True History of The Kelly Gang - Peter Carey

While I wondered how Atonement missed the Booker Award in 2001, my husband got me a copy of that year’s winner. Half way through it I had my answer.

Contrary to the title, the story is a work of fiction on Ned Kelly’s life and his rise (or is it fall?) to becoming an outlaw. Told in first person by the leader of the Kelly Gang, the story starts with his childhood and family history and moves on to his later years. The book is divided in 13 sections, called parcels, each with a small summary of its contents, giving it a very authentic air. So much so that I had to keep reading the actual version of the incidents and remind myself that it is fiction, not biography that I am reading.

Set in 19th century Australia, Carey’s description of the hardships faced by Kelly and many others of his class at the hands of the higher-ups and the police, leaves no doubt in the reader’s mind of who the hero is. There is a feeling of great relief and happiness as Ned wins against them. So impressed was I by Ned that I scavenged the internet for more and more information on his life. Even though the book lacks punctuation and follows no grammatical rules, the story telling is so compelling that the writing feels completely natural after some stumbling in the initial chapters.

Very impressed with Peter Carey’s style, his Oscar and Lucinda (Booker Award, 1988) is next on my list. And thanks to Zishaan for getting me the book, this was one of my best reads.