True History of the Kelly Gang

Rating:
Summary: I usually don't get that excited about fiction, but...
Review: This book really blew me away. It is hard for me to believe that there are people out there who wouldn't like this thing. In a way, I can't really even think of it as fiction.

I found myself thinking again and again, I bet this really IS the true history of the Kelly gang..., and I got the sense that Peter Carey himself is absolutely convinced it is. In a way, I guess I am convinced of it myself.

What I found most moving about this modern classic is how Carey explores what it means to be a boy and a man through Ned Kelly. The discussion of Kelly's feelings for his mother - that desire to protect her, while sensing that she doesn't really ultimately want his protection, and that she doesn't entirely reciprocate those feelings of protection - is really touching, bittersweet as it is.

The discussion of Kelly's first true love, as well as how his sense of justice, and his longing to be a hero, motivated him, all made for a really touching and compelling read. I ended up feeling really enriched by this, kind of like when I read Anna Karenina. It seems a lot more than mere entertainment.

I keep trying to get people to read this, so I hope this review spurs someone to do so.

Rating:
Summary: Lyrical!
Review: This is a rare combination-a coming of age story, a crime novel, and a frontier narrative-all united in the unforgettable voice of Ned Kelly, which is poetic and funny, common yet elegant. At the same time, the story, which I experienced as perfect and seamless and hard to put down, advances a case of surprising and touching heroism for Ned Kelly and his doomed gang. Bravo to Ned Kelly! Bravo to Peter Carey!

Rating:
Summary: Less Grammar Equals More Story
Review: This is more than a story about a famous outlaw and his adventures. It's a story about the history of Police brutality in Australia. It's a story about the mistreatment of minorities and the underprivileged. This story proves how important narrative history is (even if Carey's book is fiction): the stories of the disposessed must be heard! Please read Ruby Langford's "Don't Take Your Love to Town"!