Reviewed by Rama Gaind.
By A.S. Patrić, Transit Lounge, $29.99.
Patrić has the soul-searching gift of being graphic that touches the heart; a written zeal that shows in its traditionalist, most touching form.
It was his debut novel, Black Rock White City that won A.S. Patrić the Miles Franklin Award in 2016. His latest book, The Butcherbird Stories, is a collection of 11 stories where one cannot doubt his skill as a storyteller.
While the majority of these stories are told from a male perspective, each of them displays an arrogance and sense of privilege. Relationships are burdened, stressed and disquieting.
Rich in language and position, both beauty and aggression are skillfully woven through the stories. The manner in which he describes the way we live our lives commands a sense of place and confirms his craftsmanship as a writer.
The award-winning author takes on the questions of life that really matter: death, loneliness, passion and conviction. He writes about the small people of the world with expressive dynamism and a deep-seated fervour for humankind.
The locals have their own exclusive beauty. In ‘Memories of Jane Doe’ the threat of violence is prevalent; there’s vulnerability in ‘The Flood; and then from the dark stillness of a family home in ‘Dead Sun’, to the vital, severe heat in ‘Butcherbird’ which describes the tussles and everyday fears of fatherhood. Even the swimming pool setting of ‘Avulsion’ has its own attractiveness.
Correctly tell us the year in which A.S. Patrić won the Miles Franklin Award and you could win one of two books of The Butcherbird Stories. Entries should be sent to [email protected] by next Monday, 15 April 2019. Names of the winners will be announced in Frank Cassidy’s PS-sssst…! column next week.
