The Slow Natives

Being a native (slow one?) of Brisbane, the main setting for this Miles Franklin winner, I found my self intrigued. The story itself is a very well written tale of a dysfunctional family and the consequences of that dysfunction. The parents Bernard, Iris and their son Keith were characterised beautifully by the author from the very start. This led me, the reader, to know them intimately and understand why they were what they were. The same could be said for every other protagonist that appeared. A sad spinster hating her past, a questioning priest feeling lost with his beliefs, authoritarian Monsignor and Mother Superior who lorded it over their flock made up further memorable characters. My favourite was Chookie, a young man from the decidedly lower end of the socio economic scale who pushed my memory to remind me of a character who I went to school with. He spoke the same, was the same red-headed complexion and was the epitome of what we school mates thought of as a bit of a larrikin.

My intrigue in itself was the use of language among the middle class families that played large part of the story. Did Brisbaneites of this social standing talk in this manner in the very early 60's? The language of the book for long periods is hardly strine. Brisbane was very much a big country town and stayed that way until well into the early 80's. The liberalism and education of the family groups that frequented this book seems to me to be, at the very least, the early stirrings of a change from the insularity that was then to what Brisbane is today, a cosmopolitan city of 2 million people that is not that far removed in attitude from anywhere else on the planet.

And that is why I suspect this was a winner of the Miles Franklin at the time. It covered themes that may not have been considered “normal” in Brisbane. A place behind the times. Even Bernard, with his middle class chat and liberal attitude towards his wife's peccadilloes was a music teacher assessing Bach. No Beatles for this middle class patriarch.

Very much recommended to those with an interest in Australian Literature.