My parents always had a lot of Nevil Shute books knocking around the house and I saw one second hand and picked it up recently.
I have to say I tore through “A Town like Alice” though the writing is more functional than inspired. It is also shockingly racist in a very casual, unthinking way that demonstrates how racism was woven into the fabric of society more clearly than anything else I’ve read. The framing device is somewhat odd and, judging by the author’s note at the back, it’s a tribute to a Dutch lady he fell in love with.
All in all, though, I’m inclined to give “On the Beach” a whirl. Any thoughts?
On a related note, wikipedia tells me that Nevil Shute’s father was the head of the General Post Office in Dublin during the 1916 uprising and stretchered people out. Suspect possibly not the founders of the new State.
Finally, can anyone tell me whether Australians say bonza in real life as in “Alice is a bonza town”?
In my experience, “bonza” and other such Aussie slang are only used either by non-city folk or on television. I’ve only heard my Sydneysider and Melbournian friends say “Sheila”, etc. in a teasing way.
I’ve a blogger friend in Australia who may be able to tell me. In my experience, slang expressions from other cultures tossed into novels tend to be greatly exaggerated.
It’s kind of like when a toddler learns a new “big” word and then proceeds to use it (correctly or incorrectly) in every sentence.
bonza, not so much anymore. It’s more an old fashioned term that my uncles on the farm may use (ie bonza tractor) . However given that it is Australia Day here today, there are bound to be a few ‘bonzas’ flying around, especially at bbqs, or at the beach and over a few cold beers with mates. Hooray Australia day long weekend.
Fair dinkum I’m so tired of hearing that bloody term. Bonza. No, for crying out loud, of course we don’t say that.
I say Fair Dinkum. I do. There, I said it. Fair Dinkum. But you’ve got to know the right time to say it. I said it in a nightclub once, in front of a metrosexual homosexual guy I worked with. WRONG time to say it. He laughed at me and said something cruel about being a country-bumpkin and I was embarrassed. So, I save it up for special occasions. Like, when someone does something completely unexpected, unacceptable and moronic all rolled into one. Then, ‘fair dinkum’ is like saying “I can’t believe she just did that, what a gosh-darn idiot”. Someone pushes in front of me in a line at the coffee shop? Fair dinkum. Someone steals my parking space that I was lining up to reverse park in? Fair dinkum, can’t believe they did that….
…. I’m going to continue this discussion over on my own blog. Thanks for the inspiration, it’s been just bonza, mate.