Dinner and Acknowledgments
When our book is about starvation in a World War II POW camp, our dinner prospects dim
considerably. Last Thursday, some may well have been tempted to eat
beforehand. Had they done so, they would have missed a deliciously eclectic meal.
Roy took inspiration from the Australian prisoners' working-class food fantasies
(fish and chips) and their daily camp rations (a single ball of rice) and presented us with excellent versions of each. Along with the fish and chips and the "dirty"
rice balls (see below), we were treated to home-made sushi and a very commendable
re-creation of Anzac biscuits for dessert. (Who but Roy and Peter knew there were cookies named for Australian soldiers from WWI?) Roy's Aussie-Japanese cuisine was washed
down with quinine-fortified gin and tonics and beer from both countries
(courtesy of Paul).
 |
| Ready for the jungle: rice balls, quinine, and lager |
Our Review and Discussion of The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan
Flanagan's Man Booker Prize-winning novel features a protagonist riven with internal conflict. Born in
poverty but made respectable by his training as a physician, Dorrigo Evans
joins the army at the outbreak of hostilities with Japan. After
officer training, he ships out--but only after he's simultaneously: 1) proposed to Ella, the
daughter of a doctor; and 2) had a passionate affair with Amy, the wife of his
uncle. His unit is captured and sent to a POW camp in Burma, where most of the men (led by Dorrigo) starve or die of disease as they lay train tracks in the jungle. After the war, Dorrigo returns to Australia where--to his dismay--he is hailed
as a war hero and, later, regarded as one of the country's leading physicians.
In our discussion, we found much to like and a little to complain about. As to the latter, most of the complaints were about Amy. While central to the story (she's Dorrigo's lifelong obsession), her character felt unfinished and her climactic re-appearance late in the story improbable.
We were willing to excuse Flanagan's clumsiness with Amy because so much of the
rest of the novel was superb. Everyone remarked on the exquisite writing.
From the characters' names to the language they use, Flanagan masters the idiom
of time and place. In addition to the writing, it is Dorrigo's struggle with
love and loss and his doubts about the man he's become that enriches Flanagan's
novel. All of his (male) characters—from fellow inmates to camp
guards—play strong supporting roles in an unforgettable story about war and its
aftermath.
Our Rating of The Narrow Road to the Deep North
Flanagan's prize-winning effort polled an 8 in our ratings. Our enthusiasm
for a beautifully written story was tempered by our collective desire for more
or, at least, for closure. Dorrigo's life ends abruptly but not before
the reader appreciates that his public accomplishments mask a deep sense of
unfulfillment. It's too bad, as George noted, that his unfulfillment
becomes ours, too.
Next Up: A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
With all of January set
aside for reading (and nothing but skiing in February), we accepted Tom's
request that we read this year's book club favorite, A Gentleman in
Moscow. At 500+/- pages, it approaches our page length limit but also promises to lift our spirits in time for the new year.
