racing through to see what happened next. For me it was a very fine (and satisfyingly complete) five hours and left me determined to read more back catalogue.
Reading a good or great writers’ later works is a delight. They have honed and distilled their craft. Sentences and word choice are assured, less is more and when used appropriately more is also more.
Here the through story is supported by two related-but-separate plot lines. One admittedly more supporting than the other (leave any expectation of a tidy resolve at the door). Themes of betrayal, the hidden, deceit and desire bring the novel to a coalesced resolve for me. A soupçon of science magic, a dash of haute art grande scandale push the boundary but ultimately remain within the factual.
I read a couple of reviewers who abandoned ship at 50%...just when I was racing through to see what happened next. For me it was a very fine (and satisfyingly complete) five hours and left me determined to read more back catalogue.
April 8, 2018
Three very separate stories are manipulated with a heavy hand to come together at the end of this sometimes puzzling novel. The core story of "Adam and Bridget" certainly had the strength to carry the entire novel. Thus, I question the need for Hall to have included the two other sections. I found these inclusions highly distracting, and - in the case of "Marianna" - indulgent and tedious. At times in her narrative, Hall's prose was unfortunately so dense that it distracted from the reader's connection to the character herself. Yet, the characterisation of Adam, the soldier who returns from the Iraqi conflict as a "Frankenstein", is skilfully drawn by Hall, as is his wife, Bridget. Their story hurtles to its surprising conclusion with compassion.
July 15, 2018
Adam, a veteran of the Iraq, who returns to Australia with horrific injuries. The main storyline deals with his attempts to come to terms with the extent of his injuries which require the use of an exo-skeleton, his relationship with Bridget, the wife from who he had an informal separation. Now he is thrust back into her life - completely dependent and the book deals with their attempts to move forward. I found this part of the book to be really interesting and real.
But I could not fathom why the book included separate stories of two other characters - seemingly unrelated to anything happening to Adam and Bridget. If Hall had a link in mind, in certainly escaped me. But there is no doubt he is a great writer
But I could not fathom why the book included separate stories of two other characters - seemingly unrelated to anything happening to Adam and Bridget. If Hall had a link in mind, in certainly escaped me. But there is no doubt he is a great writer
July 13, 2020
It’s not often that I find myself in awe of someone’s writing skills… well till now I’d have said never. I have to say that for the first time ever I am a fan of an author. There is just something about the way Mr. Hall (2 times Miles Franklin award winner) uses his words. It’s showy, floral, poetic, enthralling, and it captures my imagination. The last book I read of his was Silence, a collection of interconnected short stories that showcased the depth of Rodney Hall’s talent in different writing styles. I was really impressed.
A Stolen Season is beautiful words in beautiful sentences creating beautiful paragraphs in 3 well-written stories about one topic. I loved this book in its entirety.
A Stolen Season is beautiful words in beautiful sentences creating beautiful paragraphs in 3 well-written stories about one topic. I loved this book in its entirety.
September 22, 2019
I’m really confused about the point of Marianna’s story. There were some absurdly beautiful passages, but there was a vagueness to a lot of the storyline that made it hard to appreciate the magnitude of the narrative.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 22, 2018
Poetic & political, but too much of both, it was a bit of a slog.
August 10, 2019
This novel is a well crafted puzzle, that some just won't be able to complete. A mental Rubix cube.
I thoroughly enjoyed this!
I thoroughly enjoyed this!
June 26, 2023
At times not a comfortable read, but the writing is so amazing it carries you along.
Three very different storylines that do come together in an unexpected way.
Three very different storylines that do come together in an unexpected way.
February 21, 2024
Gave up one chapter in.
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