John Berendt's masterpiece of social interpretation "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" is simply known as "the book" in Savannah, Georgia. It is full of descriptions not only of the famous city but of some of the more interesting characters that live, or lived, there. If you haven't read it I recommend you do. If you have any questions I'm sure Melinda, our bloggy-friend and Georgia native, won't mind answering them (isn't that right, Melinda?)
(Leave your suggestions in the comments below or email me at doyouspeakamylanguage[at]gmail[dot]com and I'll post a list in a few days, you know, as a service to prospective visitors to your place.)
Reading this book made me wonder what book/s give an insight into the social fabric of the town I live in. I came up with the following:
For southern suburbs beach culture: Puberty Blues by Kathy Lette & Gabrielle Carey
For an insight into the history of the once slum, but now gentrified, Surry Hills: The Harp in the South by Ruth Park* (actually, anything by Ruth Park)
Actually, I'm struggling here. Perhaps longer-term Sydney-siders would have a better insight.
What book says the most about the social fabric of your town, city or suburb?
(Leave your suggestions in the comments below or email me at doyouspeakamylanguage[at]gmail[dot]com and I'll post a list in a few days, you know, as a service to prospective visitors to your place.)
*pic from here
16 comments:
Off the top of my head, I nominate The Shark Net by Robert Drew for Perth. I'll have to have a think and get back to you about Melbourne.
Ooops. That should have been been Robert DrewE.
And after I hit publish, I thought of one for Melbourne:
Sunnyside by Joanna Murray-Smith.
Yes! definitely Sunnyside for Melbourne. Must read The Shark Net.
I nominate the Shane Maloney novels for Melbourne. Also The Crocodile Club by Kaz Cooke for early 90s on Brunswick Street, the Phryne Fisher novels by Kerry Greenwood for 1920s Melbourne* and Monkey Grip by Helen Garner for 1970s Melbourne, between them they cover my neck of the woods.
Nick Earls is great for Brisbane, too.
Ride on Stranger by Kylie Tennant? Although I can no longer remember if it was set in Sydney or Melbourne. Or both...
*I tried KG's modern Melbourne detective, the main character is a baker who lives in the CBD of Melbourne but I found them unreadable.
I was going to say The Shark Net too for Perth. That and Cloudstreet. It's pretty slim pickings for books set in Perth though.
All I could think of was "A town like Alice" which isn't about Sydney at all.
Duh!
But oh, so very appropriate for central Australia. Add it to the list!
Townsville...hmmm. Book? nah. You would proabably have to go with song lyrics. Probably something by Jimmy Barnes, Shannon Noll, The Angels...
Sad, so sad...
Oh Tracey that's hillarious!
If you cast a wider net and include far north west Qld I'd have to nominate "Carpentaria". With strict instructions to the reader to bear with the first 250 pages because it takes that long to get into the lingo.
There's a cute website that you can register books for various places... and of course search for them.
http://www.bibliotravel.com/
I agree with Cloudstreet and The Shark Net for Perth... but Perth 40-50 years ago!
It has changed a little.
More recently Judy Nunn's Floodtide is set in Perth... in the 80s. (we're not judging these books on literary worth are we?)
:)
CB
Can I be a film? I live in Porpoise Spit. I *do*. Surrounded by water on an old seaside town, everyone knows everyone, very white middle class aussies, you can't do anything without someone knowing and the high schools are so clique. I SO live in Porpoise spit.
(That's Muriel's Wedding for the porpoise Spit ignorants :))
Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, any Les Norton book by Robert G Barrett - cept not litritcha (Major Dad)
Hmm, I agree about Cloudstreet and Shark net for older Perth. I live near those areas.
Maybe Dirt Music, also by Tim Winton for a more recent glimpse of Perth.
Seven Types of Ambiguity by Elliot Perlman is a good one for Melbourne, particularly the southern suburbs.
Cafe Schererazade by Alfred Zable is another. I love its references to Acland Street in St Kilda.
The Dressmaker by Rosalie Ham reminds me very much of the country town I lived in as a teen.
I would add Cold Sassy Tree as a great work on life in small Georgia towns. Savannah really is full of quirky people. I imagine most places are if you look closely enough.
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