Books
by Frank Moorhouse
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The Edith Trilogy: Grand Days; Dark Palace; Cold Light |
Grand Days
Historical fiction, reflecting the author's pre-occupation with peace-keeping and international relations, after WW1, in his own words, "writing about the League of Nations because it is a trunk in the attic of history which has not been properly opened. It contains haunted, bitter and embarrassing stories for the world, but also a human experiment of immense grandeur." Still contemporary, as it happens, a beautifully written, warm and funny, sexy novel, told through the adventures of Edith Campbell, a young woman from the Antipodes, intimately involved in its foundation years.
Dark Palace
Continues the saga of idealism first explored in Grand Days, cleverly mixing real life characters with imaginary ones, sees cracks appear in the League, and the decline of international appetite for pacifism and disarmament. The horrors of WW II, eventual dismantlement of the League, and foundation of the United Nations in San Francisco in 1946 are explored through the ongoing personal relationships, bewildered disillusionment but enduring commitment of the protagonists.
Cold Light
Return to Australia of Edith Campbell and her involvement in the evolution of post-war Australia. This is a richly complex observation of a society in transition and is engaging story-telling, with a satisfying mix of the personal and political.
(Margaret Teh - bwl 84 Spring 2017) |
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