Least favourite books by Australian authors

Hi there, there's lots of wonderful books that Librarythingers have recommended along the way, but what about books by Australian authors that you haven't enjoyed - not necessarily because of literary merit, just because you didn't like it ... two that come to my mind: 'River Baptists' by Belinda Castles and 'Dirt Music' by St Tim.

Picture book - Koala Lou by Mem Fox.

Ian Townsend's "The Devil's Eye" - waste of time and money

The River Ophelia by Justine Ettler. Revolting.

I hated Oscar and Lucinda and have avoided Peter Carey ever since. Perhaps I should take the plunge and try again.

Shirley Hazzard's The Great Fire. The only Australian characters Hazzard approves of are a dying boy and his sister, who falls in love with the creepy paedophilic narrator.

Agreed, I didnt like Dirt Music it was beautifully written, but I felt the plot was uninspired and some of the characters didn't appeal to me at all.
I've only seen the movie of Oscar and Lucinda and again the characters didn't appeal to me (I think I see a pattern) which has put me off reading the book. But I really enjoyed The True History of the Kelly Gang and Jack Maggs. Shame that book has put you off pinkozcat.
Pam I think you've put me off The Great Fire sounds terrible. The others I haven't heard of.
Except for Koala Lou. I'm pretty sure I liked that when I read it to my kids. But it wasn't one of their favourites that was read over and over again. In fact, repetition can can put you off a kids book. :-)
I cant think of any others at the moment. I tend not to persist if I dont like a book or not remember them anyway.

Eucalyptus by Murray Bail...

I'm with you demsterstreet, Eucalyptus was one of the books I've had to read backwards.

Yes to The Great Fire and Eucalyptus. Also The Service of Clouds. Tedious all.

>10 bookmark123: bookmark123

Glad I'm not the only one who found The Service of Clouds rather tepid. I got to page 14 and put it aside thinking I'd pick it up later. That was over a year ago now; I think it's time it went to another owner. I usually leave unwanted books at the train station for some bookless traveller to 'enjoy' (cruel in this case I suppose).

Thanks to you other posters for your warnings-off.

I got through a couple of pages of The Service of Clouds... But I didn't think it was bad as such, it just didn't grab me and there were more imperative reads waiting in the wings.

But I enjoyed both The Great Fire and Eucalyptus. I knew this would happen, books I like start getting panned! :)

I'm not sure how useful this thread is, but since you ask: Ouyang Yu's The Eastern Slope Chronicle is pretty dire: ill-tempered, ungracious and written in barely literate English. I also have a thing about Richard Flanagan's The Unknown Terrorist, a substandard thriller with pretensions to social significance.

So glad I found this thread.......I thought I was alone in disliking the characters in Dirt Music, and because I live in the Blue Mountains I really wanted to like The Service of Clouds but was very disappointed.

Don't worry wookiebender, I also liked both of those books, but I don't much like anything by Bryce Courtenay.

I wasn't mad about Dirt Music and I just don't get Shirley Hazzard at all.

But The Book of Rapture by Nikki Genmmell is one of the worst books I have ever read and the only one to receive a 0/5 rating.

What an interesting thread; I seem to recall discarding Eucalyptus years ago having bought it because of the aborted movie production. I reluctantly submit Don Watson's American Journeys in this category even though I am a huge Don Watson fan and consider Confessions of a Bleeding Heart one of the great political biographies and his diatribe on management speak Weasel Words and Death Sentence brilliant bullwarks against the ever increasing attack on Queen's English.

I know this is a thread about books we don't like but I just have to pipe up for Eucalyptus, I loved it ;-)

#Interesting. I felt the same about Don Watson's American Journeys, although I too really like the other books of his that you've mentioned.

#13 I think this thread is a bit counter-productive too, but having just read The Unknown Terrorist and thought it pretty 'meh' (aka sub-standard), and also having not liked Dirt Music by the mostly universally praised Tim Winton, it's nice to be able to slag off a bit.

And I HATE anything by Bryce Courteney. (I have my reasons, but I probably shouldn't air them here.)

Oh, and most of Carmel Bird's work doesn't do it for me either, but she's supposed to very good.

This message has been deleted by myself as one of the comments I made obviously offended someone.
No offence was meant of course.

#21 I'm sorry that you had to delete your message, after all, we're all grown-ups here. One man's trash is another man's treasure and so on. Hope you did not receive a cowardly comment on your profile page.

Live and let live. Going away to find more cliches...

Aw, I love Koala Lou!

#21 crimson-tide

Had to delete one of your comments? Hope we don't have a bully in our midst.
Chin-up crimson-tide.

Now, of course, I'm curious about the comment (which obviously I didn't notice as I haven't seen anything offensive in this thread).

Edited to add query: It wasn't one of those touchy Koalas whose nose you put out of joint was it? Koala's noses? Joints? Probably not.

I, also, am curious aout the comment and like thrin I haven't seen anything offensive in this thread.

Koalas - chlamidia??

It was a long time ago now, guys. Let's move on. :)

I'm replying long after this thread has gone dormant, but a few of the comments here touched a nerve. I'm also about the last Australian to read Dirt Music. I'd heard it had won numerous awards and was almost universally praised - but I really struggled with it - in fact I am still struggling with it. I am about a quarter of the way through and wondering whether or not I will finish it.

I think a book needs to have at least one character the reader likes. I'm not sure I liked any of Winton's characters. True, the book is superbly written, and I suppose the fact that the characterisation is so deep and realistic means that it is great fiction. But I stand by my point - there has to be someone to like to make me want to read on. I'm listening to it, by the way: if it was a book I'd have flipped to the last chapter by now to get it all over with.

I'm not saying it isn't a GOOD book - but I really don't like it.

Other books in this category are The Tax Inspector by Peter Carey, although I loved Illywhacker and Oscar and Lucinda. I'm reading The True history of the Kelly gang now, as a bit of a break from Dirt Music, and enjoying it.

Sonya Hartnett's Sleeping Dogs and Isabel Carmody's The Gathering are two other VERY good books that I found unpleasant.

The only book by Peter Carey that I have read and enjoyed, was "Jack Maggs" I have tried lots of others.

I am going to get my head bitten off but I really don't think much of Possum Magic. The plot is stupid and meaningless. I much prefer Edwina the Emu (although can't think who it is by, am not even sure if it is by an Australian author) I too find Peter Carey a bit of hard work sometimes.

I totally agree about Possum Magic. I had to 'study' it at Uni in my 30s and I had never heard of it before then.

I haven't heard of Edwina the Emu but I'll take the first touchstone which is by Sheena Knowles to see if it helps the discussion along. ;)

Edwina the Emu is delightful.

I have no objections to Possum Magic, but I do prefer her Where is the Green Sheep?

I have to agree with hazeljune about Peter Carey. I think the fault is mine, I' have trouble appreciating magical realism.

I have to confess that although I read The Slap all the way through I ended up wishing I hadn't bothered - everybody in it was so bloody unpleasant. I know, I know, it's very well written and they're filming it, but it didn't pas my test of a good read which is would I lend it to Gayle next door.

The Slap, hated it - each character more obnoxious than the next. But I'm so glad I've read it, very thought provoking.
Not fussy about dirt music either, well written I'll agree, I hated the "race" ending. The Dirt music CD is just brilliant - love it.

I usually enjoy Peter Carey, but I have to say I found Parrot and Olivier a slog. I only finished it because I was reading it for bookgroup, but even up to the last few pages I was thinking of just putting it down and going on with something else. Disappointing.

I add again, the only Peter Carey that I enjoyed was Jack Maggs I have tried most of his!!

The worst book by an Australian that I have read is The Shark Net: Memories and Murder by Robert Drewe. It seems to have had good reviews but I found it boring and pointless.

The Broken Shore by Peter Temple, not for me, lots of ravings from others.

The Iron Rose by Peter Temple. It was so awful I've not been able to bring myself to read anything else he has written

Haven't read the Iron Rose - but the Broken Shore is an excellent read.

I've only read Temple's Bad Debts, the first in the Jack Irish series, which I surprised myself by really enjoying. I haven't got around to any of the others yet - I have The Broken Shore on MtTBR.

I haven't enjoyed any of the Peter Carey books I've attempted - haven't tried Jack Maggs yet.

#41.. Try to find a copy of Jack Maggs, I am sure you will enjoy, it is so unlike his other novels that I have tried to read.

#42
I concur. I can't cope with magical realism, but Jack Maggs is Dickens pastiche and very enjoyable, if you like Dickens anyway.

My personal all-time most unreadable Australian book is The Plains by Gerald Murnane. I'm sure it's officially out of print, but I happen to know the whereabouts of a number of copies, if they haven't been eaten by mice.

Worst I've had the misfortune to open? Muck, by Craig Sherborne. Prescient title!

I thought it would be a good idea to read The Slap so picked up a copy the week it came out - I read three chapters and threw it away after deciding I couldn't take these people to bed with me on a nightly basis. Truly loathsome stupid people.
However having said that I admire the way the author has done what many are unable to do which shows the power of his writing - he promotes debate and evokes strong feelings in his readers so yeah I guess its a success. I could not bring myself to view the TV series although that too was acclaimed.
Actually embarrased myself by talking about my loathing of this book to a group of women at a Drs surgery only to realise too late they could easily have been characters in the book.

I read Christos Tsiolkas' Loaded a while ago. I can't say I "enjoyed" it but it was so intense and confronting that I give it five stars. On the basis my reaction to Loaded I was planning to read The Slap but haven't got round to it. Both have been filmed. Loaded as the Australian movie "Head On" (which I thought was very good) and The Slap in that ABC series which I didn't watch. Both films stared Alex Dimitriades.

I think it says more about me than the book but I dislike Cloud Street alone out of the five Tim Winton books I have read. I liked Dirt Music a lot. Liked all of Peter Carey's novels except Illywacker & The Tax Collector.
Reading is so individual in nature

#47

Cloud Street was my favourite of Tim Winton' , I did really enjoy Dirt Music and did not like The Riders. I tried The Tax Collector by Carey and did not finish!! Illywacker likewise.
The one and only one of his that I really enjoyed was Jack Maggs.

I loved Cloud street of all of the books that Tim Winton has written. Just that wonderful sense of place he has and his way of putting you into the landscape. Love it. Im a fan.
Another Tim - Tim Gautreauxs' books have the same effect on me.
Read Carey throughout the eighties and nineties but haven't read anything of his since Jack Maggs which just didn't have the same voice.

The Slap, in a weird sort of way, is one of my favourite books. The characters, with one possible exception who was just pathetic, were not pleasant people - but each was unpleasant in his or her own way and they were very convincingly realised. It's not necessary to like somebody to want to know what happens to them. I kept reading because the narrative was so compelling, which says something for the author's skill.

The TV adaptation was brilliantly done. I did think it modified some of the unpleasantness. People who go on to read the book might be in difficulties, but they can't say they weren't warned.

The TV adaptation of The Slap put the full stop on my resolve not to read the book. It was a very well made and compelling series (I was hooked, in a rubberneck passing a car crash kind of way), but I'm quite sure I don't want to encounter any of those characters again. Ever.

Peter Carey is one of my all-time favourite authors, but The Tax Inspector left me cold.

I NEVER read anything by Peter Corris after my first try at one of his books. There was an impossible scenario in it which made me want to throw up. I stopped reading right there and refuse to even look at one of
his books any more.

# 52

Same here!!!

Killing the Black Dog by the great Les Murray (book of poetry)

I loathed The Slap and put it down after reading half the book - just couldn't contend with such awful, self obsessed, shallow characters. So yes, he is a very good writer to invoke such strong feelings in me I guess.
I caught snippets of the Tele Series but was just as equally repulsed by it.

Counter Attack has to be one of the worst Australian novels I've read. Crappy characters, bad writing, technical mistakes (Pull one brand of gun out of the characters pants, but then is holding a second brand of gun in his hand - magic!)

Plus corny lines like "Mac punched the Chinaman in the nuts" cement it firmly in my 'worst of' list.

It's happily a long time since I've read an Australian book I violently disliked. I've avoided the authors I can be almost 100% certain wouldn't appeal to me, such as Bryce Courtenay and Peter Corris, thereby limiting my exposure to books I might add to this list.

One that leaps to mind from the mists of time (when I was studying 20th Century Australian Lit at the University of WA in 1989) is Shirley Hazzard's The Transit of Venus. The details of why it evoked such a negative reaction in me are murky, but I seem to recall I found the metaphores clunky and patronising and the characters exceptionally wooden.

In recent months, like wookiebender in post 35, I wasn't madly inspired by Peter Carey's Olivier and Parrot in America. It was indeed a bit of a slog and is the first Carey I have read that I have given fewer than 4 stars.

I was also disappointed by my first Thea Astley (The Acolyte), which I read last year. I gave it a 4 star rating for the exceptional beauty and quality of the writing, but I doubt I'll read Astley again. I don't as a rule automatically dislike books lacking a happy ending (indeed, improbably happy endings tend to annoy me, unless it's in Wodehouse or the like) but The Acolyte is so relentlessly bitter and depressing that I can't face the idea of reading any more of her opus, despite the excellence of her writing.

Gould's Book of Fish by Richard Flanagan. I thought it was pretentious tripe.

#58..It did not grab me either.

#58 I so love listening to Richard Flanagan, but I struggle with his books. I tried The Unknown Terrorist as an audiobook, but at about the midway point, had to give it away. Yet, I've heard him at SWF and at the Wheeler Centre, and has much to say, and he speaks well.

#60 I could have written that myself, except I persevered to the end of The Unknown Terrorist, and I live in Sydney so haven't had the pleasure of hearing anyone at the Wheeler Centre