Cloudstreet – Tim Winton

I saw an excellent theatrical production of this a few years ago, so I had a rough idea of plot and tone, but I was nevertheless impressed with Winton’s style and his control of a fairly rambling storyline. In many ways it’s a classic example of contemporary Auslit; a picaresque tale of larrikins, displacement and relations between white and aboriginal Australians, which can be read as an allegory for European colonisation. Despite these predictable tics, I enjoyed the sense of fun and the warmth of the characters depicted.