May 13 2007
Black water by David Metzenthen
Penguin,
2007
A new book by David Metzenthen is to be savoured - read with care and
thought as the reader finds that his stories are always more than just
stories; there are layers and depths to his books that necessitate
contemplation and discussion. Black water is quite wonderful, a truly
gripping story that has the reader wondering constantly what will
happen, fearful that the main protagonists will not come out of it
well, following the clues and leads given by the author as he espouses
his thoughts about war and its far reaching effects. In a few lines I
cannot do justice to this author and his new book, as his 308 pages had
me engrossed for weeks as I read of the boys who lived on Swan Island,
off the coast of Queenscliff near Melbourne, during World War 1.
Farren has left school and works at the local pub, his father a
fisherman who one night does not return, his body washed up in the
shore the next day; his brother Danny, a casualty of the Gallipoli
campaign, in a hospital in Melbourne, about to be returned to his home,
a crippled, disfigured young man. Together the boys muddle on, helped
by locals, Farren always hoping that Danny will one day cross the
bridge into town. Into their lives comes Souki, washed up one night
from a shipwreck, and found by Danny, tangled in sea weed.
The themes in this novel are wide reaching, as Metzenthen brings all
the force of his recent The boys of
blood and bone to the fore, revealing war for the curse that it
is, wrecking people's lives beyond anything we know. The minutiae of
the lives of the people who live on the island are revealed subtly,
Metzenthen displaying the different social standing through the
biscuits offered with a cup of tea, the pictures on the wall, the
clothing. Metzenthen's thorough knowledge and understanding of the
times is everpresent in the setting, their speech, the work they do,
their leisure time … everything is authentic and redolent of living in
a country environment during World War 1.
For a novel which reflects the effects on Australian life during war,
and young men growing up in incredibly difficult times, Black water is exemplary. Highly
recommended.
Fran Knight
© Pledger
Consulting, 2007