True History of the Kelly Gang
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Review
"A spectacular feat of imagination."-"The Boston Globe
""Vastly entertaining.... Triumphantly eclectic, as if Huck Finn and Shakespeare had joined forces to prettify the legend of Jesse James."-"The New York Times
"
"The ingenuity, empathy, and poetic ear that the novelist brings to his feat of imposture cannot be rated too high."-John Updike, "The New Yorker
""Carey succeeds in creating an account that not only feels authentic but also passes as a serious novel and solid, old-fashioned 'entertainment.' A big, meaty novel, blending Dickens and Cormac McCarthy with a distinctly
Australian strain of melancholy."-"San Francisco Chronicle
"
"Abravura performance.... Rewards the persistent reader with a powerful emotional experience."-"The Wall Street Journal
""Carey's pen writes with an ink that is two parts archaic and one part modern and colors a prose that rocks and cajoles the reader into a certainty that Ned Kelly is fit company not only for Jack Palance and Clint Eastwood but for Thomas Jefferson and perhaps even a bodhisattva."-"Los Angeles Times
"
"The power and charm of [this book] arise not from fidelity to facts but rather from the voice Carey invents for Ned Kelly...."-"Time
"
"So adroit that you never doubt it's Kelly's own words you're reading in the headlong, action-packed story."-"Newsweek
"
"This novel is worth our best attention."-"The" "Washington Post Book World
""An avalanche of a novel.... Cary has raised a national legend to the level of an international myth."-"Christian Science Monitor"
"Packed with incident, alive with comedy and pathos . . . contains pretty much everything you could ask of a novel." -"TheNew York Times Book Review"
"The ingenuity, empathy, and poetic ear that the novelist brings to his feat of imposture cannot be rated too high." -John Updike, "The New Yorker
"
"Carey's pen writes with an ink that is two parts archaic and one part modern and colors a prose that rocks and cajoles the reader into a certainty that Ned Kelly is fit company not only for Jack Palance and Clint Eastwood but for Thomas Jefferson and perhaps even a bodhisattva." -"Los Angeles Times
"
""Vastly entertaining.... Triumphantly eclectic, as if Huck Finn and Shakespeare had joined forces to prettify the legend of Jesse James."-"The New York Times
"
"The ingenuity, empathy, and poetic ear that the novelist brings to his feat of imposture cannot be rated too high."-John Updike, "The New Yorker
""Carey succeeds in creating an account that not only feels authentic but also passes as a serious novel and solid, old-fashioned 'entertainment.' A big, meaty novel, blending Dickens and Cormac McCarthy with a distinctly
Australian strain of melancholy."-"San Francisco Chronicle
"
"Abravura performance.... Rewards the persistent reader with a powerful emotional experience."-"The Wall Street Journal
""Carey's pen writes with an ink that is two parts archaic and one part modern and colors a prose that rocks and cajoles the reader into a certainty that Ned Kelly is fit company not only for Jack Palance and Clint Eastwood but for Thomas Jefferson and perhaps even a bodhisattva."-"Los Angeles Times
"
"The power and charm of [this book] arise not from fidelity to facts but rather from the voice Carey invents for Ned Kelly...."-"Time
"
"So adroit that you never doubt it's Kelly's own words you're reading in the headlong, action-packed story."-"Newsweek
"
"This novel is worth our best attention."-"The" "Washington Post Book World
""An avalanche of a novel.... Cary has raised a national legend to the level of an international myth."-"Christian Science Monitor"
"Packed with incident, alive with comedy and pathos . . . contains pretty much everything you could ask of a novel." -"TheNew York Times Book Review"
"The ingenuity, empathy, and poetic ear that the novelist brings to his feat of imposture cannot be rated too high." -John Updike, "The New Yorker
"
"Carey's pen writes with an ink that is two parts archaic and one part modern and colors a prose that rocks and cajoles the reader into a certainty that Ned Kelly is fit company not only for Jack Palance and Clint Eastwood but for Thomas Jefferson and perhaps even a bodhisattva." -"Los Angeles Times
"
Review
'Simple, direct, colloquial, humorous, respectfully prudish and shot through with poetry.' Observer
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a "western" which gallops to life, and the reader feels the grit, smells the dust, and agonizes with desperate characters as they are tossed every which way, not by their own deliberate decisions so much as by the unpredictability of their Australian frontier existence.
Ned Kelly, the Jesse James of Australia, becomes human here, not a monstrous blackguard so much as a man who is forced to make impossible choices. In this tale, which purports to be the hand-written autobiography he wants to leave for his baby daughter, we follow his childhood in poverty, his reluctant "apprenticeship" to the villainous Harry Powers, his cruel imprisonment by corrupt authorities, and his attempts to stay out of trouble upon his release. The judicial system's attack on his mother, however, becomes the catalyst for Ned's life in crime, a life which the reader understands could have been completely different, had authorities simply shown more compassion.
Carey is masterful in using small details to show contrasts and to make the big picture come alive. A new pair of soft boots achieves almost mystical significance--the ecstasy of their acquisition contrasting with the strength achieved through their sacrifice. "Fresh bread and jam...barley and mutton soup," served to Ned in jail, provide poignant contrast to the poorer, leaner fare on the farm. And a red silk dress becomes a symbol for corruption in one context and love in another.
This is a vigorous, exuberant, and uncompromising vision of wilderness life and death. It is the sensitive portrayal of a young man forced to make impossible decisions to save and protect his family. And it is a passionate love story told with a warmth and sympathy that is all the more poignant for its contrast with the murder and death which accompany it. Satisfying and rewarding on all levels.
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a riveting story of the struggle of a family to survive in nineteenth-century Australia. It is told by Ned Kelly himself and the language is correspondingly unpolished with very little use of punctuation. After the first chapter or so, however, you stop noticing the language and get involved in the story. This book has been greatly hyped because of the Booker Prize but it's probably one you should judge for yourself. There's lots that's worth reading even if you're not Australian!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition
After emigrating to Australia I found that you cannot escape hearing about the quintessential Aussie anti-hero Ned Kelly. I was interested in knowing more about his life and background and this book really delivered. It is pretty easy to read once you get into the style of writing which reflects the way someone from that era and educational background would have spoken like. After reading the book I now feel that I have a much better idea of the events of Ned Kellys life which led him to lead his life in the way he did, very much a result of events that went on around him rather than by his own personal choice. A great book which I got for 99p I would be more than happy to have paid full price for it.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A present
True History of the Kelly Gang
Bought for a grandson who is keen to read the history of this Australian gang. From what we have seen, this will suit him well
Bought for a grandson who is keen to read the history of this Australian gang. From what we have seen, this will suit him well
Published 7 days ago by Mr. Keith G. Coulthard
Ned's Journey
Read this whilst on a world trip which included the Australian outback. Difficult to get a handle on to begin with because of the way it's written eg poor/no punctuation, missing... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Pughie
Totally Engrossed.
I have owned this book for a couple of years but got put off on first attempted reading by the strange use of language and lack of punctuation. Read more
Published 4 months ago by P. de Wolfe
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