True History of the Kelly Gang

Carey is masterful in using small details to show contrasts and to make the big picture come alive. A new pair of soft boots achieves almost mystical significance--the ecstasy of their acquisition contrasting with the strength achieved through their sacrifice. "Fresh bread and jam...barley and mutton soup," served to Ned in jail, provide poignant contrast to the poorer, leaner fare on the farm. And a red silk dress becomes a symbol for corruption in one context and love in another.

This is a vigorous, exuberant, and uncompromising vision of wilderness life and death. It is the sensitive portrayal of a young man forced to make impossible decisions to save and protect his family. And it is a passionate love story told with a warmth and sympathy that is all the more poignant for its contrast with the murder and death which accompany it. Satisfying and rewarding on all levels. Mary Whipple


replying to A reader from Effingham, Surrey United Kingdom   August 15, 2003
 1 out of 9 found this review helpful

I enjoyed the reviews for this book - good to see a mixed view.
All I really wanted to say to the reader from Effingham who reviewed the book was - I agreed very much on your thoughts, but if you are going to write - "Carey frequently used bad grammer' please make sure you spell 'grammar' correctly!! It gave me a laugh if anything!!


I loved it but that doesn't mean you will.   August 10, 2003
 9 out of 9 found this review helpful

Yes it won the Booker price, and yes I loved it but its' important that you realise that there is no guarentee that you will enjoy it.

The written style is main thing to worry about. The narrators voice, Ned Kelly, can be a hard read. I've heard of people who have said that the found the books style a real grind to read and have never even finished the book. For me Ned Kelly's voice is utterly unique, free of the over intellectual prose of many authors. I was swept away, inside his head, into his world. I had never read anything like it.

It is clear Peter Carey has done a vast amount of research as well as made a massive leap of imagination. The gritty story is filled with tender and powerfully sad moments. It is certainly one of the most accomplished books I have read.

My advice, read a few pages or passages before you buy. If it you like the sound of it then go for it.


Starts brilliantly but trails off.....   February 16, 2003
 2 out of 3 found this review helpful

IThe first few sections (of which there are 13 in total) simply fly by. The story of the Kelly family is very well mtold and it is very interesting to learn what happens with his mother, father and entire fanily. But as Ned grows older and the focus moves towards him as an adult I founf (like a lot of the other reviewers) that the interest waned. The latter part of the book pales compared to the first half and sometimes it seems like we are just waiting for something to happen. It's an interesting story, undeniably, and written in a very clever way (as Ned kelly's letters to his unborn daughter) but 300 odd pages is some going, especially when all I found myself waiting for was tjhe shoot-out with the arnmoured suit. Some of the story just seems redundant and this slows the speed down and (for this reader at least) made it a struggle to finish.