Tim Winton's 'Cloudstreet' is a powerful family saga that explores themes of luck, family dynamics, and resilience amidst adversity. The novel follows the intertwined lives of the Lambs and the Pickles as they face personal tragedies and societal changes in post-war Australia. It is celebrated for its lyrical prose and exploration of Australian cultural myths.
In 'Age of Anger', Pankaj Mishra examines the rise of nationalist, isolationist, and chauvinist movements by tracing the historical impact of Enlightenment values such as individualism and capitalism. He argues that these movements are a response to the unfulfilled promises of modernity, leading to widespread anger and resentment. The book offers a profound critique of modern liberalism and its global implications.
Published in 1939, 'The Grapes of Wrath' is a powerful and poignant novel by John Steinbeck. It tells the story of the Joad family, Oklahoma tenant farmers who are forced to leave their home after the devastating effects of the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. The novel follows their arduous journey along Route 66 to California, where they face numerous hardships, including poverty, exploitation, and the loss of family members. The book explores themes of family, survival, and the struggle for human dignity in the face of overwhelming adversity. It also delves into the broader social and economic issues of the time, highlighting the conflict between the powerful and the powerless. Steinbeck's work is known for its vivid portrayal of the human condition and its impact on American literature and society[2][4][5].
Australian writer Tim Winton on the stories which inspired his latest novel, 'Juice', a story of determination, survival, and the limits of the human spirit.
'Juice' is an astonishing feat of imagination.
It takes us to a far-off future on a superheated planet, where people must live like desert frogs in Northwest Australia.
They go underground for the murderously hot summer months, before emerging in winter to grow and make what they can.
The nameless narrator of the book is travelling with a child under his protection. They are taken hostage by a man with a crossbow, who takes them to the bottom of a mine shaft.
There, the narrator has to tell his story to the bowman in the hope that he won't kill them.
This episode of Conversations explores climate change, science, climate justice, storytelling, writing, books, narrative, fiction, Australian writers, Cloudstreet, Western Australia, coral bleaching, Pilbara, Ningaloo Reef, Putin, Trump, American politics, global politics, Russia, oligarchs, tariffs, trade wars, artists protesting, romantasy, climate change refugees.
Juice is published by Penguin.
This conversation was recorded in front of a live audience at Adelaide Writers' Week.
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