New Zealand Books

give a review on something I havn't read, whoever made an idea like that, I give a review after I've read the book.

Witi Ihimaera, Whale Rider (Harcourt, 1987)

This relatively obscure little book exploded after being adapted into an award-winning film. The book still hasn't gotten as popular as the movie, though, and that's something of a crime against nature. I have not yet seen the movie-- I wanted to read the book first (and will likely see the movie next week)-- but I know how the whole book-to-movie thing usually goes. And it's usually a crime against nature when the book doesn't get popular even after the movie's a big hit, so I'm playing the odds on that one.

As for the book itself, it's quite a good little tale, full of a young adult kind of magic realism that's likely to make the reader, if he hasn't already, consider the link between magic realism, the literary cliché du jour, and folktales. Ihimaera gives us the Whale Rider creation myth while telling us the story of a Maori chieftain who refuses to see that his granddaughter Kuha is developing into the new chieftain before his eyes because of his traditional beliefs that a male must take the position. (Despite, we find out, the fact that women have held the position in the past. Hard-headed old sod, eh?) We spend much of our time just learning about the characters, with Ihimaera throwing in some interesting perspectives at times; for example, narrator Rawiri, Kuha's uncle, leaves New Zealand for two years to run a coffee plantation in Papua New Guinea (and this allows for some rather odd humor, as well as a blistering excoriation of modern racism in the region), and we find out about Kuha's development only through letters and phone calls for a while. Yet it is rare that Ihimaera takes his focus off Kuha for more than a paragraph or two at a time.

A lovely tale, well worth your time, whether you've seen the movie or not. *** ½

I love this movie, so I decided to read the book. As with any book on which a brilliant and well-executed film is based, it's a challenge for the reader to fall in love with the original story. The film was very faithful, and so it wasn't difficult to love this novel as well. But there are some deficiencies. First of all, the characters seem more real and dimensional in the film than the book. This is especially true of the heroine, who seems a mystical and distant child in the book, but comes off more real through Keisha Castle-Hughes' portrayal. Second, the film is much more realistic, only slightly testing the boundaries of reality and disbelief. The book is much more fantastic, though it contains more insight into the tribe's culture. And yet, the book is utterly powerful, honestly moving, and incredibly beautiful. It's a brilliant modern folk tale of a Maori tribe threatened by the modern world to hold onto its traditions. The chief (Koro) rejects his great-granddaughter Kahu who has broken the male line of succession. Koro tries desperately to maintain his tribe, reinforce the old traditions, and keep their connection with their totem animal, the whale on which their ancestor traveled to their lands. Meanwhile, Kahu desperately seeks her great-grandfather's love, not to mention acceptance. It slowly becomes obvious that Kahu--despite her gender and great-grandfather's rejection--is deeply connected to the whales and the sea (which is actually a taboo for a female to engage in), and is the salvation of her tribe. Obviously, fate and destiny care not for gender and traditions, as this girl is apparently destined for great things. It's an incredible story of family, destiny, strength, girl power, expectations, traditions, and culture. Grade: A

Like most people, I bought the book after watching the film... in fact it took me ages to find the book because here in Spain it was called "the legend of the whales". Anyway, I thought the film was very moving and since when I'm obsessed with a movie I buy also the book, I did.

The first thing that surprised me was that the girl is not called Pai, but Kahu, and second, that it was told from the uncle's perspective rather than the girl. I though it wouldn't be good because on the film the uncle is a rather minor character... and in fact, it isn't.

I found the story dull and had to make myself keep reading. The only good thing I can say is that at least it explained a lot of the myth of Paikea, which in the movie wasn't explained that much. Other than that, there wasn't anything to keep me hokked to the book.

Niki Caro is a great scriptwriter because she made a fantastic film from this rather forgettable book.

This is an excellent coming of age story for a young girl, or boy! Readers will find delightful lore and learn something of New Zealand. The movie wasn't a disappointment, though I'm glad I read the book first.
Chrissy K. McVay
author of 'Souls of the North Wind'

Just came back from a recent trip to New Zealand with the Lonely Planet in tow. My husband and I were very disappointed with the most recent version of the Lonely Planet. We found lots of errors - the LP recommended restaurants that no longer existed, recommended holiday parks that I wouldn't stick my big toe in, and were consistently wrong on pricing from the cable car in Wellington to ferry rides across the Cook Strait. I think you would be just as well off buying the old version. It seems to be the same. It seems the LP writers didn't do their homework this time around.

I just went on a month-long trip from Auckland to Christchurch, and this book was very helpful. Apparently a new version is going to come out soon. Definitely get the new one as some of the information was starting to get old.

You don't absolutely have to get a travel guide before going to NZ (especially if you're on a tour like Kiwi Experience), but if you are going to get a travel guide, I couldn't imagine a better one than the Lonely Planet.

I've found this guide to be decent. It has tidbits of information, but I find myself wanting to know more about places outside the cities that just aren't covered. I know a new one is coming out in a few months, so I would wait to get that one or get a different brand guidebook if you can't wait. The prices in the the 2006 book are WAY off. I use my BBH hostel guide almost exclusively for finding accommodation. I also found a lot of the restaurants and nightlife listed in the book to be inaccurate or no longer operating. Still using it, but definitely supplementing with internet, BBH accommodation guide, and visits to iSites.

Lots of good information. Will be bringing it on our trip. Print is very small. Needed my extra strong readers.

For years I have relied on Lonely Planet guidebooks as one of my primary travel sources for information. After returning from a self-guided 2 week car trip through New Zealand's north and south islands, my wife and I were both in agreement that this guide was not up to par and disappointing compared to other LP guidebooks. Restaurant information in Christchurch and other towns was already outdated. Hotel information was not comprehensive and I found better information for planning our lodging on the internet before we left home. Things to see and do in towns besides nightlife and museums was sparse, and excursions to interesting places off highways was sketchy. We finally put the book away and stopped referring to it since we were better able to explore on our own. New Zealand has one of the world's best tourist information systems throughout the country which helps travelers find or plan lodging, activities, transportation, virtually anything that would be helpful to the tourist. Offices are located throughout the country under the "i" signs for information, even in the smallest towns. Maps are freely available everywhere, as are also helpful free booklets and brochures for each region you may visit. For general information, this guidebook will answer many of your basic questions, but I would suggest looking at several other books for planning your journey and guiding you along your way in New Zealand.

I read this book after a trip to Australia and after seeing the movie. Don't know what to say about it other then it left me speechless. Is there a country anywhere in the world that hasn't treated it's indigenous people horribly at some point? Rabbit Proof Fence is a pretty amazing story of human spirit. I would suggest reading the book first then seeing the movie.

The book and the movie are something that all people in the world must tray to change. Ethnic and linguistic diversity is real. Read this book!

I visited the Amazon site after viewing the DVD "Rabbit Proof Fence." Although I have not read the book, the DVD contained a lot of landscape and many periods during the movie were what some may consider "quiet." When experiencing literature from another era or culture, I believe it helps to try to put self into the environment of the characters. The pace of "Rabbit Proof Fence" helped me be there.

I would reccomend reading the book (even though I didn't...) and highly recommend viewing the DVD. I experienced the grace and courage that exists in all of us at some level.

A true account of the author's mother who was part of the "stolen generation", a group of aboriginal children who were taken by the Australian government's as part of their policy for the protection of indigenous children.
It is hard to believe that this policy was once considered the right thing to do, and not so long ago either, 1930's. But then again, Australia only granted Aboriginal people the vote in the late 1960's.
This book is about Molly, who was taken by the Australian government as a young girl and put into a settlement, and her journey back to her family.
A great story of courage and determination. Well worth a read.

Sorry folks I just could not get through this book. Unanimously the "critics" said the first 50 pages were disorganized and tedious. I read up to page 10, "zzzz" I then skipped ahead to page 50 thinking "OK NOW the action will begin" nope just more of the same rambling sentences. I am keeping the book for its historical reference, and maybe someone else will read it and then convince me of the story's value.
M*E*G*O = My Eyes Glazed Over!

Read this for a book club. Relationship between two women, one older and one younger, who both are probably clinically depressed and end up being neighbors in the countryside in what seems to be a desolate part of Sweden. They each end up being what the other needs to heal and it is a sweet, if not slow, book. Most of our bookclub did not love it, but thought it was ok.

I liked this book, but wasn't enthralled with it. The accidental friendship between these two women fills a need for both and allows them to face painful events in their lives as they find safety in the other's quiet presence. The language is spare and direct, just as the two women are. I found it a good read for waiting time in the doctor's office or in line for child pickup, etc.,events where interruption is expected. I found it easy to leave off and pick back up without losing anything. It's hard to find a book that offers enough to distract you during those brief snatches of time, but doesn't pull you in or require complete concentration. It served a useful purpose for me and under those circumstances, I enjoyed it. However, when I had to wait four hours for a car repair in a grim mechanic's shop, I was glad to be reading The Pillars of the Earth, which made time fly.

The story was very slow moving and left so many unanswered questions. We read this as a book club selection and not one of us was able to bring finality to the plots in the story.

This book was recommended to me by a friend who happens to be Swedish. It is a subtle, gentle and surprising book with a slow yet compelling pace. It was a breath of fresh air, and I was able to read it on one sitting!

Overview:
"Veronika, a 30-year-old Swedish writer, rents a home in a remote village to finish work on her second novel. Her only neighbor for miles is Astrid, a reclusive octogenarian who has earned a reputation (perhaps undeserved) as the village witch. Veronika and Astrid gradually become friends, taking long walks and sipping wine made from the wild strawberries in Astrid's garden. Each shares painful secrets along the way. Veronika abandoned a devoted boyfriend to take up with a bartender from New Zealand. They fell passionately in love, then tragedy befell him, leaving Veronika incapacitated by grief. Astrid endured sexual abuse from her father and a long loveless marriage to a man chosen by him. Until now, she has never told anyone the truth about her infant daughter's death."

I liked this book and the writing was truly beautiful. I enjoyed how the two women, alone in their own worlds, became such good friends. Their friendship was truly self-less.

The only thing I did not like about the book was that we never knew the real reason behind Astrid's secret, the killing of her infant daughter. I assumed it was because she did not want to see the child abused, but I could not quite make sense of it. I felt a little cheated that this was not further explored.

The Tricksters was an ok book. It wasn't great, an it wasn't boring, but I thought it lacked excitement. It was just going on and on in dialogue of conversations about people fighting. I admit some stuff was funny, though most parts were not. I found this story to be very confusing to follow because it is told through he main character Harry, but she sees it through other peoples point of view. Because of this I felt my self going back and rereading which wasn't fun I wouldn't recommend this book unless you like lots of dialogue, but it's worth a shot if you want to read it.

This was one of the first Margaret Mahy books I ever read, and afterwards I became fanatical about tracking down her books and devouring them. (The only other young adult author I would classify in the same sentence as Mahy is Madeline L'Engle.) I first read this book when I was about 15, and I cannot tell you how strongly I identified with the character of Harry. Not because of the outward descriptors (middle child, writer, etc.), but because of the essence of her character. Mahy's young adult fiction is so effective because she somehow manages to remember what it really felt like to be a teenager. I just turned 30, and re-read this book recently, and it amazed me how quickly those feelings returned. I have now begun collecting young adult fiction for my future children, and I would say anyone interested in the genre should have some Mahy, including this book. It's not as good as The Haunting or The Changeover, perhaps, but it is light years beyond the "Sweet Valley High" fare my contemporaries were reading. Definitely worth a look.

Surprisingly well written teen-type paranormal novel with an intriguing take on coming of age. The 17-year-old protagonist, Harry (a middle child who feels she doesn't live up to her real name, Ariadne), somehow conjures the two villains of her fantasy writings into reality, though they split into three parts, each representing different facets of the spirit of a young man who died on the property and has been somewhat mythologized. Some unique ideas, a sexy undercurrent and a satisfying transformation of the heroine.

i love this story. you get wrapped up in family life, fantasy & all of the characters. i re-bought this book from over 10 years ago. if memory serves me, the haunting was extremely well written as well. perfect for pre-teens, teens & even older.

Margaret Mahy is one of the few (or perhaps the only) world-renowned New Zealand author, whose work has won many awards, as well as the Carnegie Medal for "The Haunting" and "The Changeover". As good as these books are my personal favourite is "The Tricksters", written for a slightly older audience and filled with her trademark New Zealand scenery, supernatural occurrences, family dramas and the awakening of a young person to adulthood. Older readers shouldn't be put off by the claims that this is a "young adult" novel, as any intelligent reader over the age of thirteen should experience Mahy's best work.

The Hamilton family gather at their beach house Carnival's Hide to celebrate Christmas; parents Jack and Naomi, eldest siblings Charlie and Christobel and younger children Benny and Serena. Seventeen-year-old Harry (short for Ariadne) is smack-dab in the centre and suffers the fate of the middle-child, overshadowed by the glamorous Christabel and starved for attention thanks to the younger two. To alleviate her frustration, Harry is writing a story - a wonderful story about dangerous men and voluptuous women that she keeps secret in her attic bedroom.

But there are other things to keep her busy, such as the added presence of Englishman Anthony Hesketh who is to share the family Christmas away from the more traditional winter holiday of his home-country and Christabel's best friend Emma and her young daughter Tibby. Furthermore, the house itself has a strange history of odd happenings concerning the drowning of Teddy Carnival years ago, and Harry herself is privy to a family secret that she knows could destroy her happy, comfortable home.

And then three brothers appear on the scene, claiming to be descendants of Teddy Carnival and charming most of the Hamilton family. But Harry knows there is something strange about Ovid, Felix and Hadfield - something that is deeply connected to the past, the house, her own story and the dynamics of family life. But who are they really? What is this strange connection to Felix that she feels? And do Ovid's threats of ruining her family have any weight? (Watch out reading some of the other reviews, as they give away the secret behind the brothers, something that should not be known till the book reveals it).

Like all good literature, the book is filled with many themes and meanings that demand close and attentive reading. Mahy's language is dense and poetic (reminding me a little of Diana Wynne Jones's adult novels) which involves full participation from the reader to understand what's going on, and will probably require more than one reading to fully appreciate the layering and clue-sprinkling that Mahy spreads throughout the novel. The growth from childhood to womanhood, the power of imagination and storytelling, the secrets and inner-dynamics of a family, the meeting of the supernatural and the mundane, and a creepy ghost/murder mystery - all this is packed into this immensely rich and intriguing novel.

Hopefully this won't come across as an insult to the other reviewers, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that so many of them were non-New Zealanders. When you come from a country that has so few authors of its own, ninety-nine percent of your reading list are from authors overseas and you never really expect your own country's books to be read anywhere other than in New Zealand. So, whether you're from New Zealand, England, Australia, America or anywhere else that Amazon.com ships out books, make sure you read this complex, mysterious, unforgettable novel.

There are some one- to three-star reviews for this book which suggest that it (a) is boring, (b) a lie (no one could remember as much of her childhood as Sally Morgan does), (c) raises her family to sainthood

I'm not an Australian and don't have any interest in the reconciliation issues that one reviewer says are the "only reason" for publishing this book. Yet I couldn't put the book down.

Certainly, if you're looking for a harrowing story of a aboriginal oppression, you won't find it here (for the first half of the book, Sally Morgan believes what her mother tells her: the family is from India). Primarily what you get is the story of a lower class Australian family dealing with adversity.

To suggest that Ms. Morgan creates heroes out of her family also misses the mark--much of the book describes the inability of her father to deal with life after the war and the frustration that she faces dealing with her mother and grandmother.

What you do get in this book is a story of a terrifically interesting family. I found myself pulled through the book, eager to see what these people would do next. It's possible that if I were Australian I wouldn't have found the book so interesting (it's possible that much of what I found interesting would be commonplace to someone from Australia). But for a Canadian, it was a eye opening book about life in Australia.

Another review comments that some aboriginals feel that Sally Morgan should not claim an aboriginal identity because she didn't grow up in an aboriginal community. In the book she talks about how her schoolmates tell her she isn't a "real Australian" because her skin is the wrong color. Apparently, some feel she isn't "dark enough" for others. This tells us more about the reviewers desire to reject her experience than the value of the book. Anyone who reads the book can decide for themselves how much of an aboriginal identity the author is claiming and/or should be allowed to claim.

As for remembering so much of her childhood: Many other autobiographies spend far more time (and detail) on their youth. The first third of Gorky's autobiography ("Youth"), for instance, is almost 400 pages long. The 100 or so pages that take Ms. Morgan to the end of high school doesn't seem excessive.

One of Fremantle Presses literary triumphs, the other being Faceys, Fortunate Life. There are similarities between them also. Whatever, we gave this another burl around the fire in Easter Sicily this Easter, to introduce our 7 yr old to the facts of Australian indigenous dispossession. It is rambling in parts, but the figure of the old granny is a humourous and sad pivot to the tales. Morgans book was in the forefront of the move to have the stolen generation recognised, and whatever the literary shortcomings of the book, it does have a heart and a deserved place in mainstream considerations of continuing indigenous plight in the country.

I find My Place to be a powerful story about a passionate person trying to find more about their past. The book gripped me and gave an amazing feeling; It was like being suffocated but breathing air fresher than you have ever breathed. I have grown an admiration for Sally Morgan. She had courage, curiousity and she managed to explain feelings never explained before and to introduce new ones.
When I read this book I feel overwhelmed that it has at last been written. For it is original and really showed me My Place.

Stories about the historical oppression and continual discrimination against Aborigines should be told, but it is unfortunate that Morgan is one of those to do it. The book fails as literature simply because it is boring and very poorly written. As such, it does nothing to advance the Aboriginal cause here in Australia, and unfortunately, plays right into the hands of the redneck Hansonites and their views of white racial superiority.

Reading the other reviews on here, I find it interesting to note that just about everyone gives it either 5 stars or 1 star, but there's almost nothing in between. It's quite true that it is a poorly written book - the writing is dull and prosaic, and there's little to recommend it from a literary point of view. Had I not had to read it for a class, I doubt I would have bothered finishing it. The narrative of searching and redemption which runs throughout is so predictable and cliché that I have the feeling that if this had been an American story it would have been snatched up by Oprah's Book Club long ago. Having said that, however, I think there are some important things about this book that probably need consideration.

More than the book itself, what I find interesting is that this was a huge bestseller in Australia. And I mean HUGE. She may well be the highest grossing Indigenous author in the country, although I'd be guessing. The fact that so many people read the book says something about the mood of White Australia over the last twenty years, with this country trying to come to grips with its shameful past. I've inclined to believe that most of this is an attempt to ease collective white guilt than actually taking steps to reconcile and compensate for over two centuries of oppression. Sally Morgan's book is popular, I think, because she doesn't actually challenge her audience to move much beyond their comfort zone, and the construction of Aboriginality that she presents is quite problematic, stereotypical, and firmly entrenched in the past.

The book has attracted quite a lot of controversy in Australia, mostly in academic circles, but occasionally this rears its head in the mainstream media (for example, the issue of the Drake-Brockmans demanding DNA testing to prove Morgan is not descended from their ancestors). The idea of the 'truthfulness' of the book is largely a question of genre more than anything else: is it an autobiography or a non-fiction novel? 'My Place' raises a lot of questions about how we define these categories, and about the nature of history and memory work.

People might be interested to know that the book also attracted a considerable amount of backlash from the Aboriginal community itself: she is often criticised for asserting an Aboriginal identity that, by her own admission, she did not grow up with. Unaware of her Indigenous origins for most of her youth, she claims her Aboriginality without ever having lived with what it really meant to be Aboriginal in the 1950s-70s. Because she has fairer skin than the stereotypical Aboriginal person, she had the luxury of pretending to be of a different nationality - an option simply not available to many Indigenous Australians - and was thus not subjected to the same level of prejudice which she might otherwise have been.

If you're interested in Australian history and Aboriginal issues you should probably read Sally Morgan's 'My Place', not because it's good writing, but because it has certainly been a landmark in the recent history of Australian literature. However, I also suggest trying to lay your hands on some of the material which critiques Morgan's work in order to gain a more balanced perspective of Indigenous Australia. Alternatively, for an all-round better account of what is now known as the Stolen Generation, try Doris Pilkington's 'Rabbit Proof Fence', or the film by the same name. If read with a critical mind, 'My Place' is worthy of a look, but it is highly problematic taken at face value.

I really enjoy this series & this book starts it all off. Phyrne Fisher is a free spirit, and she always wins.

While the Phryne Fisher series is set in the '20's, they seldom feel like it to me, which is part of the appeal. Stephanie Daniel does an exceptional job with the voices on the CDs, making them most enjoyable. Bravo!!

The first entry in a long-running Australian series. This book is deeply flawed -- the climactic scene revolves, not around wits or daring, but a public display of affection -- but it's one of the few high points in the series. Phryne is charming, brilliant and amoral, and would be almost likable if the narrative wasn't continually telling us how special and remarkable she is. It's hard to generate tension around a character for whom the normal rules of society don't apply. However, the Jazz Age Australia setting is well-realised, and this is an entertaining start to a series best enjoyed as part of a drinking game.

The Phryne Fisher series came highly recommended by a man not usually given to Affirmative Action crits, but I can't help feeling that if this had been written by a bloke . . .

Female readers may well enjoy the anachronistic cheap shots at Twenties' inequalities, and God knows there could be worse heroines for the Noughties. (Or do we call the present decade the Oh-Ohs?)

Lovers of crime fiction will surely be disappointed, and not only by the fact that the King of Snow was obvious from the start. This is an amateurish effort, best illustrated by having the members of a White Russian noble family speak French (rather than Russian) when alone with each other in private, the better to be eavesdroppedupon by our French-speaking heroine.

It's not bad wordsmithery, as you might expect of a lawyer who moonlights as an author, but I'm guessing most male readers will not find this enough.

Phryne Fisher is so refreshing. She's young, smart, sexy, compassionate and bold. I'm looking forward to many more. Can't wait!!

What can be said about this book? Well...maybe that it's very interesting how the author, was able to embed so many well detailed moments into the story AND the emotions that a young man feels. How's to say what is right and what is wrong for a man to feel when he's confused and in search for answers? That is pretty much what the author tries to explore throughout the story.

However, there are a few things in which I was [am] a bit puzzuled about. Was the reason for not exploring the characters moments with sex something to be best left to the imagination or just being caucious? What becomes of the characters with their families, friends and society?

My believe is that maybe the author left these details out so that maybe...just maybe some day, he could pick up the story again and continue it. I can clearly see this story being continued and explored more...so, how's to say?

This is a sweet book. The story is short but given the intended audience that is probably a good thing.

The author wastes no time in getting his two protagonists together as friends. After a rocky start, they develop a tentative but devoted relationship. When it comes to talking to one another, the two boys don't do much to explore what their friendship really means. The author seems to stretch things a bit when it comes to having the two of them sleep together in an embrace yet not become sexual. I don't know if we can really believe that two teenaged boys would be able to hold back, especially since the older boy, Theo, clearly establishes himself as a risk-taker who is not afraid to make bold moves.

I was less taken with the Holocaust subplot. Although the author probably intended it as a way of giving more dimension to Theo's grandmother, I'd have prefered more time seeing how the boys interacted.

The author's style is pleasant -- just right for the material -- and the New Zealand slang came across as rather charming to this American reader. The character of David does seem like a nice kid.

Recommended, but only if you are not looking for a sex romp every five pages.

David is the star of his school's rugby team and he is famous throughout his New Zealand community for being so. But gradually he's discovered that rugby isn't something he's really interested and as is natural he needs to painfully pull himself out of that role in the community. At the same time he is doing this he meets Theo, a mysterious newcomer to the community. There is an unspoken bond between the boys from when they meet and a gradual friendship is created. Theo is extroverted, rebellious against adults and blunt in trying to bring issues to the forefront whilst concealing aspects of his identity and feelings he finds hard to vocalize. Green-thumbed David is the opposite, a good boy who always does as he should and gets along with adults, but who is able to insist on what he needs to make him happy. It's interesting the ways these boys are shown to come together from different parts of society to form a romantic relationship that neither of them fully understand. It is a relationship which proves through various tests to be a lasting one.

This novel is beautifully written. It never fully tells what the boys relationship is because it is in a slow process of formation. It isn't a representation of a typical coming out story or gay discovery, but a unique discovery of new sexual feelings for two sharply drawn individuals. It seems strange at times that for hormonal boys of their age there is no realisation throughout the narrative of their sexual feelings, but this is explained to be because they literally don't know what to do yet. The presence of Theo's grandmother sometimes distracts from the main story of the boy's budding relationship, though she is an interesting enough character that seems to be crying for a story in her own right. This is a very lovingly told, nice tale that explores how "normal" boys adjust to new aspects of their identity.

This is one of the better books I've read on the subject of coming out, aimed at a young adult audience. But that's not saying much. I think a kid who is struggling with his (or her) identity would be better off reading and 'adult' book like Edmund White's gorgeous "The Beautiful Room is Empty". The writing is what elevates this book to better than average. The plot is fairly typical. A young, gifted athlete (why are they always athletes?) discovers his attraction to another boy is mutual. At first they don't discuss this attractions; instead sublimating with fast driving, wrestling, and a hunting expedition. The author began to lose me when, after the boys confront each other with their feelings, they remain incredibly chaste, even during mutual showers and nights spent in the same bed, half-nude. They learn to sublimate their sexual feelings by long runs followed by the aformentioned showers. The main character, David, while seemingly less worldy then Theo, seems willing. He is physically more powerful than Theo, more imaginative, and at times more persuasive in his arguments so it isn't too big a stretch to imagine him finding away to gently force the issue. Theo, who seems to have little control over his other appetites; smoking, drinking, fast driving; has remarkable self-control when it comes to sex. Naturally, this is a young adult book and the author has to be fairly discreet but one has to suspend their disbelief a bit far to accept that with all their opportunities (they are left alone for the weekend on more than one occasion) they don't even kiss.
Also, with such a short novel, short even by young adult standards, the author should have concentrated on one storyline; that of the two boys and their developing relationship. The side story of Gretel, Theo's grandmother, was distracting and out-of-place, having little bearing on what was happening between the boys. At the end, when we learn about her tragic past, it seems rushed, a device to shed some light on Theo's behavior, as well as her own. The author got so caught up in this character that he lost sight of his readers. I picked up this book in the hopes of reading an engaging story of two teenage boys discovering the joys, the heartaches, and the thrills of first love. Instead, I found myself growing impatient when at times Theo seemed to be a third wheel in the friendship between David and Gretel. I can't imagine the average teenage reader will have more patience for this than I. Perhaps the author should have saved Gretel's story for a different kind of book.

Ultimately, Theo is just too undeveloped a character. The reader is first introduced to him as a rebel who cares little for what others think of him. Very quickly the author seems to run out of steam when it comes to delving any deeper into Theo's motivations. His rebelliousness seems to be mere bravado; a pose. He initiates contact with David by making a rather brazen proposition on the second page of the book. Later, when he confesses his terror at the prospect of being gay for the rest of his life it doesn't ring true. Up until then he has seemed to sure of himself and of his ultimate success at hooking up with David. The far less worldly David instinctively realizes that there are strength in numbers when he confides in Theo, " It doesn't seem quite so bad when we're together. When we get to see each other and be together." This isn't out of keeping with David's character. Early in the book, he quits rugby after coming to the realization he is playing for the wrong reasons. He consistantly shows himself to be a young man unwilling to be untrue to himself. He has spent a great deal of time getting used to the idea even to the point of examing himself all over and concluding that he is not different from other boys accepting who he is attracted to. He has few illusions about who he is attracted to and is ready to accept it as long as he has love. In David, the author proves he can write a believable and consistant character so it is a mystery why he didn't work a little harder to flesh out Theo. The grandmother is a more fully realized character than Theo. One never has any doubts what motivates her behavior. She too is one with very little illusions about herself. I believe the author's intentions were good in developing Gretel the way he did; her horrible past is meant to provide insight to Theo's character and at the same time provide a bit of a moral lesson about hate which is clearly meant as a plea for tolerance for the young gay protaganists. As a message device is was handled far less clumsily then most young adult authors manage. Unfortunately, the author relies to heavily on our acceptance that Theo's personality has been shaped soley by the reality of Gretel's past. While it would surely have some bearing on Theo's character, too much is left out. When David confronts Theo, demanding to know why he hasn't been told about Gretel's past, accusing him of not caring, Theo retorts, "What the hell d'you mean? It is me. That is what I am. She is what I am. That, and more besides. Stuff she hasn't told you, might never tell you." We do learn the rest of the story, but not until the penultimate page of the book. While Gretel's revelation does provide some insight into Theo's character, it merely leaves one wondering why the author chose to clue us in at the end, when it doesn't really matter any more, at least not to the reader, and after all, who is the book for if not the reader?

This is one of the most difficult reviews I have written. First of all, I am a 37 year old, gay man from the U.S., so I know I am not the average reader the author expected to reach. However, I am a consultant to a library about gay/lesbian youth books, so I read dozens of "coming of age" books every month. "The Blue Lawn" threw me for a loop. The New Zealand language is stunning and beautiful to an outsider. The way the author also blended the effects of World War II into the book and the present is fantastic. Most of the characters seem so real.

However, the book lacks a few key elements. Without reveling any of the plot for those of you who decide to read the book, allow me to try to explain. The boys are so quick to anger, yet never seem to reach any degree of real longing for each other. Their anger, due to their love/lust for each other, comes so quickly; but when presented with opportunites for physical contact and expressions of their apparent love, they fall short and I find it hard to imagine that two 16 year olds would not have progressed beyond a simple kiss and sleeping in the same bed (clothed). While I understand that the author may have wanted to avoid any explicit sexual situations (as I believe this book was written for the younger reader), he could have at least had the boys been a bit more physical - something more realistic in this day and age.

If I may be so bold as to offer advice to to the author... take this book, expand it a bit more, explore each character a bit more and make the relationship between the two sixteen year olds just a bit more realistic. You kept them just a bit too pure and a young gay boy reading this book may want to know that doing more than just sleeping in the same bed is okay.

On the other hand, I must commend the author for his fantastic use of words, his blending of the past and present, and for allowing non-New Zealand readers to understand the role rugby plays in a young man's life. I would not hesitate to read more by this author and I have to say that this book is worth the price. It could be better, but, it is worth the price. My final thought.. I hope William Taylor writes another, longer, more drawn out book. I'll be the first to buy it.

If you are an Anglophile, you will treasure this book for the tidbits of social history , as well as the adventure story. The only problem I had that without a knowledge of England's seacoast geography and sailing terms,I was a little puzzled at times. But this was a fast and exciting read for the most part.I also recommend "In The Heart of The Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by Nat. Philbrick

I found this to be an extremely well written account of a compelling story. A difficult book to put down. If you enjoy adventure reading you will love this book.

Hanson has spun a very interesting, compelling and thought provoking story into a boring yarn. The book simply reads like a novel (rather than history) written by a college sophomore in a seminar class. Hanson fills the story early on with useless details that never materialize to bear any relevance on the story. He seems only to be trumpeting the depth of his research without putting it to much use. His prose is thin and uninspired. One of the two most interesting aspects, the "at sea" portion of the story, is brief and contains little of the overwhelming drama it suggests. There is little exploration of the characters. Even the chapter listing other stories of cannibalism at sea are rattled off as if taken directly from research notes with little thought given to their place or purpose in the story. Some portions, such as verbatim trial testimony and factual background of the political and legal climate were enlightening.

Imagine yourself adrift on the open sea in a small boat with three companions. You are 1000 miles from the nearest land, you have had no food or water for days, one of your members is near death,...is there a potential temporary solution to your problem? Reading this on a full stomach, some solutions just might not present themselves. However, in "The Custom of the Sea", the author, Neil Hanson, allows us to see things from the perspective of those involved. The solution that those men took that fateful day is the basis for a most interesting look at a most unusual footnote in history.

Hanson tells the tale primarily through the eyes of the main character but he gives us plenty of background on all of the other characters and events that culminated in a major trial in England in the late 1800's. Along the way, the author gives us historical background as well which I generally found to be helpful. Essentially, half of the 304 pages are focussed on the actual events and the other half are focussed on the resulting trial. That might sound like half is exciting and half is boring (or, at least, less exciting). However, there is a major moral and legal dilemna here and the trial helps to bring out those issues.

All in all, this is a very good book, easily read, and hard to put down. If I am to fault the author for anything, it is his openly biased account of the events. We know right off the bat who the good guys are; we hear only good things about them and we hear only bad things about the "bad guys". For example, we are told of the happily married men (good guys)and then we are told about another who is "rumored" to have abandoned a wife and children. This "rumor" is never proven but it is brought up several times in the story. I mention this because there are serious moral questions involved in these events. As such, the author ought to put forth the facts as impartially as possible so as to let the reader decide their own opinions. We were led in the "right" direction by Neil Hanson's way of telling the story. Still, most of us might have eventually ended up with similar sympathies. Read "The Custom of the Sea" and ask yourself what you would have done in the same situation.

The Custom of the Sea is a rather macabre yet fascinating tale of human survival and legal chicanery. One tends to think of desperate acts of cannibalism as the stuff of horror movies, but enough shipwrecked men resorted to this most desperate of means for it to become an unspoken law of sailors. This is an account of the doomed yacht Mignonette which went down in 1884 in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, far from land as well as the trade lanes most other ships pursued. Captain Tom Dudley, by all accounts a kind and good man, and his three hands drifted for weeks inside a leaky, tiny dinghy, surviving on two tins of turnips and a small ration of water. Ravished by weather conditions, fear, starvation, and especially thirst, they persevered as long as they could, but eventually Dudley knew that the lot must be cast and one man die in order that the others might survive a little longer. When the youngest hand succumbed to the temptation of quenching his thirst by drinking sea water and rapidly approached death, the decision was made by Dudley and his first made Stephens to kill him. Blood quenched the terrible thirst of the men, including the third man Brooks who partook of the terrible rations as willingly as his mates, and human meat sustained all three men long enough for a ship to finally rescue them after almost four weeks adrift. The captain who saved the men understood, as most sailing people did, that Dudley had done what had to be done. When the men finally made it back home, they were shocked to find themselves charged with murder. The case was a sensation, and the conviction of Dudley and Stephens for willful murder provoked a myriad of outcries from all over the country while setting a legal precedent of unusual distinction.

The book begins somewhat slowly, at least for me, as the author devotes a significant amount of time to the life and duties of men aboard ship. The story of the destructive storm they encounter and their ordeal at sea is of course quite gripping. The second half of the book basically covers their arrest and trial, and while this part of the story necessarily lacks some of the human drama that has come before it, the miscarriage of justice described by the author increasingly raises one's hackles as the book nears its end. Such an act of desperate cannibalism cannot be condoned, of course, but it is certainly understandable under the desperate conditions these sailors found themselves in. The moral and ethical issues underlying the controversy are debatable, but the story that comes out here is one of judicial abuse. The Home Office, having failed earlier to outlaw "the custom of the sea," basically used this case to obtain its elusive goal, railroading the unfortunate sailors. Their conviction was guaranteed from the start, a fact their own lawyer knew but did not divulge to them at the time. Most remarkably, the presiding judge basically told the jury they must convict the men of murder yet went on to resort to an archaic legal maneuver that took judgment out of the hands of the jury (for fear that local sentiment might result in an acquittal) and made the royal court both judge and jury. I'm not a lawyer, but the legal jurisprudence of this case would seem to be of great significance.

The book does drag in a couple of places. Hanson takes the time to comment on the history of shipwrecks and of cannibalistic survival methods of desperate men. He also goes into great detail as to life on board a ship and the pitiful state of mandated food rations. These facts are all interesting and provide a useful background to the story of the Mignonette, but they do take away from the driving force of the tale. I should say that the story is written in a narrative form, for the most part. While this makes the book more compelling, it does pose a problem in terms of the facts. The author describes the life and times of these men as if he were there recording their thoughts and deeds from the day they sailed to the day their legal ordeal finally ended. That kind of narrative would not make for good history in an academic sense, but it does make for a compelling, eye-opening read.

I have owned this book ever since its first release on the American shelves.
It has beautiful pictures of Phar Lap. The pictures of him galloping up close are astounding.
The book gives an accurate history of the freak horse.
I definitely recommend it to everyone who loves Phar Lap.

What really happed to the racehorse Phar Lap? Why did they call him a freak. I want read the story and find out.

Phar - Lap is one of my favorite racehorses, but I have to agree with some of the other people on here.....It is hard to get into. Not very well written. have to force myself to read it.

Phar Lap is still considered one of the best, if not the finest Thoroughbred champion from Australia.

The book is an outstanding history of the racer and the impact he made in Australia and the potential career he made have had in the United States. Phar Lap died under mysterious circumstances before his scheduled debut in the U.S.

There has been controversy swirling over his death in the U.S. and there were those who felt Phar Lap was poisoned deliberately, though it was ruled then by natural causes. A 2006 necropsy - obviously not in this edition of the book - revealed that he was poisoned through a high-level of arsenic.

Phar Lap - nicknamed "Big Red" - was bred in New Zealand and grew to be slightly over 17 hands tall. He captured 37 of the 51 races and was not highly regarded as a juvenile; being bought at auction for a small price due to his pedigree.

But from the humble beginning came a legend who certainly can be compared with two other racers who carried the "Big Red" tag; Man o' War and Secretariat.

This book was never written to be a novel it is meant to be factual history of Big Red and the race scene at the time and it shows our Australian Culture at the time of the Great Depression which is when the he raced, how desperate people were for money and also the snobbery that was part of the AJC and VRC in Australia. The photos were of particular interest as a lot of them haven't been seen by people who never saw him race (like myself).
The final listing of his all of the races he ran and amount of stakes money that he won in the Depresssion was also enlightening. The mind just boggles if he was alive and racing today with the prize money that is around.

The chapter that was devoted to his death finally explained to the world and particularly Australia what happened to this great horse and the sad fact that the veterinary practices at the time couldn't have saved him.

This book for me is a collectable and will be an heirloom. The picture on the front cover has been taken where he finally stands in the Melbourne Museum, where he is the most visited display in the Museum.