The Boys Who Stole the Funeral

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The Boys Who Stole the Funeral
Author Les Murray
CountryAustralia
LanguageEnglish
GenreVerse novel
Publisher Angus and Robertson
Publication date
1980
Media typePrint
Pages71 pp.
Awards Grace Leven Prize for Poetry winner 1980
ISBN 0207141053
Preceded byEthnic Radio 
Followed byEquanimities 

The Boys Who Stole the Funeral (1980) is a verse novel by Australian writer Les Murray. It was originally published by Angus and Robertson in Australia in 1980. [1]

Contents

The novel consists of a sequence of 140 sonnets, many of which had been previously published in newspapers, literary journals and poetry anthologies. [2]

Synopsis

The novel tells the story of how two young men steal the body of an old friend from a city undertaker in order to give their friend the rural burial he so desired.

Publishing history

After its initial publication in Australia by Angus and Robertson in 1980, [3] the novel was reprinted by Angus and Robertson in 1982 and then published as follows:

A sound recording of the novel was created in 1985 by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. [5]

Critical reception

The Judges' Report for the National Book Council Award noted: "Here we have an original and daring work — a novel sequence in poetry — poetry indeed and not verse, and poetry which seeks to articulate a mythology about rural Australia. The lines are chiselled with care, the book sculptured with grace; narrative and dialogue fuse into a poetic whole, the poetic sensibility informs all: the darting phrase, the naked insight." [6]

Awards

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "Austlit — The Boys Who Stole the Funeral by Les Murray (A&R) 1980". Austlit. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  2. 1 2 "The Boys Who Stole the Funeral (Minerva 1993)". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  3. "The Boys Who Stole the Funeral (A&R 1980)". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  4. "The Boys Who Stole the Funeral (Carcanet 1989)". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  5. "The Boys Who Stole the Funeral (ABC 1985)". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  6. ""Judges' report"". The Canberra Times, 11 October 1980, p23. Retrieved 14 March 2024.