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essjay1's review
5.0
I loved this book, but then again I love everything Charlotte Wood writes. I find her writing so vivid - her descriptions of this Australian family and the environment just take me home every time, although I hope not to have any sort of experience similar to that which appears in the book! It is just so wonderful to be able to read novels set in this decade, in my own country. Woods prose and her ability to place you in the story are outstanding. Nothing else matters for the hours/days it will take you to read her books. The characters have stayed with me months later, especially Mandy; the vivid portrayal of life as a war correspondent and the way the author captured the family dynamic of her characters, the undercurrents within the family, without actually spelling them out is a talent few writers possess. I believe Charlotte will become one of our country's great authors. 2016 update: still love it :) Although, to be clear, my family is more in the lower range of dysfunctional. So far.
stoicwillow's review
4.0
Lovely conscious Australian novel with an international flavour and a familiar setting
jobatkin's review
4.0
After reading [b:The Natural Way of Things|25876358|The Natural Way of Things|Charlotte Wood|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1436420572s/25876358.jpg|45752195] and LOVING it, I looked up some of Charlotte Wood's other books and found this one. It certainly reinforced my opinion that she is one of the best Australian authors out there at the moment, and worth seeking out.
Her writing is beautifully structured and evocative, bringing complex scenes and characters to life in only a few well crafted sentences. This book is set in an Australian country town, and centres around a family of children who have grown up and moved away but return when their father suffers a life-threatening injury. All of the old sibling rivalry returns, with the original causes made more serious by the passage of time and growing into adulthood. The serious injury of their father brings everything to a head and enables them to resolve their differences by realising what's most important.
I especially liked the characters of Mandy (the daughter) and Chris (her husband). Mandy is a war journalist recently returned from Iraq, who has a compulsive need to witness and report suffering and truth, which has ruined all of her relationships. She encounters a memory from her past which led her down this path and is able to finally come to terms with her compulsion.
It's the writing and the honesty of the characters and their situations which make this a great read. I look forward to reading her other books as well.
Her writing is beautifully structured and evocative, bringing complex scenes and characters to life in only a few well crafted sentences. This book is set in an Australian country town, and centres around a family of children who have grown up and moved away but return when their father suffers a life-threatening injury. All of the old sibling rivalry returns, with the original causes made more serious by the passage of time and growing into adulthood. The serious injury of their father brings everything to a head and enables them to resolve their differences by realising what's most important.
I especially liked the characters of Mandy (the daughter) and Chris (her husband). Mandy is a war journalist recently returned from Iraq, who has a compulsive need to witness and report suffering and truth, which has ruined all of her relationships. She encounters a memory from her past which led her down this path and is able to finally come to terms with her compulsion.
It's the writing and the honesty of the characters and their situations which make this a great read. I look forward to reading her other books as well.
bookpossum's review
3.0
Charlotte Wood is a writer of whom I have been hearing for a while, so I picked up this paperback from the sale table at the local library. Twenty cents well invested! I thought some characters were better drawn than others, but I did like the mounting sense of dread that led to the catastrophic scene near the end of the book.
I shall definitely read more of Wood's books.
I shall definitely read more of Wood's books.
alkbass's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
beeeeonka's review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
lynsket's review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mandi_m's review
4.0
We read this one with Friday Morning Book Club - This was my second reading and I was struck by the beautiful writing and how well the sibling relationships were depicted.
We gave it 8/8/7/8/8
We gave it 8/8/7/8/8
bookeboy's review
4.0
Loved The Children. Clear simple prose with deep and lasting effects. There is always more going on than you think.