A
Brilliant First Novel and Six More to Savor
by
Marilyn Green Faulkner
Stella
Maria Sarah Miles Franklin grew up in the Australian Outback at
the turn of the twentieth century. She could ride, shoot, and
do the work of any cowhand. Unfortunately, she was a girl in a
time when gender slammed the door shut on any hope of a life of
the mind. Or so she thought. At sixteen, Sarah wrote a novel:
a romanticized version of her life, her struggles, her dreams,
and her self-deceptions. She dropped all her feminine appellations
and sent it out under the name of Miles Franklin. Rejected by
every publisher in Australia, her novel found its way to England,
received favorable reviews, and became a best seller. Its success
brought her instant fame and acute embarrassment, as friends and
family recognized themselves in its pages. Franklin quickly withdrew
the novel from publication and it remained out of print for sixty
years.
My
Brilliant Career tells the story of Sybylla Melvyn. Raised in the stifling
poverty of Possum Gulley, Sybylla is suddenly sent to her grandmother’s
beautiful home, Caddagat, where she is exposed to literature,
music and the company of dynamic young men. Franklin’s novel is
wonderful, and frustrating. Her gifts at such a young age are
impressive, yet her immaturity is also evident. Her lovely description
of the local fishing spot shows an impressive command of the language
for one so young:
“The
fish-hole was such a shrub-hidden nook that, though the main road
passed within two hundred yards, neither we nor our horses could
be seen by the travelers thereon. I lay on the soft moss and leaves
and drank deeply of the beauties of nature. The soft rush of the
river, the scent of the shrubs, the golden sunset, occasionally
the musical clatter of hoofs on the road, the gentle noises of
the fishers fishing, the plop, plop of a platypus disporting itself
midstream, came to me as sweetest elixir in my ideal, dream-of-a-poet
nook among the pink-based, gray-topped, moss-carpeted rocks.”
(118)
When
Franklin is giving us Australia through her bright, irreverent
eyes, she is marvelous. When she lapses into the romantic ravings
of a teenager, she is less wonderful, but still honest and engaging.
By any standard, this little book is a remarkable achievement.
I’ll be interested to hear what you think of the ending, and of
the life course she takes. Franklin feared marriage as an impediment
to her artistic freedom, yet from the way things turned out for
her one wonders if she might have been deceived in that idea.
Write and tell me what you think.
The
List Goes On!
The
members of the Best Books Club are passionate readers, and they’ve
been sending me some great recommendations for books to read over
the next six months. Four of the books are new to me, and I can’t
wait to get into them. Here they are, complete with comments from
the readers that loved them.
July:
Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China, by Jung Chang
I learned immensely about pre-Communist China from the
perspective of a grand-daughter (Jung Chang) giving the history
of three generations of the women in her family The friend who
loaned it to me said, "There are parts in this book that
seem wordy, you will probably want to skip over those....."
But
I read every word. Mid-way through the book I almost returned
the book to my friend without finishing because the grand-daughter
is telling how her own parents begin to lead the Communist regime
and how much she admires them. I thought the book began to sound
too much like propaganda and I didn't even care to continue reading.
But I am so thankful I Did continue and read every word. I learned
SO much about the land, the culture, the people, and what happened
there as the people were betrayed, the tactics and mind-games
that were used, by Communist leaders as they rose to power - America,
beware! In the last half of the book, Jung Chang reveals how
her family was tortured, starved, etc. by the faction they had
given their lives to empower. Jung was able to escape, miraculously,
to be educated in the West. Her mother is still living
in China. I closed the book for the last time wanting to write
a letter to Jung and tell her what I know about sealing families
together forever. Faith
August:
House of the Seven Gables, by Nathaniel Hawthorne
I
recommend Hawthorne's "House of Seven Gables" - I LOVE
that one--I would have named my 3rd son Phoebe if he had been
a girl! Michelle
September: The Power of One, by Bryce Courtenay
One of the best books I've read is THE POWER OF ONE
by Bryce Courtenay. Our book club is reviewing it next month.
Julianne
October: The Reivers, by William Faulkner
This
coming-of-age tale is Faulkner at his most endearing, and most
searing in his condemnation of hypocrisy. I love young Lucius,
who, though so young, has such depth of integrity and character.
MGF
November: Dombey and Son, by Charles Dickens
I am a Dickens fan! I recently read Dickens's Dombey
and Son and really enjoyed it.
Suzanne
December: The City of Joy, by Dominique Lapierre
This book was recommended to me twenty years ago, and
provided one of those unforgettable reading experiences that we
all cherish. MGF
