MidCoast Libraries Better Reading Bookclub discussion
The Dry - Title #4
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I don't tend to read many crime novels - just not my oeuvre - so that's another tick in it's favour.
I agree with David Baldacci that Harper's first novel was an excellent one.
It was a dark piece of work on a dark subject and evocative of many novels set in rural NSW. It shows the deeper more sinister side of small often closed communities. (like Jasper Jones did, for example).
Not that it totally wrote off the community, it just highlighted the problems associated with such confinement.
As far as the mystery went it was a well woven tale with plenty of elements and possibilities to keep the reader guessing. Nor were there last minutes villains that tied up the case nicely as some crime authors like to add in at the last moment.
Of course, when it comes to crime novels in particular there's plenty you can't say in case the mystery is spoiled, so I'm going to avoid comments that could ruin the read for others.
Well worth the time, which wasn't that great anyway and a mystery to keep you reading. Personally, I would have liked some deeper character development but I also quite liked the Spartan style of writing, so perhaps my tastes were contradictory.
If we were in the habit of rating books I'd give it around 3.75 out of 5 and be happy to recommend it to others, especially those who enjoy a good crime novel.
I just finished reading the Dry , a good book to read on a couple of rainy and humid days. It really keeps you guessing and I kept on guessing incorrectly. It was great that both threads of current and past events were interwoven and resolved so well. Two great mysteries in the one novel. The characters were interesting and multi faceted and you could feel the dryness of the town and its environment. Really enjoyed this novel.
I just finished reading the Dry , a good book to read on a couple of rainy and humid days. It really keeps you guessing and I kept on guessing incorrectly. It was great that both threads of current and past events were interwoven and resolved so well. Two great mysteries in the one novel. The characters were interesting and multi faceted and you could feel the dryness of the town and its environment. Really enjoyed this novel.
A great holiday read, I tend to avoid crime novels but the best thing about book club is that we are taken out of our comfort zone.There is a tendency lately in many Australian novels ( this and The Dressmaker for example) to indicate that small Aussie rural towns are full of small minded nasty people.........not true!!!
Our rural towns are full of smart, hard working, community minded people, Aussie novelists should get out of the city more often. :)
just joking
All the best for the New Year from Jenny
Líka others who have commented, I am not a great fan of the murder mystery genre, but I too enjoyed The Dry. It is well crafted and keeps the reader interested, and although the murderer is not one of the obvious suspects who appear through the narrative, when the identity is revealed one does not feel cheated. The town is convincingly evoked. It is not a happy place, and it has a full complement of moronic rednecks, but one feels the stress everyone is under as a result of the drought and the horrible deaths, and so some sympathy.
There are formulaic elements - the central figure is a honest policeman whose life has not worked out very well; at the eleventh hour everything threatens to go pear-shaped and then he has a sudden brainwave which leads to the denouement. But this is probably above average for the genre, and of course the small town Australian setting (in Victoria or South Australia - I was a bit unsure which) adds considerably to the interest.
Good holiday reading. John Kennedy
The tension in Jane Harper’s crime fiction page turner The Dry is achieved through the gradual, skilful revelation of the events leading up to the crime as well as the reasons as to why and how the major players in the drama think and behave as they do. Harper’s almost seamless incorporation of these elements throughout the story means that she does not have to resort to revisiting the ‘action’ towards the end of the narrative so that the villain can be unmasked and the ‘good guy’ covered in glory. This less than satisfactory device has been a feature of the few crime fiction novels I have read and the main reason that books of this genre seldom appear on my ‘to read’ list.Another positive aspect of the novel is its unerring representation of a rural community at the mercy of the physical environment and man-made government systems which do not provide the vital resources or personnel required to keep towns such as Kiewarra viable and productive.
I really enjoyed The Dry and will certainly read the sequel featuring its protagonist Aaron Falk when it is released later in 2017. The link below details the success of The Dry outside of Australia and the prospect of a film adaptation.
http://www.kiamaindependent.com.au/st...
There's a natural eeriness to country life - that's why so many producers use these settings in suspense or horror movies. So like many of you, I don't normally go for this genre (perhaps because I live in the country).But I do love Australian novels and I particularly liked Jane Harper's writing style. She uses the contrast of city and country to emphasise the setting. Falk was born and raised in the country but he preferred the city because he could 'walk down the street without people noticing him'. He wanted to be 'left alone, not judged or harassed'. He could 'work with his brain rather than his back'.
Conversely, Jane Harper describes the desire of city 'natives' who visualise the country with a 'wholesome glow' - fresh air, home-grown veggies, and friendly neighbours; only to discover a 'disturbing' vastness, 'reluctant soil', and neighbours who are too busy to greet you.
But her picture of Kiewarra was of an even more dismal place. I felt sometimes like I was choking from the dirt and dust and grime. It seemed like the place was cursed with fear. Fear of neighbours, fear of failure on the farm, fear of family breakdowns, and fear of financial loss. The very location and its residents magnified the issues so much that it seemed both crimes would have been solved a lot more easily in any other town.
Loved the main character.
Enjoyed the whole story.
Louise has suggested The Dry, which has had good reviews, it probably a good Christmas read and is a bit different from what we've had. We also have copies at Forster Library. I've put the box on my desk and people can come and collect a copy from there.
If you've got a copy of the power and the glory still out and you've finished with it, can you please return it.
Cheers
Chris