Tim Winton fans?

Hi all

Are there any Tim Winton fans out there? A lot of the editions aren't yet combined, and someone submitted Cloudstreet covers for The turning. Yuck!

It needs major cleaning up, but I don't know enough about his books to do it!

Amanda, Perth

I liked The Riders and Cloudstreet very much; also Blueback which was marketed as a children's novel. Apart from that, I can't help you.

I have to say, I'm not a big Tim Winton fan. I was a bit eh about Cloudstreet (although my parents were big fans, and I can see why), and even more eh about Dirt Music. But a friend lent me The Turning and I thought that was great!

(Strange. The touchstones aren't working for some of his titles... I assume there just aren't enough copies of his books in the system yet!)

I didn't enjoy Cloudstreet when I read the first few pages a couple of years ago. But I bought Dirt Music on sale recently, so I'll give him another go.

I'd asked for advice from another member for which Oz authors to try and he suggested Tim Winton's Dirt Music and I'm so glad I took him up on the suggestion. I think the writing is marvellously spare and the novel held my interest all through. I've visited Oz and I could almost smell and and feel the landscapes he describes. I'll get Cloudstreet next.

I do like Tim (plus I find it very hard to be mean about any Western Australian authors who are vaguely well known!). The Riders was fabulous, and I adored The Bugalugs Bum Thief when I was a kid.

Has anyone read any other Western Australian writers? Katharine Susannah Prichard? Simone Lazaroo? Julienne van Loon? Craig Silvey? Elizabeth Jolley?

I've read Brenda Walker and a few others who I've met through writing workshops.

I love Katharine Susannah Prichard.

Katharine's house is a writers centre now. I spent a couple of weeks there at the end of last year, working on a novel. Fabulous experience - it's this gorgeous old creaking house, slightly eerie to be in by yourself but full of really positive, creative atmosphere. There are these lovely communist relics there as well, such as a star scraped into the wet cement of the washhouse, etc.

bigglesmith, where is her house?
I might try to visit next time I come downunder...:-))

It's in Greenmount, in Western Australia. To be honest, I wouldn't go out of my way to see it. It's a fantastic writing venue, but it's not aesthetically as spectacular as I was expecting - it's a very typical 19th/20th Century country house. If it's on your way, it's worth checking out (it's about an hour out of central Perth, at the base of the hills). The website is http://www.kspf.iinet.net.au. There are a few people there who know a lot about the history, so if you call ahead I'm sure someone will be happy to show you around. If I remember correctly, her husband also committed suicide in the sitting room of the house (he was terminally ill), but luckily I didn't encounter either of their ghosts.

Well, I wouldn't mind meeting her ghost!
:-))

True - there are much worse ghosts to encounter!

I've read Dirt Music, thought it was so-so, and am tentatively stepping into Cloudstreet. The one thing that really bugs me about Tim Winton's books is the lack of quotation marks with dialogue. Does he do it just to be different, or is there a genuine reason behind it?

#14 I've never noticed the lack of quotation marks. Tim Winton is not at all pretentious and some other writers omit them as well. You'll probably get used to it.

The Riders rocked my world. I read it for school, and it was one of the first 'adult' novels to impact on me in a really deep way. I know it's cliche, but I found it haunting.
Have also read Minimum of Two, one of his collections which I quite liked (some stories more than others), and Dirt Music which I liked but felt too young to really connect with its major ("middle aged") themes. So yeah, don't think anything will top The Riders for me, definitely my fave Tim Winton work.

I thoroughly enjoy reading Tim Winton and have bought my kids The Deep and The Bugalugs Bum Thief so they can enjoy his writing as well. I revisited Cloudstreet after reading some of his more recent novels. When I read it the first time I didn't enjoy it but am now astonished by that reaction - it's a wonderful book. As for other authors Robert Drewe grew up in W.A. Shark Net is a great read. I also enjoyed Craig Silvey's Rhubarb.

#17 belindav Buy them Blueback as well - my children loved it. Probably age 10plus.
#16 The Riders is my favourite too.

Tim Winton has a new book out in 2008.

I wish I was more enthusiastic about cloudstreet and dirt music, I might try a second reading since some of you have found them better the second time 'round.
I think I crave action, excitement and twists, and from memory, in both books it all went too slow.
blueback was great, made me feel good that this quality book is out there for kids and who could ever go past The Bugalugs Bum Thief !

Tim Winton was on the radio saving fish on Thursday here in Sydney. Pity he can't write. Makes a great spokeman for a cause. Lucid, amusing. but his books suck BIG TIME.

Harsh words Antipodean!

Any reason why you dislike his books so much?