tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1483877654474162845.post7927656711948083849..comments2023-07-10T01:17:13.383+10:00Comments on Brona's Books: Eyrie by Tim WintonBronahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11110584237325026052noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1483877654474162845.post-89981031576238397022019-10-31T17:45:33.283+11:002019-10-31T17:45:33.283+11:00I found the whole book pretty frustrating, and lik...I found the whole book pretty frustrating, and like you, I'm waiting for someone to enlighten me about what it was all about!Bronahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11110584237325026052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1483877654474162845.post-48542456453217533092019-10-31T15:53:47.853+11:002019-10-31T15:53:47.853+11:00I listened to this as a talking book read my the w...I listened to this as a talking book read my the wonderful Michael Vietch who's reading of Kai really makes the child a beautiful character. However, the last chapter I found really incomprehensible. So we know that Clappy see's a knife (what knife?)and the toy gun. At this stage does he stab Keely or run in panic because of a toy gun?<br /><br />When Tom is running down the stairs we believe that he is faster than the lift and will confront Clappy when he exits the lift. Then we are lead to think that Clappy has exited the building main door and Tom is in hot pursuit. then we hear the sounds of a car squealing to a halt. So has Clappy been hit? Has Tom been hit. all we know is that Kai is safe on the balcony for the moment. Will Clappy return? will his father return to hurt Gemma and Kai. I loved listening to this book but I really feel cheated that the end has no comprehensible end. Please someone much smarter than I give me an interpretation? FCPPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16304379250812744306noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1483877654474162845.post-40901175286360328462014-03-18T14:56:51.098+11:002014-03-18T14:56:51.098+11:00I found Eyrie most disappointing, though having ab...I found Eyrie most disappointing, though having abandoned 'Cloudstreet' halfway through because I couldn't take any more of Tim Winton's negativity, I shouldn't have been surprised.<br />I think Winton has, as someone has already observed, 'become untouchable, impossible to criticise', and perhaps some people read his current offering in light of his public profile rather than looking at it objectively.<br />I have very little patience with victims, so I found the main character, Tom Keely, extremely irritating and self-absorbed. As the novel progressed (ever so slowly), I expected his background to be revealed as involving horrendous abuse and deprivation, which would in some way explain his current negative, self-destructive outlook. Finding that he came from a loving middle-class home, with parents who were kind and caring towards him and others, I kept wondering why he was considered a worthy subject by Winton and his whole approach to life and ultimate lack of redemption frankly left me cold.<br />The only upside of this experience was that I now know to avoid Tim Winton novels in future!Trishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15052024896477692286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1483877654474162845.post-33725333434290057162014-03-18T14:43:32.916+11:002014-03-18T14:43:32.916+11:00I have just read the book after it was selected by...I have just read the book after it was selected by my book club (by a democratic voting process).<br />My only experience of Tim Winton in the past was reading half of 'Cloudstreet' and giving it away because I couldn't cope with the negativity.<br />This latest offering is more of the same. <br />I have little patience with victims, and Tom Keely was the classic 'the world owes me a living' example! <br />I have no idea what Tim Winton was trying to do with this novel as there was no apparent progress in Tom's journey: he started out as a miserable loser, and seemed to end up in exactly the same place, having flirted with the idea of helping someone less fortunate in the process, but obviously deciding that it was too much like hard work!<br />As a former English teacher, I tend to be fairly discriminating as far as quality of writing is concerned and I am at a loss to see what all the fuss is about with Winton's writing. I find it very contrived in parts, and the lack of punctuation meant I was often having to reread sections of text to work out who was saying what. It certainly interrupts the flow of the narrative.<br />I'll be very interested to see what the rest of my book club think of it, though I already know that there are a couple of fanatic Winton fans.Trishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15052024896477692286noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1483877654474162845.post-38252683920395817632014-03-17T17:37:04.441+11:002014-03-17T17:37:04.441+11:00I completely believed his attachment to Kai. He mo...I completely believed his attachment to Kai. He mourned the baby that his wife aborted, not his but wanted it anyway, mourned his marriage and what could have been and then along comes this little lost puppy, another lost cause for him to fight for. Remember his childhood norm was his family taking in the lost and the broken (into their nest and under their wing if you want to keep the bird theme going)Michele @ The Hills are Alivehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08069990328770303361noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1483877654474162845.post-40901006577766834522014-02-27T17:21:07.016+11:002014-02-27T17:21:07.016+11:00The gun scene was truly absurd - it read like some...The gun scene was truly absurd - it read like some corny, dodgy, comic piece in a 70's sitcom!Bronahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11110584237325026052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1483877654474162845.post-59025581823500729992014-02-27T17:18:39.547+11:002014-02-27T17:18:39.547+11:00I had a brief visit to Freo in January, which brou...I had a brief visit to Freo in January, which brought some flashbacks of Keely wandering the streets and his rather harsh views on the changes that have happened there to mind. It's hard not to feel like you're in a Tim Winton novel when in WA!<br />Curiously quite a bit of the story has remained with me (although the ending is still a blur) and it feels like Keely has taken on more substance with time.<br />2 of my colleagues loved the book a lot, but the best I can say, is that I loved some of the writing, but the story (& characters) fell down flat.<br /><br />Thanks for taking the time to write such a thoughtful comment :-)Bronahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11110584237325026052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1483877654474162845.post-73754063998963482542014-02-27T14:15:09.364+11:002014-02-27T14:15:09.364+11:00Thank you for your honest appraisal of what I foun...Thank you for your honest appraisal of what I found to be a flat "dare to read to the end" attempt by Winton. My husband read Eyre first, having enjoyed other Winton books. After finishing the book, he shrugged in frustration, handing it to me and stating that if I could make any sense of it to please let him know, because he felt thoroughly lost in the ending. He even re-read the last chapter thinking he had missed a few pages. I, however, persisted through the aforementioned muddle and confusion and reaching the conclusion of a narrative so bogged down in trying to produce one creditable character, I was left dissatisfied and a little annoyed by Winton's apparent lack of consideration for the reader. This is a self-satisfying book, written I suspect for the author's gratification or perhaps his mislead perception that he can do no wrong. I submit that the ending ran out of steam as if Winton himself had become so lost, he simply gave up. This is not the first Tim Winton novel I have read but I fear it may very well be my last.Larriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00429720724228003933noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1483877654474162845.post-11818035881790941002014-01-03T18:48:08.605+11:002014-01-03T18:48:08.605+11:00I appreciate the honesty you expressed in your rev...I appreciate the honesty you expressed in your review...<br /><br />I don't think I would enjoy this particular book.<br /><br />Excellent post for the letter "E"!<br /><br />Thanks for linking.<br /><br />A++Jennyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12462124067637610359noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1483877654474162845.post-28196301614881296122013-11-19T19:39:37.812+11:002013-11-19T19:39:37.812+11:00I'm glad to see someone else shares my opinion...I'm glad to see someone else shares my opinion - I love Tim Winton and I was frustratingly let down for the first time, with this book. It never seemed to get anywhere... I found Keely an unlikeable character. I didn't believe he could develop such an attachment to Kai - where did that come from? I liked Gemma - she seemed the only authentic character, although Doris was quite good too. The bit toward the end where he is 'trying to take care of business" and scare off the thugs was just preposterous! What kind of adult goes around painting a toy gun and honestly thinks he's going to have a good outcome? It felt like nothing really happened in the book - he wasn't able to move forward or even examine his own motivations or actions... He acted erratically and foolishly and his Mum had to tell him off. What's that all about? The only thing I liked were the descriptions of Freo and the river. Such a disappointment...Librarian4everhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12590989848754407495noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1483877654474162845.post-70608510370526602002013-11-16T18:40:31.850+11:002013-11-16T18:40:31.850+11:00After completely burning out from teaching, I stil...After completely burning out from teaching, I still count my blessings every day I go to work in a bookshop Louise - and it has now been 5 years!<br />Rainy days in particular are so much nicer in a cosy bookshop than in a preschool room with 20 hyperactive preschoolers :-)Bronahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11110584237325026052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1483877654474162845.post-75425964273542889732013-11-16T16:54:10.089+11:002013-11-16T16:54:10.089+11:00I haven't leapt at reading Eyrie, but I do gen...I haven't leapt at reading Eyrie, but I do generally tend to read most Wintons at some stage so I imagine I shall get to this one too. I haven't read all that much about the book itself either so was very interested to read your responses Brona. It must be wonderful working in a book shop and hearing so much about what other readers think of the books they buy. Louisehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13187730620736345378noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1483877654474162845.post-84884970768276937972013-11-14T07:58:13.144+11:002013-11-14T07:58:13.144+11:00Thanks for that GB. I also struggled with the whol...Thanks for that GB. I also struggled with the whole "Tim Winton is untouchable" syndrome as I was writing this review ...which is partly why it took so long.<br />It's also curious to note that of all the copies of Eyrie I've sold in the past month, I've not had one single customer come back to say how they went with it.Bronahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11110584237325026052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1483877654474162845.post-45130217584363203832013-11-13T19:39:15.162+11:002013-11-13T19:39:15.162+11:00This was so interesting to read. Thanks for the re...This was so interesting to read. Thanks for the review Brona. I have heard hints of lacklustre response that nobody is quite prepared to say aloud (eg I have seen a review of another book that makes a backhanded comment about Eyrie). It's like Winton has become untouchable, impossible to criticise...Perhaps I am reading too much into it but I wonder if it is party because, as you mention, we are so uncomfortable about class. It's as if Winton is the Eliza Dolittle of Australian literature and the educated literati can't criticise him without looking like snobs. (And I just used the word 'literati' so clearly I am fine with looking like a snob). <br /><br />By the way, I am happy to go on record as saying his stuff is not my favourite. I have read one book I loved and one I hated. With so many other enticing things to read I have to say I haven't ever been tempted to read more. So I am not particularly invested in what he writes but I am interested to hear what other people think of him as an author, and also what they think of this book.<br /><br />Wow, this comment is longer than some blog posts I have written!Girl Bookerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06392345795040830712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1483877654474162845.post-57632697845152058072013-11-12T07:31:56.597+11:002013-11-12T07:31:56.597+11:00One of the first reviews of this book on the blo...One of the first reviews of this book on the blog-o-sphere. Glad I read yours.<br />There was a lot of 'hype' about this book and I wanted to try Tim Winton but I went the 'classic' route with Nevil Shute. The result of which is... I will definitely read Winton, but perhaps another of his books. Thanks for your insightful remarks!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com