Comments on: Thoughts on 2009 Miles Franklin Literary Award winner Breath, by Tim Winton

By: mardur

mardur — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 09:26:09 +0000

I didn’t mind The Slap but thought it could have easily been half the length, without impairing its message. The first time I read Winton’s Breath, I was less than charmed–it seemed to be a boys-own story based on cliches, e.g., the surfie idol and a older woman seducing a boy. But the second time I read it–this time in preparation for my book group discussion–I marveled at how seamlessly he brought in and expanded on the ideas of breath, addiction, dreams vs reality, and growing old. Interestingly, no one in my book group thought it was as good as some of his other books. Everyone expressed surprise that it won the Miles Franklin.

By: furioushorses

furioushorses — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 12:53:14 +0000

For those interested in the Newrakami (as I have christened it):
http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Showbiz/Story/A1Story20090625-150845.html

And I apologise for the misuse of an apostrophe in my previous post. “Publisher’s can’t keep it in” indeed!

By: simonne

simonne — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 04:41:31 +0000

I loved Breath. I agree with Chris in that the writing is better. The female characters in The Slap were too clichéd for me. I guess, too, I spent my childhood holidays in that same era in exactly the spot where Winton has set Breath. I know those huge waves, I was babysat by one of those surfing legends, thus it rang so true and hit so many nostalgic chords for me. I loved the structure, cried at the end. Amazing.

By: Benjamin Solah

Benjamin Solah — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:16:01 +0000

“Either way, if it gets people reading more books, I’m all for it. Speaking to someone who just came back from Japan, Murakami’s new book “19Q4″ has been leading the news for weeks, publisher’s can’t keep it in and something of a frenzy has evolved. That’s what I want in Australia.”

Oh, I am so buying that book when it comes out. I lap up anything Murakami writes.

By: marktwain

marktwain — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:12:50 +0000

Agree with you, Cascade Lily. Dirt Music is superlative. (Angela, if you found yourself unusually excited by my and Grog’s recent debate on the orgasmic denouement to Ulysses, then pay attention to Winton’s characterisation of Georgie in Dirt Music when you get around to reading it. Not orgasmic in the least, but another example of a male writer who is not afraid of writing about real women, and liking them.)

Cloud Street is his most ambitious and successful novel, but there is something about it that is a little too wannabee. Then again, I sat through an eight-hour production of the play at a bum-numbing theatre in Dublin many years ago, so I think that is proof enough that he’s a rare talent, Our Tim. His short short story collection of a couple of years ago, The Turning, was pretty good too. Very WA but it still resonated with a suburban Queenslander.

I’m saving up my pocket money for Breath but also for The Slap. I’ll buy the former in hard and the latter in paper.

By: caldron_baidu

caldron_baidu — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 12:29:31 +0000

I’ve read some Winton (Cloudstreet, Dirt Music, The Riders & The Turning), but have yet to read Breath – although encouraged to by your remarks as I was previously indifferent, having only scanned a few mainstream reviews.

I too was rooting for The Slap, a confronting book to which my own review consisted of three words “Moral Relativism, discuss”

By: LiteraryMinded

LiteraryMinded — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 09:15:51 +0000

Thanks for (finally) dropping by Chris

Yes, I’ve heard people calling it ’safe’ too, and I’m not really down with that either.

I suppose what I like most about The Slap – in terms of the writing – is the voice. But in line-by-line prose terms, Winton is quite masterful, and paints a vivid picture. So I see what you mean, though, perhaps just subjectively, I still prefer the former book.

Murakami is another writer I haven’t got to yet (don’t shoot me).

By: furioushorses

furioushorses — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:03:15 +0000

Well, aren’t I the up-to-the-minute blogger! I was responding–in the Twitter world–to certain comments made by a certain former editor of Voiceworks and a certain current editor of The Lifted Brow RE: Winton not deserving to win the Miles Franklin. The argument went that Breath was the “safe” choice, with The Slap being some sort of nod to new exciting writing and I responded with a wisecrack about Fitzroy-centric thinking.

I guess, for me, the writing is the key, and although I enjoyed The Slap, I thought Winton’s writing was better, and that’s what sticks with me. I don’t think the Miles Franklin has ever been about awarding “challenging” fiction. It is awarded for literary merit. That said, they do seem to like books with strong links to the Australian landscape etc.

Either way, if it gets people reading more books, I’m all for it. Speaking to someone who just came back from Japan, Murakami’s new book “19Q4″ has been leading the news for weeks, publisher’s can’t keep it in and something of a frenzy has evolved. That’s what I want in Australia.

Roll on the Booker Prize!

By: LiteraryMinded

LiteraryMinded — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 05:58:18 +0000

Thank you Cascade Lily! I’ll add Dirt Music to the to-reads also. And don’t stress, your bedside books won’t be going anywhere

By: Cascade Lily

Cascade Lily — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 05:18:11 +0000

Dirt Music. Read it. It’s really good. Really good. Cloudstreet is more well-known, but I just loved Dirt Music.

I have Breath and The Slap on my bedside table waiting to be read – but a 10 month old bubba has other ideas!! Will get there one day!