Extinctions (Wilson novel)

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Extinctions
Author Josephine Wilson
LanguageEnglish
Genre Literary fiction
PublisherUWA Publishing
Publication date
20 December 2016
Publication placeAustralia
Media typePrint
Pages286 pp.
Awards2017 Miles Franklin Award, Colin Roderick Award
ISBN 9781742588988

Extinctions (2016) is a Miles Franklin Award-winning novel by Australian writer Josephine Wilson. It was originally published by University of WA Publishing in Australia in 2016. [1]

Contents

Synopsis

After the death of his wife and his estrangement from his two daughters, Professor Frederick Lothian, retired engineer, moves into a retirement village and into a deep depression. After a series of chance and unfortunate incidents he meets his village neighbour Jan and slowly begins to see life in a different light.

Publishing history

After its initial publication in Australia by UWA Publishing in 2016, [2] the novel was reprinted as follows:

Dedication and epigraph

Critical reception

In The Saturday Paper reviewer "LS" noted: "There is great sensitivity and heart in this story of redemption and Wilson can be blackly funny...Despite Fred’s advanced years, Extinctions is akin to a coming-of-age story. Will he mature into a good person? Wilson attempts too much, but Extinctions is a rich and humane novel peopled with compelling characters." [4]

Roslyn Jolly, in The Sydney Review of Books, comments: "Frederick Lothian is a deeply flawed, emotionally stunted, at times repellent character. He has grave sins, both of omission and commission, on his conscience. He has contributed, with varying degrees of responsibility, to the destruction of three young lives. To speak of relationship breakdown does not begin to cover the amount of damage he has done to his marriage. Watching Fred grope his way towards self-insight and accountability is an experience both painful and fascinating, and I found his character convincing as the product of a particular childhood in particular historical conditions." [5]

Awards

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Austlit — Extinctions by Josephine Wilson 2016". Austlit. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  2. ↑ "Extinctions (UWA 2016)". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  3. ↑ "Extinctions (Serpents Tail 2018)". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  4. ↑ ""Josephine Wilson Extinctions"". The Saturday Paper, 26 November 2016. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  5. ↑ ""Monster or Mohican: Extinctions by Josephine Wilson"". The Sydney Review of Books, 30 March 2017. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  6. ↑ Steger, Jason (8 September 2017). "Josephine Wilson wins Miles Franklin for Extinctions, a matter of life and death". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  7. ↑ "Colin Roderick Award - Other Winners". James Cook University. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
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