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Books That Made Us

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Books That Made Us

By: Carl Reinecke
Narrated by: Claudia Karvan
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About this listen

Australia's novels lie at the heart of the country. Books that Made Us looks at the history of Australian culture through the books we have read and the stories we have told.

Capturing everyday lives and exceptional dreams, Australian novels have held up a mirror to the nation, reflecting the good and the bad.

Touching on colonial invasion, the bush myth, world wars, mass migration, the recognition of Indigenous sovereignty and the emergence of a modern, global, multicultural nation Carl examines how these pivotal events and persuasive ideas have shaped some of Australia's most influential novels, and how these books, in turn, made us.

In a panoramic account of Australian fiction stretching from Marcus Clarke to Melissa Lucashenko, Patrick White to Peter Carey and Henry Handel Richardson to Michelle de Kretser, this is a new history of key authors and compelling books that have kept us reading and made a difference for over 200 years.

©2022 Carl Reinecke (P)2022 Bolinda Publishing. This audio version produced by arrangement with HarperCollins Publishers Australia Pty Limited. Australia, New Zealand & Oceania Literary History & Criticism Oceania Words, Language & Grammar World Literature Writing & Publishing Fiction
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An enjoyable book, narrated expertly by Claudia Karvan, that brings the history of Australian literature to life. It’s inspired me to now find and read some of best local novels, from authors such as Franklin, Stead, Herbert, White, Ashley, Carey, Winton, Grenville, Wright and Lucashenko.

Bringing Australian literary history to life

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