Dirt Music
12 journalers for this copy...
Some of the many reviews on the covers of the multi-award winning novel:
"..terrific... Winton's best yet" - Kirkus Reviews
"Beautiful, aching... compelling" - Washington Post
"...awe-inspiring...Sentence by sentence there are few finer stylists writing in English today" - Chicago Tribune
"vividly written in seemingly effortless prose that never puts a foot wrong, pulling off fine effects without strain. Winton's triumphant novel keeps youturning the page all the way up to its onvulsed and impacted end." - London Sunday Times.
"Georgie Jutland is a mess. At forty, with her career in ruins, she finds herself stranded in White Point with a fisherman she doesn't love and two children whose dead mother she can never replace. Her days have fallen into domestic tedium and social isolation. Her nights are a blur of vodka and pointless loitering in cyberspace. Leached of all confidence, Georgie has lost her way... [until] she looks up [one morning] to see a shadow lurking on the beach below..."
"..terrific... Winton's best yet" - Kirkus Reviews
"Beautiful, aching... compelling" - Washington Post
"...awe-inspiring...Sentence by sentence there are few finer stylists writing in English today" - Chicago Tribune
"vividly written in seemingly effortless prose that never puts a foot wrong, pulling off fine effects without strain. Winton's triumphant novel keeps youturning the page all the way up to its onvulsed and impacted end." - London Sunday Times.
"Georgie Jutland is a mess. At forty, with her career in ruins, she finds herself stranded in White Point with a fisherman she doesn't love and two children whose dead mother she can never replace. Her days have fallen into domestic tedium and social isolation. Her nights are a blur of vodka and pointless loitering in cyberspace. Leached of all confidence, Georgie has lost her way... [until] she looks up [one morning] to see a shadow lurking on the beach below..."
received from ravenbear as part of top 20 Aussie books readathon.
Well, finally I got around to this. I have to say I had put it off because of some unwillingness to read any Tim Winton. Don't know why - just took a set against him. I think it was in the beginning because people were comparing him with Peter Carey, whose work I find simply irritating.
Well, was I ever wrong! I eat humble pie.
"Dirt Music" is more than just a story about a tangled relationship between Georgie Jutland, Jim Buckridge and Luther Fox, it's also a journey to uncover the ghosts of their past. Winton evokes the harsh landscapes of Western Australia vividly and makes them almost palpable. The prose is spare but effective, and the characters are compelling.
There were some niggling bits -like the age discrepancy between Jim and Luther which simply does not add up. Luther says he remembers Jim at White Point Jetty when Jim was 11 - but that simply can not be. I also found Luther's total withdrawal a bit hard to understand. And I could just slap Georgie at times!
Nonetheless, I could not put this down. Its clear why it was such an acclaimed book. I'll certainly now be looking for more of his work.
Well, was I ever wrong! I eat humble pie.
"Dirt Music" is more than just a story about a tangled relationship between Georgie Jutland, Jim Buckridge and Luther Fox, it's also a journey to uncover the ghosts of their past. Winton evokes the harsh landscapes of Western Australia vividly and makes them almost palpable. The prose is spare but effective, and the characters are compelling.
There were some niggling bits -like the age discrepancy between Jim and Luther which simply does not add up. Luther says he remembers Jim at White Point Jetty when Jim was 11 - but that simply can not be. I also found Luther's total withdrawal a bit hard to understand. And I could just slap Georgie at times!
Nonetheless, I could not put this down. Its clear why it was such an acclaimed book. I'll certainly now be looking for more of his work.
I found this an excellent read. I read on until the wee hours of the morning. Definitely a book I would like to read and discuss with a Book Club.
I am now looking forward to reading his novel "Cloudstreet" which is also in the Great Australian Novel Bookring.
I have sent this book on to Scism in SA.
I am now looking forward to reading his novel "Cloudstreet" which is also in the Great Australian Novel Bookring.
I have sent this book on to Scism in SA.
I received this book in the mail a couple of days ago from Fern, as part of the Great Aussie Novel BookRing. My first response it - it's thicker than I expected! I have one more book to read before this one, but it's next on the list after that!
Update on my progress:
I've only read about 50 pages of Dirt Music so far, and I'm finding it a bit of a drag. I know that others have been bothered by Tim Winton's style of not using inverted commas to delineate dialogue, and that is really bugging me too. I find it makes reading significantly more disjointed. But I've been assured that once you get into this book, it's worth the effort!
So I've decided to put this one aside for a while, and hopefully come back to it with renewed vigour later. I've also got Kate Grenville's "The Idea of Perfection" with me at the moment, which is another book from the Great Aussie Novel BookRing. So my aim is to read that one first (yet another no-quotation-marks-author... doh!) and then give Dirt Music another shot before I post them on to the next person in the ring together.
I've only read about 50 pages of Dirt Music so far, and I'm finding it a bit of a drag. I know that others have been bothered by Tim Winton's style of not using inverted commas to delineate dialogue, and that is really bugging me too. I find it makes reading significantly more disjointed. But I've been assured that once you get into this book, it's worth the effort!
So I've decided to put this one aside for a while, and hopefully come back to it with renewed vigour later. I've also got Kate Grenville's "The Idea of Perfection" with me at the moment, which is another book from the Great Aussie Novel BookRing. So my aim is to read that one first (yet another no-quotation-marks-author... doh!) and then give Dirt Music another shot before I post them on to the next person in the ring together.
I'm giving this book one last chance this week. If it still doesn't grab me, I'll just send it off with The Idea of Perfection and The Ancient Future to the next person in the Great Aussie Novel BookRing.
Unfortunately this book still didn't grab me, even after several attempts. It seems like the type of book that takes a lot of energy to read! Perhaps I'll give Tim Winton another shot next time I have a holiday, and have the mental space to tackle a big, thick, complex book!
I'm mailing this off today to Felicia-Fairy as part of the Great Aussie Novel BookRing, along with two other books from the same ring.
I'm mailing this off today to Felicia-Fairy as part of the Great Aussie Novel BookRing, along with two other books from the same ring.
Have wanted to read this for a long time.
Will get to it soon... (I hope!)
Will get to it soon... (I hope!)
What an absolutely stunning book.
This was a beautiful read, I have no idea why I haven't read Tim Winton's books before.
The characters really got to me... Georgie in particular. And I found Jim's handling of events quite interesting, the stories about the Jim-of-old and the way we saw current Jim. It was nice when they were at the fishing camp to see which Jim was more dominant!
And my favourite character was the biker/mechanic/video shop owner.
Georgie annoyed me - If I knew her I would want to tell her to wake up to herself, but by the end of it she really drew me in and I felt for her.
A fantastic novel. One of my favourites this year.
Oh - and I really *like* the way Winton sets out dialogue. It seems more natural and easier to read, to me at least!
This book was posted to Jassy-m this morning.
This was a beautiful read, I have no idea why I haven't read Tim Winton's books before.
The characters really got to me... Georgie in particular. And I found Jim's handling of events quite interesting, the stories about the Jim-of-old and the way we saw current Jim. It was nice when they were at the fishing camp to see which Jim was more dominant!
And my favourite character was the biker/mechanic/video shop owner.
Georgie annoyed me - If I knew her I would want to tell her to wake up to herself, but by the end of it she really drew me in and I felt for her.
A fantastic novel. One of my favourites this year.
Oh - and I really *like* the way Winton sets out dialogue. It seems more natural and easier to read, to me at least!
This book was posted to Jassy-m this morning.
Just recieved as part of great aussie book ring, I'm looking forward to reading it!
CAUGHT IN PERTH WA AUSTRALIA
CAUGHT IN PERTH WA AUSTRALIA
Oops, forgot to log in! Above entry was me!
Journal Entry 13 by Jassy-m from Perth City, Western Australia Australia on Wednesday, August 18, 2004
This was the first Tim Winton book I have ever read, and I really enjoyed it. I shall have to look for more of his titles!!
The book is now on its way to bookfrog.
The book is now on its way to bookfrog.
Journal Entry 14 by BookFrog from Albion Park, New South Wales Australia on Wednesday, August 25, 2004
Rcd in mail
on Towering Mt TBR
on Towering Mt TBR
Journal Entry 15 by BookFrog from Albion Park, New South Wales Australia on Thursday, September 30, 2004
I have been avoiding reading this book and then eventually tried it and ...I have given up half way, the only reason I got half way I was stuck on a 2 hour train with nothing else to read and so skimmed this but really don't care about what is happening.
I talked to the people who I live with who I know really like Tim Winton's book and they didn't enjoy this one and so I feel allowed to give up. Just rereading over what others have read interesting people have either loved it or not.
I am definetly in the not category, just trying to work out who is next.... will send on when I get an address.
I talked to the people who I live with who I know really like Tim Winton's book and they didn't enjoy this one and so I feel allowed to give up. Just rereading over what others have read interesting people have either loved it or not.
I am definetly in the not category, just trying to work out who is next.... will send on when I get an address.
Received today with a lovely postcard. I've been avoiding Tim Winton books so far - something about his interview style puts me right off - so I'm looking forward to being surprised. I really like the cover of this book.
Oh yuck!
This is one of the worst books I have ever read. I'm not even sure why I finished it. The rotten ending that was probably supposed to leave me hanging (for a sequel? Dear God, no!!!!!!!!!!) just made me glad I didn't have to read any more of it.
Drivel, and badly written drivel. PM'ing the next person on the list right now because I can't wait to get this book out of my house.
This is one of the worst books I have ever read. I'm not even sure why I finished it. The rotten ending that was probably supposed to leave me hanging (for a sequel? Dear God, no!!!!!!!!!!) just made me glad I didn't have to read any more of it.
Drivel, and badly written drivel. PM'ing the next person on the list right now because I can't wait to get this book out of my house.
Journal Entry 18 by Hawkette from Sydney CBD, New South Wales Australia on Thursday, December 2, 2004
Has arrived with me. heard lots about it, and have been meaning to read my first Winton! The extreme of journal entries has me laughing!! I'm guessing Winton is a love 'im or hate 'im!! Looking forward to seeing which camp I will be in!!
An escape novel with an undertow of longing...I was really into this read! This is my first Winton book, and I have really liked his writing style.
Georgie and Lu were characters I grew to love, and Jim was a man so typical of the Aussie male image.
I have read this after attending the Dawn Service at Gallipoli, and thus the injection of a good Aussie story, with the landscape and the typical talk and brands, was perfect for me at this time!
I have another book for dolphin_au, which I am reading next, and then this will be on it's way again.
Georgie and Lu were characters I grew to love, and Jim was a man so typical of the Aussie male image.
I have read this after attending the Dawn Service at Gallipoli, and thus the injection of a good Aussie story, with the landscape and the typical talk and brands, was perfect for me at this time!
I have another book for dolphin_au, which I am reading next, and then this will be on it's way again.
Journal Entry 20 by dolphin-au from Lake Macquarie, New South Wales Australia on Wednesday, May 18, 2005
Arrived today with another bookring (plus 3 other bookrings in the mail today!) Looking forward to reading this. Seems like opinions are divided on this one!
Journal Entry 21 by dolphin-au from Lake Macquarie, New South Wales Australia on Sunday, June 26, 2005
Well, I did love this one. I read most of this sheltering in my tent in the rain in FNQ, and found it hard to put down.
I found the characters interesting , and Winton's style easy to read but subtle.
This was my introduction to him as well and I'll definitely read more from him.
I found the characters interesting , and Winton's style easy to read but subtle.
This was my introduction to him as well and I'll definitely read more from him.
received today, thanks dolphin-au. Looking forward to reading this.
Journal Entry 23 by twinmaker at mailbag in -- Controlled Releases --, Western Australia Australia on Thursday, November 17, 2005
Released 18 yrs ago (11/17/2005 UTC) at mailbag in -- Controlled Releases --, Western Australia Australia
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
RELEASE NOTES:
On its way back to ravenbear
On its way back to ravenbear
Dirt Music has completed its rounds of the GANBR...unless anyone else is out there who would like to read it?
--- already submitted the journal entry, then read everyone's thoughts about it...amazing to read the absolute polarities of everyones views about this book. I am going to recommend it to be one of the books for my book group in Vietnam to read so will be taking it back with me when I go back next year.
--- already submitted the journal entry, then read everyone's thoughts about it...amazing to read the absolute polarities of everyones views about this book. I am going to recommend it to be one of the books for my book group in Vietnam to read so will be taking it back with me when I go back next year.
