- Hardcover: 384 pages
- Publisher: Faber and Faber; First American Edition edition (8 Jan 2001)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0571192165
- ISBN-13: 978-0571192168
- Product Dimensions: 23.6 x 15.6 x 3.6 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 387,686 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
In True History of the Kelly Gang Peter Carey returns to the harsh, brutal world of Australian history, so brilliantly evoked in earlier novels such as Illywhacker and Oscar and Lucinda. Set in the desolate settler communities north of Melbourne in the late 19th century, the novel is told in the form of a journal, written by the famous outlaw and "bushranger" Ned Kelly, to a daughter he will never see. As Kelly explains, "I lost my own father at 12 yr. of age and know what it is to be raised on lies and silences my dear daughter you are presently too young to understand a word I write but this history is for you and will contain no single lies may I burn in hell if I speak false".
The salty, colloquial, unpunctuated style of Kelly's journal is reproduced with great skill, as Carey recounts the outlaw's early life with a cross-dressing, Irish immigrant sheep worker, and a beautiful but headstrong mother, always on the wrong side of the law. Inadvertently causing the arrest and death of his father, Ned realises that "there were a drought and nothing flourishing there but misery I were the oldest son I thought it time to earn my place", a decision that ultimately leads him into conflict with the law, and to form the notorious Kelly Gang.
The novel contains some wonderfully lyrical and deeply moving moments, as Ned struggles to articulate the harsh injustice of the world around him, but some readers might find Carey's epistolary style rather restrictive and colourless after the first 100 pages, and lacking in the imaginative excitement of Carey's earlier novels. --Jerry Brotton
Review
'Peter Carey has produced some very fine novels before now, but this, I would say, is his finest.' --Daily Telegraph
'Contains pretty much everything you could ask of a novel.' --New York Times Book Review
'[Peter Carey is] without question the pre-eminent literary voice of post-colonial Australia, he loves to take risks.' --Guardian --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
'Contains pretty much everything you could ask of a novel.' --New York Times Book Review
'[Peter Carey is] without question the pre-eminent literary voice of post-colonial Australia, he loves to take risks.' --Guardian --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Yes it won the Booker price, and yes I loved it but its' important that you realise that there is no guarentee that you will enjoy it.
The written style is main thing to worry about. The narrators voice, Ned Kelly, can be a hard read. I've heard of people who have said that the found the books style a real grind to read and have never even finished the book. For me Ned Kelly's voice is utterly unique, free of the over intellectual prose of many authors. I was swept away, inside his head, into his world. I had never read anything like it.
It is clear Peter Carey has done a vast amount of research as well as made a massive leap of imagination. The gritty story is filled with tender and powerfully sad moments. It is certainly one of the most accomplished books I have read.
My advice, read a few pages or passages before you buy. If it you like the sound of it then go for it.
63 of 66 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Peter Carey has written an unusual novel that is put together as a series of letters written by Ned Kelly the famous Australian outlaw and bushranger, who became a national hero. It is presented as a raw, personal journal, written to a daughter he would never see. This is not only a very interesting concept but also provides a good insight into life in 19th century Australia. This novel is set in the desolate settler communities north of Melbourne, Victoria in the late 19th century, during a time when the first Irish settlers in Australia faced many hardships and struggles.
Peter's novel is basically a corrective to the popular conception, among some Australians, of Ned Kelly being a thug, thief and murderer. Ned's portrayal in this work is nothing less than a folk hero and freedom fighter, a defiant exemplar of Irish-Australian cussedness in the face of colonial oppression. To the authorities, this son of dirt-poor Irish immigrants was a born thief and, ultimately, a cold-blooded murderer; to most other Australians, he was a scapegoat and patriot persecuted by "English" landlords and their agents. With his brothers and two friends, Kelly eluded a massive police manhunt for twenty months, living by his wits and strong heart, supplementing his bushwhacking skills with ingenious bank robberies while enjoying the support of most everyone not in uniform. He declined to flee overseas when he could, bound to win his jailed mother's freedom by any means possible, including his own surrender if necessary. Ned Kelly was executed by hanging for murder in 1880 in Melbourne, Victoria. In the end his mother served out her sentence in the same Melbourne prison where her son was hanged. We come to understand the poverty, hardship, and the prejudice of the colonial police force, during that period of time, particularly towards the Irish. These factors were all part of the plight of Ned Kelly and his gang. Was he a good boy gone wrong?
Peter's novel is basically a corrective to the popular conception, among some Australians, of Ned Kelly being a thug, thief and murderer. Ned's portrayal in this work is nothing less than a folk hero and freedom fighter, a defiant exemplar of Irish-Australian cussedness in the face of colonial oppression. To the authorities, this son of dirt-poor Irish immigrants was a born thief and, ultimately, a cold-blooded murderer; to most other Australians, he was a scapegoat and patriot persecuted by "English" landlords and their agents. With his brothers and two friends, Kelly eluded a massive police manhunt for twenty months, living by his wits and strong heart, supplementing his bushwhacking skills with ingenious bank robberies while enjoying the support of most everyone not in uniform. He declined to flee overseas when he could, bound to win his jailed mother's freedom by any means possible, including his own surrender if necessary. Ned Kelly was executed by hanging for murder in 1880 in Melbourne, Victoria. In the end his mother served out her sentence in the same Melbourne prison where her son was hanged. We come to understand the poverty, hardship, and the prejudice of the colonial police force, during that period of time, particularly towards the Irish. These factors were all part of the plight of Ned Kelly and his gang. Was he a good boy gone wrong?
This is a tale of misunderstanding, foul justice, and the wringing of a family's heart. This novel is packed with history, incidents, alive with comedy and pathos, and contains everything that you could ask for in a truly great work.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
To be honest I had not heard of Peter Carey before I had heard about this book. I bought the book and found I was completely drawn into this world of Australian settlers/immigrants lives in the mid 19 th century. Ned voice was given a clarity and such depth I found I could not put this book down. I did, however, find myself wanting to find out more of Ned, and his descendants....great book. I loved it.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A tough read, but worthwhile
As many people have said, the writing style of this book is tough to get past and probably means that many people will be put off reading what ends up being a cracking story. Read more
Published 9 months ago by D. Gilman
A challenging but rewarding novel
It took a while for me to find the rhythm of this book, by that I mean that the first few times I sat down with it, it was a difficult read due to the lack of punctuation and weak... Read more
Published 13 months ago by Craig
True mystery of the interest about the kelly gang
I had to read this as part of my A Level English, and as far as analysing goes, it's great, but from the viewpoint of a reader, it's irksome at best. Read more
Published 13 months ago by -EFox-
Gripping journal of a misunderstood outlaw
I don't often read novels, much preferring to view the characters, their emotion, the surroundings and any action unfold on screen. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Jberg300
Frustration
I am an A-level English Language and Literature student who has just finished an exam in which I had to compare this book with Truman Capote's In Cold Blood. Read more
Published 24 months ago by Mr. R. J. Wilkes
True said he your ma is your donah as everybody knows.
When I were a young man (a long time ago...) I read a great short story by Peter Carey, `War Crimes' it was called, and I've had an on/off relationship with him ever since. Read more
Published on 31 Mar 2010 by A. Willard
Very atmospheric....
Because Peter Carey is such a good writer we approach his work with high expectations. The True History of the Kelly Gang does not disappoint. Read more
Published on 6 Mar 2010 by Wynne Kelly
Carey's best?
I'm a huge but not uncritical fan of Peter Carey (not so keen on his more recent stuff)....True History knocked me out. Read more
Published on 29 Jan 2010 by W. Shaw
Rewarding and unusual
This book has been frequently reviewed so here are just a few quick thoughts.
I was alarmed at the sight of sentences with no grammar but adapted to it after a few... Read more
I was alarmed at the sight of sentences with no grammar but adapted to it after a few... Read more
Published on 22 Aug 2009 by Officer Dibble
Peter Carey and his book True History Of The Kelly Gang
Peter Carey and his book True History Of The Kelly Gang became the winner of the Book Prize 2001. This is a good book but the style of the author might be hard to read sometimes... Read more
Published on 5 Jan 2009 by M. Bilas
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