Reaching Tin River in Aussie Readers

May 01, 2020 Michael Livingston rated it really liked it · review of another edition

A strange and hilarious book whose odd humour cloaks some furious points about gender and sexual politics. This felt like a complete change of gears from the previously Astley books I've read, but I really enjoyed it. ...more

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Mar 03, 2019 Tracey rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: australian, historical, fiction, classic-lit, 2019

Belle is seeking a centre, a place to anchor herself. We follow Belle from a youngster to a mature woman as she tries to find purpose and meaning in her life.
Now that would seem like a pretty dull novel when put so simply, it is so very far from that. For Astley has this amazing ability to take something seemingly mundane and give you something completely unexpected.
With this story you are either swept away with Belle or you are not. I found Belle to be complex and never really sure of where s Belle is seeking a centre, a place to anchor herself. We follow Belle from a youngster to a mature woman as she tries to find purpose and meaning in her life.
Now that would seem like a pretty dull novel when put so simply, it is so very far from that. For Astley has this amazing ability to take something seemingly mundane and give you something completely unexpected.
With this story you are either swept away with Belle or you are not. I found Belle to be complex and never really sure of where she was going. You cannot fathom Belle’s motives without understanding the other characters around her. For is the story about a woman trying to come to terms with the men in her life being her absent father, horrid husband or the enigmatic Gaden Lockyer? Or this is about a mother and daughter relationship and how a mother who does not fit the parental norms impact a child growing up?
As you follow Belle’s journey it becomes apparent that she is displaced, that she is not sure of herself. That she lives in an enclosed world of her own making at times and that becomes apparent towards the end. Even that would sell Belle as she is certainly aware of her position in society “I am assaulted by the realization that my gender is meat.”
The other main characters are her mother Bonnie who has an interesting relationship with Aunt Marie. The two sisters play dance halls around rural Queensland. She is not a conventional mother for the time period and that is part of what is appealing about her. There is certainly a case study in deciphering the relationship between Marie and Bonnie.
Belle’s husband Seb is just a nasty piece of work, full of self-importance and entitlement. Their relationship is certainly about command and control. Though he does not land any physical blows the demeaning mental abuse takes its toll on Belle.
Astley’s writing is pin sharp in providing simple descriptions that capture the essence of a character “With grandfather pinned to a walking stick and unable to do much except in a roaring supervisory capacity, it fell to the three women to keep the place solvent.” Towards the end of the book, Astley allows a sense of dread to creep in as you wonder about what choices Belle will make.
This is a wonderful book, rich in detail, and beautifully executed. You as a reader are in the hands of a masterful writer.
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