When I think of Australia, I think of orange desert, furry animals, the ocean, snakes, big rocks, dirt roads, land, a LOT of land. As a country with one of the lowest population density, it is easy to fantasise about vanishing into the endless land ahead and leaving civilisation behind. It is not that romantic though, think about the sun burn, dehydration, windstorm, and boredom that would drive you insane. You know how famous landmarks - bridges, skyscrapers, tend to gather people with suicidal intention? So why do so few people choose say, the Simpson desert, as their final destination? I don't know much about psychology, but I think one of the reason is the effort it would take to consciously die in the wilderness, or rather, the agony of it. There is not instant death but you can't be a permanent hermit either. It is like punishing yourself in a a hotel with five-star view in hell. Dirt music revolves around three people: Georgie Jutland, the private school educated nurse who is married to Jim Buckridge, a fisherman in small town Western Australia and Luther Fox, a retired musician whom Georgie has an affair with. Dirt music is also much more than the relationship between them, it is a platform of self-reflection and alienation. The connections between the characters are superficial, they are merely titles imposed on them by the intolerant, close-knitted community they exist in. It is no coincidence that the three protagonists are drawn to the wilderness, albeit for vastly different reasons. They seek redemption and enlightenment through the epic journey into this little island at the edge of the Indian ocean where the ending takes place. To me, it is the ending that makes the read remarkable, everything is so obvious, inevitable, they are broken people to start with and end up choosing to exile to the harsh Australian landscape. A down side is that the characters tend to be static like the environment. Dynamic personalities are compromised by constant self-pitying and dull monologues. Most of the time they brood and sulk around in between gorgeous exploration of the outdoor. Dirt music is a sentimental book and I am absorbed by its rural charm. Imagine yourself, alone at night, overlooking an infinity of messy mangroves, dark water and thick twisted tree. This is what reading the book feels like, you are involuntarily terrified by the mystery and danger, yet the beauty is almost touchable. Winton captures the spirit of the typical Australian bogan culture, but at the same time gives it another dimension that city dwellers are ignorant of.
4 1/2 - Except for the penultimate part of the novel dragging on a bit and an ever so slightly overly dramatic or sentimental ending, this would have been a 5. Having said that, there are three main things I loved about the book. First, I love the way Winton locates us in a place. He describes the natural surroundings so vividly, explains the character of the microcosm of society represented in White Point thoroughly but subtlely, and when you read his words, you know an Australian is guiding you through the sometimes frightening or disturbing tour of the lives of two rather star-crossed, seriously damaged lovers. I have a ton of Australian flora and fauna and phrases to look up at the moment. Since my primary interest in literature deals with post-colonialism and the Englishes of the former British Empire, I was rather thrilled to find that his novel seemed fully Australian without the colonial baggage and at the same time dealt with the language and problems inherited by the British. For example, he offered a sad portrayal of attitudes toward Aboriginals, partly caused by the way that the continent, a penal colony, was settled and led by the British. The two aboriginal characters in the novel were unusual and represented something bordering on mystical which is a vaguely colonial way of looking at indigenous populations. Those characters' speech was different from the non-Aboriginal Australians, but their language wasn't made to sound "broken" and included Aboriginal words. Additionally, I felt that they were pretty well-rounded characters. Winton also expressed how Australia, while vast and remote, has rather deep connections to Asia geographically which I was interested in too, but Winton also showed ways in which outsiders and Asian immigrants weren't accepted by the community.Secondly, I enjoyed how completely messed up and loveable the two main characters were and how much their survival depended on their relationship- a bit unusual. Also, they are characters I now feel like I know and that I felt frustrated with at times.Finally, the novel dealt poignantly with universal themes such as coming to grips with death and loss and finding meaning in life along with allusions and references to religious salvation in a Christian context with phrases such as "fisher of men" and saying "Luther" might have been named "Calvin". I love it when authors use such allusions to bring resonance to their work and he is among that number. The references to the great English writers and great music didn't hurt either.
What do You think about Dirt Music (2008)?
This is an excellent author. I've been surprised to note that several bookstores in the US don't carry a single title under his name. Definitely a voice to check out. He creates great characters, brings the Australian landscape to life and tells amazing stories. I'm not sure who I'd compare him to in this regard, but if you looking for a fresh voice this is a good call.This story centers around 2 somewhat "lost" souls whose lives become intertwined, for better and for worse. In traversing their trials and tribulations, Winton brilliantly re-creates a small-town Western Australian town (which seems to have striking similiarities to small-towns in the US). It's hard to determine if the central characters are heroes or villians and/or whether their actions are driving by "good" intentions, "bad" intentions or something in the middle. As such, the story is truly enjoyable b/c Winton captures the human experience in a realistic sense and brings it to life. These characters will definitely appeal to the "wanderer" and "seeker" in all of us and explores the theme of questioning our existence and what life is really all about all while telling an engaging story.Some readers may have trouble with some of the Australian colloquialisms and others may rush to judge the characters for their (many) flaws. But, in the end, this is what great storytelling and writing is all about. Realistic, lively characters, vibrant landscapes, adventure, philosophy and life itself. Tim Winton is a writing voice to be reckoned with. Where "Breath" got 5 stars, this got 4 as it didn't quite live up to what I experienced with the former. BUt, it is still a great book and could be worthy of 5 stars had I read it before "Breath." Go out and check out this author.
—Christopher Rex
Tim Winton's writing is quite amazing. He can write a scene and have you there, smelling the salt-water, feeling the gritty sand in your clothes and the relentless heat of the sun, yet he does it with a masterful use of fairly sparse language. With Winton I never feel bogged down in pages of description of trees or light or landscapes (unlike Bryce Courtney as one example).For me though, the plot and characters in this one were a bit underwhelming. I often wondered where the story was heading and was left scratching my head at the end with no resolution. It was a fairly convoluted tale with lots of side stories that were never explored or developed. The back stories of the main characters were heavily hinted at but never explained, and to be able to empathise or simply understand the relationships and actions of the characters you needed those back stories.I was left unsatisfied with far too many 'Why?'s to be able to say this was a great book.
—Rebecca Altmann
no spoilers, just synopsisI'd definitely recommend this book, but I think something got lost in translation for me personally since I've never been to Australia and could only try to envision the places Winton talks about in here. Landscape (geographical in its relation to human) is such an integral part of this novel that I feel sort of left out not ever having seen any of the place. Set in a fictional place called White Point, a fishing town, the novel focuses on three people: 1) Georgie Jutland who was always the rebel daughter in her family, a nurse & is now living with2) Jim Buckridge, whose family has always been that family that is never crossed by anyone in town, or the one whose judgment of people becomes the norm for others; his dad was feared and that fear has carried on down to Jim. Finally there is 3)Luther Fox (Lu), who lost his brother, his brother's wife (who played music for a living and played at home for the enjoyment of it all) & his niece and nephew in a stupid car accident and resolved never to hear or play music again. Luther is a shamateur -- a poacher, who gets up long before all of the other fishermen, encroaches on their territories and sells his fish to make good $. To make a long synopsis short, Lu & Georgie begin a relationship, Jim finds out, Lu's dog is killed, truck demolished and Lu decides that the Buckridge power in the town is no match and that he will be leaving. Jim has is own issues...and wants to confront Lu, and so goes out in search of Lu with Georgie along. Lu, it seems, took off on the road going north, and it is only when he is forced to live without the company of others on an uninhabited island that he can come to terms with his own existence & meaning -- what he calls earlier "dirt music." I enjoyed most the scenes in which Lu is hitching rides up north and going through the different landscapes both of geography and of human existence, especially portrayed in the people Lu meets on his travels. I would definitely recommend the book; it is well worth the reading, and Winton is becoming one of my favorite authors.
—Nancy Oakes
