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Review
"Over the past decade Gail Jones has established herself as a significant presence in contemporary Australian fiction. Thoughtful, intelligent, and intensely lyrical...a novel of unmistakable contemporary relevance."---"The Guardian" (London)
"An intense...poetic tale."---"Financial Times" (London)
""Five Bells" is a brilliant work, both explicitly Australian and insistently cosmopolitan...[and] establishes Gail Jones as one of Australia's finest authors....In the midst of pandemonium, traffic, and tourist hordes gazing at icons, Jones gives us individuals who are achingly alive, filled with apprehensions of beauty, love, and mortality."---"The Australian
"An intense...poetic tale."---"Financial Times" (London)
""Five Bells" is a brilliant work, both explicitly Australian and insistently cosmopolitan...[and] establishes Gail Jones as one of Australia's finest authors....In the midst of pandemonium, traffic, and tourist hordes gazing at icons, Jones gives us individuals who are achingly alive, filled with apprehensions of beauty, love, and mortality."---"The Australian
""Jones's writing has the intensity of a dream...combining tension with lyricism."---"The Times" (London)
"A story peopled by real characters, memorably related in delicate, ornate prose."---"The Independent" (London)
"A novel that reaches beyond the glittering surface of Sydney to capture the rippling patterns of a wider human history with singular beauty and power."---"The Canberra Times (Australia)
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Book Description
A powerful novel that tells the story of four people whose lives are bound together by a single dramatic event.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
In lush and often lyrical language, Australian author Gail Jones creates a consummately literary novel which takes place on Circular Quay, surrounding the Opera House, during one hot summer day in Sydney. Four major characters are dealing with personal losses and memories of the past which make it difficult, if not impossible, for them to participate fully in the present. Deaths haunt them all, and as they gravitate individually towards the Opera House, they relive events from their lives. Time is relative as the novel moves forward and then swirls backward during each character's reminiscences. Only two characters know each other. The other characters lead independent lives, and any connection among them will be just a glancing blow, a random event - one of the minor acts of fate. A mysterious fifth character, who materializes without warning in the conclusion, serves as a catalyst to bring the novel to its thematic conclusion.
Ellie, the first of the characters, is a small town girl who has lived in the countryside for all of her thirty-four years. She has come into the city to reconnect with James DeMello, the love of her life, who has contacted her recently after a twenty year hiatus. James DeMello, who became her lover when they were both fourteen, will be meeting her later that day. James abandoned his medical school studies after just one year, and he secretly dreams of the artistic life. A terrible accident for which he blames himself has made his grip on reality precarious. Catherine Healy, from Ireland, has come to Sydney from Paris to find work as a journalist, leaving her lover Luc behind in Paris. She has still not recovered from the death of her brother several years ago. The fourth character, Pei Xing, a widow in her sixties, has come to Australia from mainland China, having survived the Cultural Revolution which killed her parents and forced her to endure torture and a terrible prison term.
Literary and artistic references pepper the narrative, adding depth to the themes of love, loss, and death. Artist Rene Magritte's painting of "The Lovers," Man Ray and Lee Miller's surrealistic painting also called "The Lovers," and a Giacometti sculpture all fit into James's reminiscences. James Joyce's "The Dead," is read at Catherine's brother Brendan's funeral; Gogol's story of "The Overcoat" parallels in some ways the red coat that Pei Xing has received as a child; and Pei Xing's father's translation of Dr. Zhivago echoes throughout the action. Ezra Pound and the Australian poet Kenneth Slessor, whose poem "Five Bells" introduces the action, add to the literary density. Images of snow, the stars, bridges, birds, water, and the clepsydra, a water clock, pervade the narrative.
Though some will find this novel a literary treat, others may question its structure. With four separate characters, three of whose lives do not intersect in any significant way, the novel is somewhat fragmented, and all the characters are not equally well developed. Ellie and Catherine are not very thoughtful. Why Catherine is in Sydney at all is an open question, and how much Ellie will learn about life remains in doubt. Sometimes the prose is weighed down by the elaborate imagery. Still the novel offers much of interest to those who enjoy highly literary novels, and the thematic focus and the setting are unusual and intriguing. Mary Whipple
Sorry
Ellie, the first of the characters, is a small town girl who has lived in the countryside for all of her thirty-four years. She has come into the city to reconnect with James DeMello, the love of her life, who has contacted her recently after a twenty year hiatus. James DeMello, who became her lover when they were both fourteen, will be meeting her later that day. James abandoned his medical school studies after just one year, and he secretly dreams of the artistic life. A terrible accident for which he blames himself has made his grip on reality precarious. Catherine Healy, from Ireland, has come to Sydney from Paris to find work as a journalist, leaving her lover Luc behind in Paris. She has still not recovered from the death of her brother several years ago. The fourth character, Pei Xing, a widow in her sixties, has come to Australia from mainland China, having survived the Cultural Revolution which killed her parents and forced her to endure torture and a terrible prison term.
Literary and artistic references pepper the narrative, adding depth to the themes of love, loss, and death. Artist Rene Magritte's painting of "The Lovers," Man Ray and Lee Miller's surrealistic painting also called "The Lovers," and a Giacometti sculpture all fit into James's reminiscences. James Joyce's "The Dead," is read at Catherine's brother Brendan's funeral; Gogol's story of "The Overcoat" parallels in some ways the red coat that Pei Xing has received as a child; and Pei Xing's father's translation of Dr. Zhivago echoes throughout the action. Ezra Pound and the Australian poet Kenneth Slessor, whose poem "Five Bells" introduces the action, add to the literary density. Images of snow, the stars, bridges, birds, water, and the clepsydra, a water clock, pervade the narrative.
Though some will find this novel a literary treat, others may question its structure. With four separate characters, three of whose lives do not intersect in any significant way, the novel is somewhat fragmented, and all the characters are not equally well developed. Ellie and Catherine are not very thoughtful. Why Catherine is in Sydney at all is an open question, and how much Ellie will learn about life remains in doubt. Sometimes the prose is weighed down by the elaborate imagery. Still the novel offers much of interest to those who enjoy highly literary novels, and the thematic focus and the setting are unusual and intriguing. Mary Whipple
Sorry
Format:Paperback
Gail Jones is a very good writer, but I found "Five Bells" rather disappointing. After reading "Sorry", which I thought was excellent and can thoroughly recommend, (it's on my "best books" list), I was really looking forward to receiving this book, but after reading it, I was left feeling disillusioned. The central characters have hardly anything in common except for the fact that they all happen to pass through Circular Quay in Sydney and the story line seems to be missing. Each character, though well described, is portrayed in more like a separate, short story and jumping from one to the other makes everything rather disjointed.
All in all, I thought it wasn't one of her best works.
All in all, I thought it wasn't one of her best works.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
20 reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
"How we cherish those who give us our dreams."
1 Mar 2012
Format:Paperback
In lush and often lyrical language, Australian author Gail Jones creates a consummately literary novel which takes place on Circular Quay, surrounding the Opera House, during one hot summer day in Sydney. Four major characters are dealing with personal losses and memories of the past which make it difficult, if not impossible, for them to participate fully in the present. Deaths haunt them all, and as they gravitate individually towards the Opera House, they relive events from their lives. Time is relative as the novel moves forward and then swirls backward during each character's reminiscences. Only two characters know each other. The other characters lead independent lives, and any connection among them will be just a glancing blow, a random event - one of the minor acts of fate. A mysterious fifth character, who materializes without warning in the conclusion, serves as a catalyst to bring the novel to its thematic conclusion.
Ellie, the first of the characters, is a small town girl who has lived in the countryside for all of her thirty-four years. She has come into the city to reconnect with James DeMello, the love of her life, who has contacted her recently after a twenty year hiatus. James DeMello, who became her lover when they were both fourteen, will be meeting her later that day. James abandoned his medical school studies after just one year, and he secretly dreams of the artistic life. A terrible accident for which he blames himself has made his grip on reality precarious. Catherine Healy, from Ireland, has come to Sydney from Paris to find work as a journalist, leaving her lover Luc behind in Paris. She has still not recovered from the death of her brother several years ago. The fourth character, Pei Xing, a widow in her sixties, has come to Australia from mainland China, having survived the Cultural Revolution which killed her parents and forced her to endure torture and a terrible prison term
.
Literary and artistic references pepper the narrative, adding depth to the themes of love, loss, and death. Artist Rene Magritte's painting of "The Lovers," Man Ray and Lee Miller's surrealistic painting also called "The Lovers," and a Giacometti sculpture all fit into James's reminiscences. James Joyce's "The Dead," is read at Catherine's brother Brendan's funeral; Gogol's story of "The Overcoat" parallels in some ways the red coat that Pei Xing has received as a child; and Pei Xing's father's translation of Dr. Zhivago echoes throughout the action. Ezra Pound and the Australian poet Kenneth Slessor, whose poem "Five Bells" introduces the action, add to the literary density. Images of snow, the stars, bridges, birds, water, and the clepsydra, a water clock, pervade the narrative.
Though some will find this novel a literary treat, others may question its structure. With four separate characters, three of whose lives do not intersect in any significant way, the novel is somewhat fragmented, and all the characters are not equally well developed. Ellie and Catherine are not very thoughtful. Why Catherine is in Sydney at all is an open question, and how much Ellie will learn about life remains in doubt. Sometimes the prose is weighed down by the elaborate imagery. Still the novel offers much of interest to those who enjoy highly literary novels, and the thematic focus and the setting are unusual and intriguing. Mary Whipple
Sorry
Ellie, the first of the characters, is a small town girl who has lived in the countryside for all of her thirty-four years. She has come into the city to reconnect with James DeMello, the love of her life, who has contacted her recently after a twenty year hiatus. James DeMello, who became her lover when they were both fourteen, will be meeting her later that day. James abandoned his medical school studies after just one year, and he secretly dreams of the artistic life. A terrible accident for which he blames himself has made his grip on reality precarious. Catherine Healy, from Ireland, has come to Sydney from Paris to find work as a journalist, leaving her lover Luc behind in Paris. She has still not recovered from the death of her brother several years ago. The fourth character, Pei Xing, a widow in her sixties, has come to Australia from mainland China, having survived the Cultural Revolution which killed her parents and forced her to endure torture and a terrible prison term
.
Literary and artistic references pepper the narrative, adding depth to the themes of love, loss, and death. Artist Rene Magritte's painting of "The Lovers," Man Ray and Lee Miller's surrealistic painting also called "The Lovers," and a Giacometti sculpture all fit into James's reminiscences. James Joyce's "The Dead," is read at Catherine's brother Brendan's funeral; Gogol's story of "The Overcoat" parallels in some ways the red coat that Pei Xing has received as a child; and Pei Xing's father's translation of Dr. Zhivago echoes throughout the action. Ezra Pound and the Australian poet Kenneth Slessor, whose poem "Five Bells" introduces the action, add to the literary density. Images of snow, the stars, bridges, birds, water, and the clepsydra, a water clock, pervade the narrative.
Though some will find this novel a literary treat, others may question its structure. With four separate characters, three of whose lives do not intersect in any significant way, the novel is somewhat fragmented, and all the characters are not equally well developed. Ellie and Catherine are not very thoughtful. Why Catherine is in Sydney at all is an open question, and how much Ellie will learn about life remains in doubt. Sometimes the prose is weighed down by the elaborate imagery. Still the novel offers much of interest to those who enjoy highly literary novels, and the thematic focus and the setting are unusual and intriguing. Mary Whipple
Sorry
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Joyce meets Pasternak in Sydney, with touches of Woolf
24 Mar 2012
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
The cover for this book and the blurbs made me expect something along the lines of Maeve Binchy--pleasant, interlocking stories of real people with slightly heightened concerns. I guess that's what this is--although it is more like three short stories with only a very tangential connection between two and only a circumstantial one with the other. First off, I should have read the blurb more carefully, because it took me a while to figure out what the Circular Quay was. Then, I needed to read when I was alert and not kind of snoozy, because there is a lot of lit'r'y verbiage relative to plot to go through. The stories are not overly gripping and the switching about doesn't help keep track of the threads. I would have preferred to read each narrative as a separate short story, since the interlocking aspects are so trivial.
The writing is lush, and rife with literary references--the sort of book you'd love to read if you had to write a paper on it. Unfortunately, I read more for diversion these days, and the stories were okay. I really don't get what the Five Bells is about, even after reading the epigraphic poetry excerpt at the front. I felt that a lot went over my head (I do have an honors degree in English lit), and that some footnotes would have been helpful.
The writing is lush, and rife with literary references--the sort of book you'd love to read if you had to write a paper on it. Unfortunately, I read more for diversion these days, and the stories were okay. I really don't get what the Five Bells is about, even after reading the epigraphic poetry excerpt at the front. I felt that a lot went over my head (I do have an honors degree in English lit), and that some footnotes would have been helpful.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Lives intersect at the Sydney Opera House
12 Mar 2012
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
Five Bells is the story of four separate lives that come together one Saturday near the Sydney Opera House. Pei Xing is a survivor of China's Cultural Revolution. After her imprisonment, she relocated to Australia. Catherine is haunted by the death of her brother in Dublin. Ellie and James knew each other long ago and are meeting to discuss something James needs to share. The four main characters have sorrow, guilt and secrets from their pasts. The events of this particular Saturday change them all in some way.
Although the present tale takes place in just one day, the author gives us glimpses of each character's life and shows what brings them to Circular Quay this day. While the stories are interesting and the language of the novel is beautifully written, the character development is somewhat lacking. It is tough to fully delve into so many main characters. I fell like this book should have been twice as long to give each character his or her proper due. I liked the characters and I wanted them all to find peace and joy, but it would have been more satisfying to just have more of the past, more of their feelings, more of a look at their futures. Overall, I enjoyed the book, it just felt a little bit empty and unresolved when I finished it.
Although the present tale takes place in just one day, the author gives us glimpses of each character's life and shows what brings them to Circular Quay this day. While the stories are interesting and the language of the novel is beautifully written, the character development is somewhat lacking. It is tough to fully delve into so many main characters. I fell like this book should have been twice as long to give each character his or her proper due. I liked the characters and I wanted them all to find peace and joy, but it would have been more satisfying to just have more of the past, more of their feelings, more of a look at their futures. Overall, I enjoyed the book, it just felt a little bit empty and unresolved when I finished it.
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