My Brilliant Career

Rating:
Summary: astonishing book
Review: I'm not exactly sure, but I think that MF wrote this book when she was still fairly young (16 or 17), and it sends shivers down my spine to think of a young girl with such energy and pride so long ago. This is a story about a girl in Australia end of the 19th century, and what happens to her when she visits other families and places and the decisions she makes. Some of the decisions she makes seem to be fairly self-destructive, and it's interesting to think about why she made them - too young to know better, too scared, not able to compromise. The heroine is a very strong character, flawed but understandable. I really, really like this book (incidentally, my ex-boyfriend found it almost unreadable). I think of it as relating to feminism; but that's just my bias. It's actually just a good yarn.

Hmm. Australian women have their own history. Is this interesting to anyone other than myself?

Rating:
Summary: An Australian Gem
Review: No reviews yet, I can't believe it. Buy this book for it's great introduction to Autralian life in 1800s as seen by a young woman trying to achieve what she wants in life.

Young Sybilla finds herself stuck in the arid Australian Outback, talking to the pigs for intelligent conversation, in the absence of her father. From these lowly beginnings, her ambition for her 'Brilliant Career' takes her along a melodramatic path of humour and tragedy.

For all the young women of today who don't think feminism is relevant, read this and see how much you take for granted.

Also read 'My Brillian Career Goes Bung', for the real life story of the author, which is every bit as strange and fascinating as the fictional character in this book.

Rating:
Summary: An Australian Gem
Review: No reviews yet, I can't believe it. Buy this book for it's great introduction to Autralian life in 1800s as seen by a young woman trying to achieve what she wants in life.

Young Sybilla finds herself stuck in the arid Australian Outback, talking to the pigs for intelligent conversation, in the absence of her father. From these lowly beginnings, her ambition for her 'Brilliant Career' takes her along a melodramatic path of humour and tragedy.

For all the young women of today who don't think feminism is relevant, read this and see how much you take for granted.

Also read 'My Brillian Career Goes Bung', for the real life story of the author, which is every bit as strange and fascinating as the fictional character in this book.

Rating:
Summary: A classic story of pioneer life and young womanhood
Review: This book is a bit like a grown-up Little House in the Prairie but set in 19th century outback Australia rather than the Wild West of the US.

This is a story of a young, spirited woman who rebels against convention and the desire of her relatives that she marry the wealthy, and (it has to be said) highly desirable, local squatter (swoon! swoon!). Unlike Laura Ingalls, Sybilla chooses the road less travelled and refuses to marry. She follows her dreams instead.

What makes this book so remarkable is that it was written 100 years ago yet the voice of the narrator is so fresh. The book is funny and inspiring. I first read it when I was a teenager and my love for it has never diminished. If you cannot read the novel, try to see the film with Judy Davis and Sam Neill which brings the book wonderfully to life. The movie is as much of an Australian classic as the book.