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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
Over-rated, 6 Dec 2002
Mainly set in Melbourne, Australia between the years 2041 and 2061 this books tells of the fortunes of one family and their associates. The money system has collapsed, there is mass unemployment and the poor live in massive high-rise tower blocks. The greenhouse culture is starting to reap the reward of disregard for the environment - the sea level is rising. The lucky employed people are known as 'sweet' and the vast majority of unemployed are 'swill'. The father of the family loses his job and this starts the family's fall to swilldom. There is an added perspective of a future where Melbourne is mostly under water. Historians and archaeologists are studying the past through the characters in this family.I started off finding the book quite enjoyable but eventually found it overlong and looking back afterwards realised that there was little structure to the novel and an impression that the changed direction a couple of times. He initially seemed to concentrate on developing one character, Francis, but then seemed to switch to his brother, Teddy.
This novel received good reviews and seems to be well regarded. "The tale of various people struggling to maintain a decent life in Australia, it's a dark but genuinely moving book. Turner's best novel. Winner of the 1988 Arthur C. Clarke award." - The Ultimate Guide to Science Fiction. Given the above criticisms I found it readable and reasonably enjoyable but thought it was a bit overrated.
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(1 customer review)
