Specify Regarding Books My Brother Jack (My Brother Jack #1)
| Title | : | My Brother Jack (My Brother Jack #1) |
| Author | : | George Johnston |
| Book Format | : | Mass Market Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Deluxe Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 348 pages |
| Published | : | 1967 by William Collins and Son (first published 1964) |
| Categories | : | Fiction. Cultural. Australia. Classics. Historical. Historical Fiction |
George Johnston
Mass Market Paperback | Pages: 348 pages Rating: 3.89 | 2139 Users | 93 Reviews
Commentary To Books My Brother Jack (My Brother Jack #1)
This is part of my life, this book. I read it years ago when I was a reporter on The Sydney Morning Herald.George Johnstone and Charmian Clift were everybody's dream - ran away for love and lived on a Greek island. Their children were allowed to run wild. My Brother jack was the first book in a trilogy that was to define their dream.
Only it wasn't a dream, of course but a nightmare. This was the 1960's and Charmian Clift was writing a beautiful column for The Herald. The love affair had come and gone: Charmian, alas, drank too much and George was dying. I worked with Martin, their son, who wore his hair long, was a dreadful police-rounds man and wrote beautiful poetry. Martin died young and so did his sister, I believe.
All that was fifty years ago and now even the nightmare has faded. But the trilogy still stands. We read My Brother Jack for our book group. Again I was gripped by its beautiful simplicity of language, its evocative power and its honesty. These were the between war years in Australia- poverty and depression. Johnstone was part of it and although it is fiction, much of this is his story. Read it and be moved
Details Books Conducive To My Brother Jack (My Brother Jack #1)
| Original Title: | My Brother Jack |
| ISBN: | 0207187320 (ISBN13: 9780207187322) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Series: | My Brother Jack #1 |
| Setting: | Melbourne, Victoria(Australia) Australia |
| Literary Awards: | Miles Franklin Literary Award (1964) |
Rating Regarding Books My Brother Jack (My Brother Jack #1)
Ratings: 3.89 From 2139 Users | 93 ReviewsWrite Up Regarding Books My Brother Jack (My Brother Jack #1)
3.5 starsIt was only after I finished reading My Brother Jack by George Johnston that I discovered it had been the winner of the 1964 Miles Franklin award. To win, novels must be of the highest literary merit and present Australian life in any of its phases There is no question in my mind that this was a thoroughly deserving winner. The writing was exceptional and I have a whole new understanding of what it was like in Melbourne, Australia during the 1920's, 30's and 40's.This very characterThe story of how I came across this book is simple. In my year 10 english class the teacher wanted us to read a book by an Australian author set in Australia and identify the Australian culture. I was told the plot synopsis to this. It sounded interesting but as a whole this could have been a lot better.For starters there is no real narrative flow. George Johnston wrote with phrases like "until this day, I do not know if we really did plan an engagement", "I remember back to..." It got REALLY
This was a set text for English at school. I never finished it. While I enjoyed it this time I still dont think I would have enjoyed it then. Johnston is obviously an accomplished writer. He crafts beautiful sentences, full of observation. In the first half of the book this style really bogs down the book as it seems he wants to describe every aspect in great detail. The book improves in the second half when the story gets more interesting because it explores the fraught and fragile nature of
A great Australian novel. I was always reluctant to read this book for some reason. So I was surprised at how much it grabbed me. I was trying to find time in my day to read it!!!An insight into the mindset of Australians between and during the wars and Australia trying to find its place in the world.Highly recommend.
This is part of my life, this book. I read it years ago when I was a reporter on The Sydney Morning Herald. George Johnstone and Charmian Clift were everybody's dream - ran away for love and lived on a Greek island. Their children were allowed to run wild. My Brother jack was the first book in a trilogy that was to define their dream. Only it wasn't a dream, of course but a nightmare. This was the 1960's and Charmian Clift was writing a beautiful column for The Herald. The love affair had come
This was a gift from my dear friend Tim. We had been talking about Leonard Cohen, and when the subject of his time on Hydra came up, this book was recommended, then gifted. It gives you a wonderful sense of Melbourne in the 1920s through the 1940s, and an interesting take on how the World Wars affected Australians. The characters also take us on a journey that explores issues of family, sibling rivalry/bonding, class distinctions and prejudice, journalism as art and as business, and how all of
This is the best book I have ever read! Which is strange as I was given this book as a gift three years ago and kept avoiding it as I thought it would be slow and stodgy, but how wrong I was.I think George Johnston has fashioned the great Australian novel and younger writers will either have to give up that as an aim of just write books to the best of their ability.This book mirrors my father and mothers lifetimes and covers the same momentous periods of turbulence and turmoil. It would be
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