A Place Among People

by Rodney Hall

This is a significant early work by one of Australia’s most celebrated novelists and poets. Lucid, sensual and compassionate, Rodney Hall's prize-winning novel is an evocative study of an eccentric's relationship with himself and with the people around him, and the aggressions and racial prejudice lying under the placid surface of a small, backwater community.

Genres: Australia, Novels

249 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1975

About the author

Born 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).

Reviews

[David Gagen · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting & thought provoking novel highlighted by some beautiful imagery and language. The author explores themes of racism, prejudice & the outsider in a small Qld town sometime in the 50s or 60s with the threat of aggression & paranoia lurking just below the surface. There is a sense of foreboding & tension trickling through the early chapters which is released like a torrent by the end. I did find the structure slightly disjointed in places as the story jumps from one character to the next frequently interrupting the flow of the narrative. Despite this minor criticism, I enjoyed reading this early work by Rodney Hall who is fast becoming one of my favourite Australian authors. Perhaps a re-read of this novel will allow me a chance to overlook these minor structural criticisms and marvel instead at the wonderful poetic language.