Comments on: Tim Winton, recommended http://crookedtimber.org/2009/10/04/tim-winton-recommended/ Out of the crooked timber of humanity, no straight thing was ever made Mon, 13 Feb 2012 05:39:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Craig Lawton http://crookedtimber.org/2009/10/04/tim-winton-recommended/comment-page-1/#comment-290839 Craig Lawton Wed, 07 Oct 2009 04:12:58 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/?p=13229#comment-290839 Dirt Music is the best Australian novel ever written!!! :-) He captures our speech and our landscape better than anyone I've read. Dirt Music is the best Australian novel ever written :-)

He captures our speech and our landscape better than anyone I’ve read.

]]> By: Doug K http://crookedtimber.org/2009/10/04/tim-winton-recommended/comment-page-1/#comment-290835 Doug K Wed, 07 Oct 2009 03:18:42 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/?p=13229#comment-290835 my brother lives and fishes in WA, so I am surprised not to have heard of Tim Winton before. Thank you for the pointer. We both care more than is reasonable about fishing, which seems likely to add another dimension of enjoyment to the reading. my brother lives and fishes in WA, so I am surprised not to have heard of Tim Winton before. Thank you for the pointer. We both care more than is reasonable about fishing, which seems likely to add another dimension of enjoyment to the reading.

]]> By: Maria http://crookedtimber.org/2009/10/04/tim-winton-recommended/comment-page-1/#comment-290712 Maria Tue, 06 Oct 2009 13:38:12 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/?p=13229#comment-290712 Good for you, Chris! I've been meaning to write something like this for the past two years. I started with Cloudstreet, the most magical novel I think I've ever read. It's amazing to me that Tim Winton isn't a literary megastar in the northern hemisphere. When his books work, they're transcendent. When they don't, it just seems because all of life is in them, and life's just messy as well as beautiful. I was working for a few weeks in Sydney a couple of years ago, and used to listen to the local NPR/BBC 4 variant. During a programme on environmentalism and fishing rights, Tim Winton was interviewed as a local expert. I couldn't believe my ears - not just Winton's expertise, more the idea that such a god-like literary figure was mixing with us mere mortals. I hope I don't spoil Winton for anyone with such over the top praise. But he really is that good, and it's a mystery (and a delight) that he's not a global legend. Good for you, Chris! I’ve been meaning to write something like this for the past two years. I started with Cloudstreet, the most magical novel I think I’ve ever read.

It’s amazing to me that Tim Winton isn’t a literary megastar in the northern hemisphere. When his books work, they’re transcendent. When they don’t, it just seems because all of life is in them, and life’s just messy as well as beautiful.

I was working for a few weeks in Sydney a couple of years ago, and used to listen to the local NPR/BBC 4 variant. During a programme on environmentalism and fishing rights, Tim Winton was interviewed as a local expert. I couldn’t believe my ears – not just Winton’s expertise, more the idea that such a god-like literary figure was mixing with us mere mortals.

I hope I don’t spoil Winton for anyone with such over the top praise. But he really is that good, and it’s a mystery (and a delight) that he’s not a global legend.

]]> By: BlackMage http://crookedtimber.org/2009/10/04/tim-winton-recommended/comment-page-1/#comment-290681 BlackMage Tue, 06 Oct 2009 09:05:12 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/?p=13229#comment-290681 Cloudstreet is a must, even if perhaps less tightly edited than it could have been. Cloudstreet is a must, even if perhaps less tightly edited than it could have been.

]]> By: Dr Zen http://crookedtimber.org/2009/10/04/tim-winton-recommended/comment-page-1/#comment-290640 Dr Zen Mon, 05 Oct 2009 23:51:35 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/?p=13229#comment-290640 Not so fond of the The Riders but Cloudstreet is an Australian classic, and Winton's whole catalogue is well worth reading. Dirt Music's evocation of WA was particularly stirring, Winton at his best, I thought. Not so fond of the The Riders but Cloudstreet is an Australian classic, and Winton’s whole catalogue is well worth reading. Dirt Music’s evocation of WA was particularly stirring, Winton at his best, I thought.

]]> By: Clifton http://crookedtimber.org/2009/10/04/tim-winton-recommended/comment-page-1/#comment-290619 Clifton Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:23:58 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/?p=13229#comment-290619 Yes Emma, I totally agree - I read it when it first came out - and it still haunts me like few works of fiction do. Yes Emma, I totally agree – I read it when it first came out – and it still haunts me like few works of fiction do.

]]> By: Emma (the first one) http://crookedtimber.org/2009/10/04/tim-winton-recommended/comment-page-1/#comment-290555 Emma (the first one) Mon, 05 Oct 2009 07:52:10 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/?p=13229#comment-290555 The Riders is one of the most gripping books I've ever read. And Cloud Street, at least for an Australian, is like disappearing into another decade, so familiar and yet so strange. He really is a national living treasure. The Riders is one of the most gripping books I’ve ever read. And Cloud Street, at least for an Australian, is like disappearing into another decade, so familiar and yet so strange. He really is a national living treasure.

]]> By: Clifton http://crookedtimber.org/2009/10/04/tim-winton-recommended/comment-page-1/#comment-290544 Clifton Mon, 05 Oct 2009 06:56:34 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/?p=13229#comment-290544 Winton's "The Riders" is also excellent. It was short-listed for the Booker some years back. Winton’s “The Riders” is also excellent. It was short-listed for the Booker some years back.

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