Shadowboxing

A stunning book that defies easy categorisation - is it a novel or short stories? Fiction or memoir? Whichever, it's a brief and powerful tale of growing up in a poor, difficult family in inner-city Melbourne in the 60s and 70s. The city leaps off the page and the characters are breathtaking - the linked stories paint a broader picture than a simple memoir or novel could have done and some (The Lesson and The Butcher's Wife) are among the most memorable shorts I've read. The writing is concise and spare, with no punches pulled. Highly, highly recommended.

Another interesting book which could also be used with senior students. Birch, a lecturer in Creative Writing at The University of Melbourne uses the literary device of ten linked short stories in this obviously autobiographical and episodic first novel. A vivid portrayal the inner urban Fitzroy of the 60’s - this book captures the simple pleasures, the random violence, a family’s life and loves against the urban renewal taking place at that time.

Linked short stories - some disturbing (domestic violence) - others historical recollections of the building of the high rise flats in Fitzroy

TGBC. Alright. A smooth easy read. Similar to the Navigator, which I enjoyed more.