Bettany's Book

Thomas Keneally

This is partly about Australia and partly about Sudan. The Australian bit is set at the end of the nineteenth century. Bettany's son goes to Australia to be a sheep farmer. An interesting description of the way that Australia was made by such people. The other part of the book is about two sisters, one of whom goes to work for a charity in Sudan. It's about Sudanese politics, aid, famine, and the way in which white do-gooders are seen. The two sisters are descendants of Bettany. This could be seen as a weak device but is very well done. Keneally writes very well and tackles huge issues.
Doreen 25/8/02
This book interweaves two stories, that of Jonathan Bettany, son of a convict in Tasmania who sets up as a settler and sheep farmer in Australia and that of two of his descendants, Dimple & Primrose. Jonathan kept a journal which, many years later, ends up in Dimp's hands together with letters from Sarah, a woman convict. Jonathan's story - the Bettany's Book of the title - is very evocative, convincing, well-researched and enjoyable. The story of Dimp & Prim, as they are known, is set in contemporary Australia and Sudan, where Prim becomes an aid worker. Dimp stays at home as a film producer and hopes that Jonathan's story will become her next big hit. The story in the Sudan appears well-researched and is informative about both the Sudan and aid work. But what dreadful names! Jean found the book a rattling good read but it's structure was rather bizarre. Doreen had read the book and didn't understand the connection between the two stories - but Doreen also queried Jean's "well-researched" tag, as she found a number of basic errors (for example, who'd have their legs waxed the day of a party?).
Jean 1/12/02
Seán had also read this book recently and enjoyed Jonathan's story very much indeed.

A good Thomas Keneally yarn. It was very moving and compulsive reading, as well as very instructive about the settlers and convicts who founded modern Australia. However, Seán hated the story of Dimp and Prim and thought the connection between the stories was awfully contrived. It reminded him of Birdsong, where he similarly disliked the modern story. It looks as if the authors are trying desparately to find a "new angle" by writing like this. At the beginning he really didn't care at all about Dimp and Prim, and even at the end had only the slightest emotion when Prim was in great danger. He found the sisters' motivation unconvincing, particularly Prim's slave obsession which led her to behave particularly stupidly. The book would be better as a straightforward historical yarn.
Seán 1/12/02

By the same author

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