Synopsis from Amazon.co.uk

While searching for the wreck of a Portuguese ship which could rewrite the history of Australia, archaeologist David Norfolk stumbles upon a corpse buried 50 years before. Determined to understand its connection to the ship, David uncovers a story of obsession, secrets and sexual passion.

(edition registered is the Vintage p/back 1997)

Enjoy!

Being mailed today to my favourite 'niece' ~ I hope she'll enjoy reading this book by a debut Australian author.

I read it several years ago and whilst my recollection of it is hazy, I remember thinking highly of it at the time.

Enjoy!!

Received this today, all the way from Brisbane. Looks interesting, and I am trying to read more Australian authors...

Thanks, uncle :)

I finished this book two nights ago, and felt so entangled in the plot and characters that it was a struggle to decide what to read next (I settled on Roald Dahl's 'Matilda', for a total change of pace).

James Bradley's debut novel deals with an archaeologist, David, who is obsessed with finding the wreck of a Portuguese ship buried in the sand dunes of the New South Wales south coast. His search brings him into contact with Kurt, a disfigured and sinister old man who, David discovers, was once involved in an obsessive and disastrous search for the ship himself. Kurt also brings an ex-lover, Claire, with secrets and pain of her own, back into David's life. As David and Claire nurse the dying Kurt, he slowly reveals the awful truth of his past to David, the tension mounting as the moment of revelation draws closer, and Claire's mistrust of Kurt increases. The book ends on a devastating and almost entirely hopeless note, telling us that, "the past is a shifting sea....with nothing at its centre, except illusions, and loss".

The narrative style of 'Wrack' takes some getting used to. The chapters are short, and fall into four categories: some are broad passages of reflection and philosophy, some historical narrative about maps, explorers and colonialism, some 3rd person narrative telling the story of David, Kurt and Claire, and some the (unrealistically structured and literary-sounding) 1st person narrative of Kurt recounting his story to David. These short, changing chapters make the book fast-paced, and very hard to put down. Bradley's writing is elegant and articulate, making good use of poetic imagery. The only real failing, in my eyes, is the discrepancy between the rambling, delirious Kurt of David and Claire's observation and the clear, biographical nature of his own narrative. It simply does not read like an old man would talk. This sometimes made me wonder if most of Kurt's narrative actually took place inside his head, or perhaps even after his death, but Bradley continually gave the impression that he was recounting his story out loud.

This aside, I found this a gripping and very effective book. The bleakness of its ultimate message seems appropriate, given it is a largely a tale of obsession and loss. 'Wrack' is a very accomplished debut.

Picked this up at our lunchtime Booklette today — I'm always ready for a challenge, and it's good to have a departure from my usual fare...

As you can see this has just been sitting in my massive To Be Read pile, but I have to de-clutter the house, and culling my huge BookCrossing book collection is on the list. So I'm realising "Wrack" in the wild today, and hoping it finds an appreciative new stop on its travels!

RELEASE NOTES:

Possibly at the doctors', possibly on a bench outside... happy hunting!