The Pages by Murray Bail - Revision history

Sue at 09:01, 21 August 2020

2020-08-21T09:01:51Z

Sue at 13:06, 18 March 2018

2018-03-18T13:06:44Z

Sue at 16:42, 17 November 2014

2014-11-17T16:42:05Z

Sue at 19:23, 5 October 2012

2012-10-05T19:23:04Z

Keith: 1 revision

2009-10-24T17:17:28Z

1 revision

Sue at 15:25, 7 August 2008

2008-08-07T15:25:53Z

New review

{{infoboxsort
|title=The Pages
|author=Murray Bail
|reviewer=Ekaterina Rodyunina
|genre=General Fiction
|summary=Two closer-to-40-clock-is-ticking-afraid-to-die-alone-and-be-eaten-by-own-pet city girls (Erica the philosopher and Sophie the psychologist as best supporting character) start off into the Australian wilderness together. A certain deceased stranger claimed to have written philosophy, and Erica is to visit his brother and sister at their family home and evaluate whether the writing has indeed been philosophy and whether it was any good at all. Give it a try, but most certainly not everyone's cup of tea. Definitely judge for yourself if you are a philosopher!
|rating=3
|buy=Maybe
|borrow=Maybe
|format=Hardback
|pages=224
|publisher= Harvill Secker
|date=August 2008
|isbn=978-1846552168
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1846552168</amazonuk>
|amazonus=<amazonus>1846552168</amazonus>
|sort=Pages, The
}}

Two closer-to-40-clock-is-ticking-afraid-to-die-alone-and-be-eaten-by-own-pet city girls (Erica the philosopher and Sophie the psychologist as best supporting character) start off into the Australian wilderness together. A certain deceased stranger claimed to have written philosophy, and Erica is to visit his brother and sister at their family home and evaluate whether the writing has indeed been philosophy and whether it was any good at all.

The entire book is split into two narratives - there is one about Erica's experience in the country (sheep! rain!) and the other is the philosopher's life story (learn philosophy. think. travel).

I found this book profoundly disappointing, especially because the first 50 pages were really deep and promising. Murray Bail is incredible in creating short meaningful descriptions of the characters' state of mind, chain of thoughts, perceptions. It was pure pleasure to read the first passages about why psychoanalysis has rooted into young Australian nation, while philosophy hasn't - refreshing and well-written.

However later it all goes downhill. The women arrive, meet family, walk, talk, think, walk, talk, eat, think, talk. Doors close, trucks drive, but by the middle it is all just stagnation. There are a few plot turns, of course, but if I gave them away now, there would be no point in reading the book whatsoever.

The hard truth is, this is one of those books that attempts to cover a lot of topics and ends up barely covering one or two. It has some really great ideas but lacks definition. The book parts add up (most of the time), but it does not read true or believable.

Give it a try, but most certainly not everyone's cup of tea. Definitely judge for yourself if you are a philosopher!

Thanks a lot to Harvill Secker for sending this book to The Bookbag nevertheless!

If the premise of this book appeals to you then we think that you might also enjoy [[Breath by Tim Winton]] or [[The Northern Clemency by Philip Hensher]].

{{amazontext|amazon=1846552168}} {{waterstonestext|waterstones=6109148}}

{{commenthead}}

@@ Line 22: / Line 22: @@
 The entire book is split into two narratives - there is one about Erica's experience in the country (sheep! rain!) and the other is the philosopher's life story (learn philosophy. think. travel).
-I found this book profoundly disappointing, especially because the first 50 pages were really deep and promising. Murray Bail is incredible in creating short meaningful descriptions of the characters' state of mind, chain of thoughts, perceptions. It was pure pleasure to read the first passages about why psychoanalysis has rooted into young Australian nation, while philosophy hasn't - refreshing and well-written.
+I found this book profoundly disappointing, especially because the first 50 pages were really deep and promising. Murray Bail is incredible in creating short meaningful descriptions of the characters' state of mind, chain of thoughts, perceptions. It was a pure pleasure to read the first passages about why psychoanalysis has rooted into the young Australian nation, while philosophy hasn't - refreshing and well-written.
-However later it all goes downhill. The women arrive, meet family, walk, talk, think, walk, talk, eat, think, talk. Doors close, trucks drive, but by the middle it is all just stagnation. There are a few plot turns, of course, but if I gave them away now, there would be no point in reading the book whatsoever.
+However later it all goes downhill. The women arrive, meet family, walk, talk, think, walk, talk, eat, think, talk. Doors close, trucks drive, but by the middle, it is all just stagnation. There are a few plot turns, of course, but if I gave them away now, there would be no point in reading the book whatsoever.
 The hard truth is, this is one of those books that attempts to cover a lot of topics and ends up barely covering one or two. It has some really great ideas but lacks definition. The book parts add up (most of the time), but it does not read true or believable.
@@ Line 32: / Line 32: @@
 Thanks a lot to Harvill Secker for sending this book to The Bookbag nevertheless!
-If the premise of this book appeals to you then we think that you might also enjoy [[Breath by Tim Winton]] or [[The Northern Clemency by Philip Hensher]].
+If the premise of this book appeals to you then we think that you might also enjoy [[Breath by Tim Winton]] or [[The Northern Clemency by Philip Hensher]].  You might enjoy [[Contact by Jonathan Buckley]] but we had our reservations]].
 {{amazontext|amazon=0099524287}}

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{infoboxsort
+{{infobox1
 |title=The Pages
 |author=Murray Bail
@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 |date=August 2008
 |isbn=978-1846552168
 |sort=Pages, The
 }}

@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 |buy=Maybe
 |borrow=Maybe
 |pages=224
 |publisher= Harvill Secker
@@ Line 37: / Line 33: @@
 If the premise of this book appeals to you then we think that you might also enjoy [[Breath by Tim Winton]] or [[The Northern Clemency by Philip Hensher]].
-{{amazontext|amazon=0099524287}} {{waterstonestext|waterstones=6109148}}
+{{amazontext|amazon=0099524287}}
 {{commenthead}}

← Older revision	Revision as of 17:17, 24 October 2009
(No difference)