My Brother Jack (A&R Classics)
A semi-autobiographical Australian novel about brothers and national identity.
Work Information
David Meredith reflects on what makes Jack different from him.
Johnston turns family history into a portrait of modern Australian life.
Book Information
- Publisher
- HarperCollins Publishers
- Published
- 2013-03-01
- Pages
- 384 pages
- Language
- 英語
- Size
- 12.8 x 2.7 x 19.9 cm
- ISBN-13
- 9780732297046
- ISBN-10
- 9780732297046
- Price
- 10288 JPY
- Category
- 洋書/Literature & Fiction/Literary
The Miles Franklin award-winning classic. 'One of the greatest books written this century' - The Illustrated London News 'the thing I am trying to get at is what made Jack different from me. Different all through our lives, I mean, and in a special sense, not just older or nobler or braver or less clever.' David and Jack Meredith grow up in a patriotic suburban Melbourne household during the First World War, and go on to lead lives that could not be more different. through the story of the two brothers, George Johnston created an enduring exploration of two Australian myths: that of the man who loses his soul as he gains worldly success, and that of the tough, honest Aussie battler, whose greatest ambition is to serve his country during the war. Acknowledged as one of the true Australian classics, My Brother Jack is a deeply satisfying, complex and moving literary masterpiece. David Meredith's story continues in the sequels Clean Straw for Nothing and A Cartload of Clay. 'Enthralling ...entertaining ...vividly original - the Age
George Johnston started his career in journalism with the Melbourne Argus when he was just sixteen. After his work as a correspondent during World War II Johnston began to focus on literature when he moved to the Greek islands with his second wife Charmian Clift. It was the strength of his honesty about humanity and relationships that earned him his place in Australia’s literary canon. Johnston in 1970 after a long battle with tuberculosis, but his enduring myth and greatness lives on through two semi-autobiographical works for which he was awarded the Miles Franklin Award in 1964 for My Brother Jack and in 1969 for Clean Straw for Nothing.
Reviews
-
This is an Australian classic that for some reason I had not read before. It is superbly written - lyrical and detailed at the same time. It records a time in Australian history that is melancholic and this oozes from the pages. But it ends on a high note, a cliffhanger really, of great promise of things to come.It feels that you are 'there' as Johnston writes about people and places.The characters are real and well portrayed and the story line is gripping. The lines between this book and the lives of George Johnston/ Jack Johnston/ and Charmian Clift are blurry, but that is irrelevant. This book is haunting.
-
I reread this classic after forty years and expected it to have dated also, but it was still a powerfully evocative account of the lives of a Melbourne family struggling out from under the impact of the First World War and with the social changes of the period between the wars. George Johnson captures the characters perfectly, through the narrative of his central character, David and the experiences of his extended family, which is everyone's family. The writing is beautiful, very visual and descriptive, full of living characters and moving emotions. It gives a very intelligent and sympathetic insight into the lives of ordinary Australians who lived through extraordinary experiences.
-
An insightful and beautifully written novel about Australian society during the 1st and 2nd World Wars. Told as an Autobiography, although it is fiction, it explores the major themes in David Merredith's life and how he came to be a writer. In the book he becomes a famous war Correspondent. His brother Jack is both his moral compass and a person who represents old values or the old Australia. David is bright and ambitious and ruthless at times. He both admires and resents Jack and feels guilty for not doing more for him when he was in need. However, his desire to succeed and fulfill his potential does come at a cost. It has been in print since the early 60s for good reason. Well worth a read.
-
i liked this book, so realistic,, could identify with the caractors,, as nice easy read.
-
The author is able keep your interest throughout the entire book