 First edition | |
| Author | Peter Mathers |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Novel |
| Publisher | Cassell, Australia |
Publication date | 1966 |
| Publication place | Australia |
| Media type | Print (Hardback) |
| Preceded by | – |
| Followed by | The Wort Papers |
Trap (1966) is the first novel by Australian author Peter Mathers. [1] It won the Miles Franklin Award for 1966. [2]
The novel follows the life of Jack Trap, a man living on the outskirts of Melbourne in the 1960s. Trap is of mixed Irish, English and Aboriginal background, in his forties and fat. He joins with a small group of outsiders and travels to a mining lease on Cape York to form a co-operative community.
In The Canberra Times Maurice Dunlevy found that the attempted satire fell well short of its target: "Trap is a first novel and reads like one. It attempts to be satirical, shocking and avant garde — succeeds only in being naive...His irony is too heavy, his targets are too obvious and he never cuts deeper than satirical revue." [3]
Roger Milliss in the Tribune (Sydney), found "The style is often reminiscent of that of Patrick White's admittedly not-very-edifying satires of suburbia. And, dealing as it does with the aboriginal question (if Mr. Mathers' complex theme can be summed up so inadequately), it possesses some generic connections with a whole stream of our writing, from Coonardoo on." [4]
Following the novel's initial publication by Cassell in 1966, [5] the book was published as follows:
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 at A$60,000.
Peter Mathers was an English-born Australian author and playwright.
The Survivor is a 1969 novel by Australian author Thomas Keneally.
The Grisly Wife is a 1993 Miles Franklin literary award-winning novel by the Australian author Rodney Hall.
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This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1966.
When Blackbirds Sing (1962) is the last novel by Australian writer Martin Boyd. It is also the last in the author's "Langton Tetralogy".
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This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 2018.
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This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1985.
The World is Made of Glass (1983) is a novel by Australian writer Morris West. It was originally published by Hodder and Stoughton in England in 1983.
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