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tasmanian_bibliophile's review
4.0
‘Me, Antman and our mongrel, Fleabag, like partyin outside.’
In twenty-two thought-provoking vignettes, Ms Kennedy introduces us to the world of an Aboriginal woman (our narrator, whose name we never discover), her partner Antman and their dog Fleabag. These vignettes are full of quirky characters, of black humour and of reminders that Aboriginal Australia still often remains quite separate from the Australia that many of us occupy.
Our narrator, Antman, and Fleabag travel across Australia. They meet eccentric relatives, including Cousin Moodle, whose love of funerals once has her falling into a grave. They meet Old Mother Howard, a drunk woman with ‘flaky, grey skin she’s always pickin at.’ Old Mother Howard and her husband Old Mick Howard are ‘whitefullas’. While they’re not related to ‘our mob .. all the blackfullas look out for the kids’ because they feel sorry for them. The Howards have six red-haired children, each with an extra finger and toe on each hand and foot.
There are darker stories as well, especially the story of how Bess and Vic met in ‘The Golden Wedding Anniversary’ and in ‘Grandfather’s Medals’. These stories are reminders that equality is still sometimes only a word.
While the language in these vignettes is often colloquial, it’s appropriate for the stories being told. The narrator is having a conversation with the reader, recounting events from her own viewpoint and in her own style. While the style is warm and frequently humorous, humour is part of the observation and telling of the story, not usually an end in itself. It’s a book to read, and to think about.
Ms Kennedy won the 2006 David Unaipon Award for Indigenous Writing for ‘Me, Antman & Fleabag’. This is a book which deserves a much wider readership.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
In twenty-two thought-provoking vignettes, Ms Kennedy introduces us to the world of an Aboriginal woman (our narrator, whose name we never discover), her partner Antman and their dog Fleabag. These vignettes are full of quirky characters, of black humour and of reminders that Aboriginal Australia still often remains quite separate from the Australia that many of us occupy.
Our narrator, Antman, and Fleabag travel across Australia. They meet eccentric relatives, including Cousin Moodle, whose love of funerals once has her falling into a grave. They meet Old Mother Howard, a drunk woman with ‘flaky, grey skin she’s always pickin at.’ Old Mother Howard and her husband Old Mick Howard are ‘whitefullas’. While they’re not related to ‘our mob .. all the blackfullas look out for the kids’ because they feel sorry for them. The Howards have six red-haired children, each with an extra finger and toe on each hand and foot.
There are darker stories as well, especially the story of how Bess and Vic met in ‘The Golden Wedding Anniversary’ and in ‘Grandfather’s Medals’. These stories are reminders that equality is still sometimes only a word.
While the language in these vignettes is often colloquial, it’s appropriate for the stories being told. The narrator is having a conversation with the reader, recounting events from her own viewpoint and in her own style. While the style is warm and frequently humorous, humour is part of the observation and telling of the story, not usually an end in itself. It’s a book to read, and to think about.
Ms Kennedy won the 2006 David Unaipon Award for Indigenous Writing for ‘Me, Antman & Fleabag’. This is a book which deserves a much wider readership.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
jouljet's review
funny
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
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