Matt
Possibly overshadowed by the (absolutely perfect) 1975 film adaptation, Picnic at Hanging Rock perfectly embodies the energy of the story that it's telling with its languid prose and creeping sense of hopeless dread. Lace and corsets won't get you far in the outback, and the extreme prejudice with which this ancient continent swallows the schoolgirls without a trace is both unsettling but familiar to those who live here. A product of its times in that it doesn't engage with the aboriginal occupants of the land and what they might make of all of this, but in some ways this almost makes the story more effective - there are people right there who might have averted this tragedy or be able to provide answers, but nobody would ever think to ask them.
Possibly overshadowed by the (absolutely perfect) 1975 film adaptation, Picnic at Hanging Rock perfectly embodies the energy of the story that it's telling with its languid prose and creeping sense of hopeless dread. Lace and corsets won't get you far in the outback, and the extreme prejudice with which this ancient continent swallows the schoolgirls without a trace is both unsettling but familiar to those who live here. A product of its times in that it doesn't engage with the aboriginal occupants of the land and what they might make of all of this, but in some ways this almost makes the story more effective - there are people right there who might have averted this tragedy or be able to provide answers, but nobody would ever think to ask them.