True History of the Kelly Gang

Rating:
Summary: Over the fence
Review: There is the short version and the long version.

The short version goes like this: if you are interested in Ned Kelly OR enjoyed either Roddy Doyle's "A Star Called Henry" or Russell Bank's "Cloudsplitter" (without knowing all that much about Irish or American history, respectively), you will like Peter Carey's "True History of the Kelly Gang".

The long version begins by taking both Roddy Doyle and Russell Banks to task, somewhat, suggesting that each of those novels uses history as a crutch: "A Star Called Henry" relies on a working knowledge of Irish history (particularly, "the troubles"); "Cloudsplitter" demands a similar expertise in regard to the American Civil War (and, furthermore, it helps - when reading "Cloudsplitter" - to have a definite opinion on John Brown).

All of which goes double for Peter Carey's book. This is a memoir (of sort) narrated by Ned Kelly, Australian outlaw cum folk hero. In lots of ways, an Australian John Brown. He tells you about his family (his wayward father, his struggling mother, his brothers and sisters). He tells you about his upbringing against a context of colonial misrule. He explains how the events that came about, came about, and tries to justify the actions against the historical perception. All very interesting up to a point.

BUT (and this is a collossal, fifty-foot high but): I couldn't help but be reminded of something a friend said to me recently. "Some books," my friend said, "you are INSIDE - it isn't like you're reading, it is like you're there. Some books, you enjoy less. You can APPRECIATE them, without quite being inside them. In other words, you can see why people like them, without quite getting worked up yourself. After that, what you're left with is books you just downright don't enjoy, for whatever reason - those are books that sit in your neighbour's garden, on the other side of the fence from you."

"True History of the Kelly Gang" starts out as a book you appreciate. Peter Carey is a writer's writer. You have a sly old chuckle at the great skill involved in constructing sentences that trail on and on, suggesting that (a) Ned Kelly is not a schooled man (b) Ned Kelly is not an ignorant man. This is what the construction of sentences alone suggests. There is an immediate duality at play. All credit to the author for that. It is all very clever.

However, over the course of the novel, it is that self-same erudition and skill that stops you, the reader, getting inside. This is not a book to enjoy. This is a book to occasionally marvel at. As with any marvel you are expected to stop and stare and coo and say aah at for any length of time, however, you eventually get tired. Your jaw aches from all that smiling. You start to get a bit tired of marvels. The books stops being a book you appreciate (roundabout the time Ned starts outlawing for real, when the book seems to become an endless round of police chasing outlaws, outlaws chasing police) and starts to be a book that annoys.

You sit there (scowling, in my case) as the book climbs up the fence and into your neighbour's garden. You keep checking how many pages you still have to read as the book lounges there on a towel, looking for all the world like the Cheshire Cat after a meal of cream. This is a book that reads like it is very pleased with itself, thankyou very much.

Which kind of puts me off somewhat.

Rating:
Summary: A Brutal, Gimmick-laden Novel
Review: First, let me say that this book is good-to-very good historical fiction. It is very descriptive and manages to convey the severity of life for the Irish poor in Australia in the 1800's. The book is written in the form of a first-person narrative (diary) and it is written in Irish/Australia dialect. The main character (Ned Kelly, of course) takes us through his life sparing the reader no sordid personal or family-related detail. This fictional recounting is riddled with colloquialisms, abbreviations, and cursewords with blanked-out letters. This conspires to make the story-line a little hard to follow, but the author does a good job of keeping the reader involved. The net effect, however, is gimmicky. My main objection to this book is that it focuses on the low-class, brutal aspects of the human condition. It seems to cater to those who like to read about people that they can look down upon rather than characters that you can look up to. The book also tends to stereotype the Irish characters, but I guess that the Irish are used to that by now. Australia is obviously a fascinating place with a history that is totally unique. I love reading about the country and am constantly amazed at the harsh reality of the Australian continent. Definitely a book worth recommending.

Rating:
Summary: Couldn't put it down
Review: This was my introduction to the famous "Ned Kelly Gang", after having visited Melbourne and hearing a tour bus driver mention the famous bushranger, and I must admit that the book was hard to get started on. The writing is meant to appear as Ned Kelly's own, and so it is full of long sentences and missing punctuation. However, about 1/3 of the way through the book, I got used to the writing style, and found that I couldn't put the book down. I found myself truly caring for the "hero", and hoping that somehow, history would be changed and Ned Kelly would be successful in his quest to free his mother and make known the injustices that he and his fellow Irish had suffered.

Rating:
Summary: Historical accuracy be damned.
Review: This is one of the best pieces of Australian historical fiction that I have ever read. The colloquial idiom used by the narrator, Ned Kelly is not, at any stage, confusing, or annoying; it is what makes the book come alive. Peter Carey has done well to capture the elusive voice of Australia's most notorious bushranger, and presents a gripping and passionate novel as a result. Certainly a worthwile read.

Rating:
Summary: What kind of legend is Ned Kelly?
Review: I gave this book five stars because of the lyrical description the author gives us of land and people in late 19th century Australia. The people vividly come to life and you can feel their everyday existence. This is now the second generation to come off Van Diemen Island, and their Irish heritage is still writ large. They are still poor, and they still fight the British. They will not be subdued.

And then there is the Kelly Gang. By now, they are legend in Australia. Good or bad? Some compare them to Robin Hood. Others see in them a symbol of Irish fight against British suppression. In reality they were four horse thieves, bank robbers and murderers. All in all, they were a gang of criminals.

The author tries to tell us - in sympathy with the Kellys: "The devil made them do it". But I can only conclude that they acted of their own free will, eyes wide open.

Nevertheless, it is a wonderful book to read.

Rating:
Summary: masterful voice
Review: The thing that sold me on this book was reading the first page in a book store. The voice Mr. Carey presents for Ned Kelly is mesmerizing. Once I read the first page and encountered this incredibly vibrant prose I had to buy this book at once. And after I started reading I hardly came up for air, it held me in thrall from beginning to end.

I know there's been some differing points of view here on the voice used in this book, all I can say is it's got to be interesting to stir up such diverse opinions. Perhaps I am too sympathetic to the underdog, which Ned Kelly becomes even as his violent ways emerge, but I thought it was a fascinating character portrait of a very mysterious figure.

Rating:
Summary: A true wonder
Review: True History of the Kelly Gang is the best book I've read this year, (and I've read quite a few). An astonishing work that will be remembered for its restraint, as well as its exuberance. I was completely blown away by the voice Carey created for Ned Kelly. Kent Haruf was correct: this is amazing writing.

Rating:
Summary: I love historical fiction but...
Review: this was not the book for me. I have never not finished a book until now. I understand Peter Carey's desire to get into Ned Kelly's mind and I appreciate his effort but not the result which is a disjointed, undescriptive narrative. Perhaps Ned could "see" what was going on, but unfortunately Carey's readers cannot. The setting and events are not clear and characters are not round. I was very disappointed.

Rating:
Summary: A great read that should become a classic
Review: Markus wanted to make a lunchtime field trip to Zürich's English language bookstore to buy copies of "Who Stole My Cheese" for some skiing buddies. I replied that I'd just read a review in the "Herald-Tribune" by one of my favorite reviewers, Michel Dirda, and was already thinking about going. We reached the store to find both the book and a petite blond standing next to it. Like us, she was also dressed for late Swiss winter in trench coat and hat. "Markus, here's the book I was looking for," I said. "What's it about?" "Well, it's sort of an 'Australian Western.' It's meant to be the autobiographical account of Australia's most infamous frontier gangster- a kind of Robin Hood character in the popular imagination." "Is it good?" he asked. "Well, Dirda says that it actually was very popular in Australia, having been written by their most prominent living author. He liked it, and on the strength of his review, I came looking to buy it."

At this point, to make a longer story very short, we exchanged words with the woman in the trench coat, whom we quickly accepted as an authority on both the popularity and literary merit of the novel, as soon as we discovered that she actually was from Australia. She allowed as how it was a very well written book and resonated with the Australian reader, but those who didn't speak English as a native language might have difficulty with the dialect.

The protagonist of this pseudo autobiography, Ned Kelly, came from a family of Irish immigrants in Australia, growing up in the outback in the late 1800s. He has a reputation as being one of Australia's most notorious outlaws, having robbed banks, been charged with murder, and dying in a famous shootout. On the flip side, he's quite the folk hero in Australia also, revered as a symbol of rebellion, Australian self-determination, and the champion of the disadvantaged. I don't think I'm giving much away by revealing that this book chooses the latter conception-to the Nth degree. Many readers who would not initially be sympathetic to a law-breaker like Kelly will be sorry to see him go by the end of the book, viewing him as a noble character who was the victim of circumstance. This, perhaps, is one of the characteristics of this book that makes it a masterpiece, because the author not only transports you to another place and time, but can totally change your perspective on a fundamental issue such as law and order.

The other significant aspect of the book is that evocation of an earlier time and setting, telling the story from the view of Ned Kelly himself, in language and style that if not actually true to the original Ned Kelly, may as well have been. Carey masterfully builds a sense of the Victorian-era Outback in a way that practically has you smelling the dust and the manure. You feel both the landscape and the oppressive boot of the English authorities on the neck of the unfortunate Irish.

If you wish, you may categorize this book as a sort of Australian/Western Romance Adventure. But I think it is a deeper work than that. Certainly it is an exciting read-I had difficulty putting it down. Do not avoid this book just because I used the word 'masterpiece'. But I do believe that is already a contemporary classic that will be read and enjoyed and discussed for years to come.

Rating:
Summary: A change of pace
Review: The author's narrative device, using journals with minimal punctuation, captures a unique voice for a story that is out of the ordinary and worth the attention. Poverty and injustice know no borders and this is a look at Australia's version of oppression. Join the gang.