 First edition | |
| Author | Randolph Stow |
|---|---|
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Literary fiction |
| Publisher | MacDonald, London |
Publication date | 1965 |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 283pp |
| Preceded by | Tourmaline |
| Followed by | Visitants |
The Merry-Go-Round in the Sea (1965) is a novel by Australian writer Randolph Stow. [1]
Set in Geraldton, Western Australia after World War II the novel follows the story of a boy (Rob Coram) and his cousin Rick. The book begins in 1941 when Rob is six and his idol, Rick, is sent off to war. By the time Rick has returned after spending time as a prisoner of war Rob's view of the world has changed markedly and his childhood has ended.
In a review in The Canberra Times in 1972, Maurice Dunlevy called it "not so much a novel as a lyric poem...The Merry-Go-Round in the Sea is a beautiful book, a novel full of controlled evocative prose, a haunting sense of place, and a wonderfully consistent structure of imagery." [2]
In a survey of the author's work for Australian Book Review in 2009, Tony Hassall has no doubts about the novel's worth: "The book captures the contradictory feelings of its author as he looks back on a golden childhood with fierce nostalgic longing, while at the same time seeing it as transient and irrevocably separate from mature experience... In its sensitive exploration of Rob’s reluctant progression into a world of divided allegiances, The Merry-Go-Round in the Sea stands alongside earlier Australian classics like Henry Handel Richardson’s The Fortunes of Richard Mahony and Martin Boyd’s Lucinda Brayford ." [3]
Julian Randolph Stow was an Australian-born writer, novelist and poet.
The Miles Franklin Literary Award is an annual literary prize awarded to "a novel which is of the highest literary merit and presents Australian life in any of its phases". The award was set up according to the will of Miles Franklin (1879–1954), who is best known for writing the Australian classic My Brilliant Career (1901). She bequeathed her estate to fund this award. As of 2016, the award is valued A$60,000.
Over Sea, Under Stone is a contemporary fantasy novel written for children by the English author Susan Cooper, first published in London by Jonathan Cape in 1965. Cooper wrote four sequels about ten years later, making it the first volume in a series usually called The Dark is Rising Sequence . In contrast to the rest of the series, it is more a mystery, with traditional fantasy elements mainly the subject of hints later in the narrative. Thus it may ease readers into the fantasy genre.
My Brother Jack is a classic 1964 Australian novel by writer George Johnston. It is part of a trilogy centering on the character of David Meredith. The other books in the trilogy are Clean Straw for Nothing and A Cartload of Clay. Its text is commonly studied for many English literature subjects in Australia.
The Australian Literature Society Gold Medal is awarded annually by the Association for the Study of Australian Literature for "an outstanding literary work in the preceding calendar year." From 1928 to 1974 it was awarded by the Australian Literature Society, then from 1983 by the Association for the Study of Australian Literature, when the two organisations were merged.
To the Islands is a 1958 novel by Australian author Randolph Stow. It won the Miles Franklin Award for 1958 and the ALS Gold Medal in 1959.
The Acolyte is a Miles Franklin Award-winning novel by Australian author Thea Astley first published in 1972.
This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 2013.
Phillip Grenville Mann was an Australian actor, playwright, stage director and manager, and writer.
The Commonwealth Literary Fund (CLF) was an Australian Government initiative founded in 1908 to assist needy Australian writers and their families. It was Federal Australia's first systematic support for the arts. Its scope was later broadened to encompass non-commercial literary projects.
This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1956.
A Difficult Young Man (1955) is a novel by Australian writer Martin Boyd. It is the second in the author's "Langton Tetralogy" and it won the ALS Gold Medal in 1957.
Seven Poor Men of Sydney (1934) is the first novel by Australian writer Christina Stead.
The Little Hotel (1973) is a novel by Australian writer Christina Stead.
This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1965.
The Fear (1965) is a novel by Australian writer Thomas Keneally. The novel is also known by the title By the Line.
When Blackbirds Sing (1962) is the last novel by Australian writer Martin Boyd. It is also the last in the author's "Langton Tetralogy".
A Counterfeit Silence : Selected Poems (1969) is a poetry collection by Australian poet and novelist Randolph Stow. It won the Grace Leven Prize for Poetry in 1969.
Tourmaline (1963) is the fourth novel by Australian writer Randolph Stow.