Voss

In the end I actually began to despise this book. Overwrought and pretentious in my opinion. A simple story based on an explorer disappearing in outback Australia during colonial times I never felt that the simplicity of the story was saved by the writing. Challenging prose is fine by me but this went beyond a challenge.

I almost feel that I read this book two and a half times as I read and reread passage after passage to try and get the nuances that were obviously completely above my tiny little brain. At one point Voss reads a poem written by one of his men and hates it. I reread the poem and his reaction to it four times and even now as I type this, a reread for a fifth time, I am none the wiser as to why he dislikes the poem. What did I miss? Someone tell me.

The presentation of this book is also paragraphless (is that a word?) in what seemed one long almost stream of consciousness delivery that had me returning to reread why the sudden change from character to character. No doubt intentional but it left me frustrated and annoyed.

But again what would I know. Loved by many, a friend of mine adores this and has read it several times, awarded the first ever Miles Franklin and author Patrick White is the only Australian Nobel Prize winner. Yep what would I know. I feel an utter traitor to Australian literature considering the reverence this is held in some circles but to be frank I detested it. It took all my will to finish and I am glad I have. Onwards and upwards.