Read Online Boy Swallows Universe A Novel edition by Trent Dalton Literature Fiction eBooks
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An utterly wonderful debut novel of love, crime, magic, fate and a boy’s coming of age, set in 1980s Australia and infused with the originality, charm, pathos, and heart of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.
The mind can take you anywhere you want to go
Eli Bell’s life is complicated. His father is lost, his mother is in jail, and his stepdad is a heroin dealer. The most steadfast adult in Eli’s life is Slim—a notorious felon and national record-holder for successful prison escapes—who watches over Eli and August, his silent genius of an older brother.
Exiled far from the rest of the world in Darra, a seedy suburb populated by Polish and Vietnamese refugees, this twelve-year-old boy with an old soul and an adult mind is just trying to follow his heart, learn what it takes to be a good man, and train for a glamorous career in journalism. Life, however, insists on throwing obstacles in Eli’s path—most notably Tytus Broz, Brisbane’s legendary drug dealer.
But the real trouble lies ahead. Eli is about to fall in love, face off against truly bad guys, and fight to save his mother from a certain doom—all before starting high school.
A story of brotherhood, true love, family, and the most unlikely of friendships, Boy Swallows Universe is the tale of an adolescent boy on the cusp of discovering the man he will be. Powerful and kinetic, Trent Dalton’s debut is sure to be one of the most heartbreaking, joyous and exhilarating novels you will experience.
Read Online Boy Swallows Universe A Novel edition by Trent Dalton Literature Fiction eBooks
"This is a heart warming and heart wrenching story about a boy growing up who manages to find the good whilst surrounded by the bad (and good). It's quirkily told and took me a while to get into the style of writing but once I was there I was hooked and the book gets better from there. You dont have to be Australian or know Brisbane or even be born in this era to appreciate what a gem of a book this is. Memorable characters. I hope to see more from this author."
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Boy Swallows Universe A Novel edition by Trent Dalton Literature Fiction eBooks Reviews :
Boy Swallows Universe A Novel edition by Trent Dalton Literature Fiction eBooks Reviews
- “Blurbs†are meant to encourage a potential reader to read, and hopefully purchase a book. The blurb for this novel had the opposite effect with me, emphasising as it did the bizarre aspects of the characters and plot. So I purchased it with some wariness, and certainly the early part of the book confirmed my suspicions. Virtually all the early characters (with the exception of the narrator and his brother) are very unsavoury people, drug dealers, murderers or both. There is a large amount of vividly-described violence, and I almost stopped reading at an early stage. It was only the quality of the writing which kept me going, and I found that reading the book was a little like watching a car crash in slow motion; it is hard to look away, and the prose is exquisite and gripping. Towards the end of the book (I will avoid spoilers) the mood becomes more positive, but this seems a little contrived, as does the suspenseful and action-packed conclusion, like something out of a Hitchcock movie. So I left the book with mixed feelings, having spent too much time in a violent and unpleasant place, but guided through it by a master storyteller.
- I previously gave this book a two star rating, because I found the quirky writing style distracting, and stopped reading. Eventually I persisted, and something happened either the writing style changed, or my brain did... I’m not sure which. By then I was sucked in to the sometimes funny, sometimes moving, but seldom predictable world of brothers Eli and Gus (August) and their highly disfunctional family. The plot twists and turns in unexpected ways, leading to a compelling and nail-biting ending.
Minus half a star for the author’s slightly excessive compulsion to cameo every nostalgic icon of Queensland life, missing only a visit to the Big Pineapple... but overall that’s a minor quibble.
If like me, you find that the quirky style of the first chapters is not entirely your cup of Liptons, my advice is to have another cuppa and keep reading. Ultimately a very rewarding read. - I found the book took a little bit of time to crank up but when I got into it , I found that I was enjoying, not only the story line and the narrator, but also the unique style he has. His writing, I feel, will trigger a raft of would-be writers who try to mimic that style, no doubt unsuccessfully.
For example, instead of the usual long, lyrical, descriptive passages in many stories when trying to set the scene, he uses short, sharp phrases, as though your eyes are actually darting around and taking in the place as you would in reality. I also found the boy narrator compelling and I enjoyed every page - until the very end. I found the ending somehow rushed and a little contrived - which is why I gave it 4 stars and not 5. Nevertheless, how exciting to read a book so unusual in its style, its language and its subject. Loved it. - Trent Dalton draws on his own remarkable childhood to add gripping detail to a sensational suburban tale.
I am very selective about the fiction I choose to read but this was addictive from the beginning. Two key reasons Firstly, the compelling writing style - where every sentence and page brings interest and rewarding detail, and secondly the protagonist's journey, which brings the fringe suburbs to life with a background of unique characters, relationships and events.
Seen through a highly perceptive – yet endearingly boyish eyes – we glimpse hope and love where we expect chronic tragedy - this is where I think this book breaks new ground. It makes similar books look heavy-handed and clichéd in their portrayal of 'struggle street'. It is warmly textured with plenty of understated humour and searing human reflection. It is extraordinary.
There is an extra layer of interest for someone like me who has lived in this area of Brisbane. Many of the locations are familiar but because of my privilege I never saw them in this light! Through other circumstances, I have known ex-prisoners and others who are stigmatised on the margins. I was heartened and enriched by the humanity and dimension that is brought to these characters.
A thoroughly refreshing and rewarding read. - What is it about the Western Suburbs of Brisbane that is so violent and drug infested for young people growing up there. Last year I read Suburbia by Jeremy Chambers, made growing up here worse than the pits, while Trent Dalton takes the drugs and violence a step further, making this for a difficult read at times. But Mr Dalton writes so well and entertainingly when horrible things aren't happening to our hero and his family. Well worth the journey, just be aware of the violence that is often ignored in most reviews.
- There are good books and then there are those that will forever be part of my view of the world. Tonight on TV I saw an interview with a delightful boy who had lost a leg but was embracing sport with gusto and positivity and I immediately thought, BOY SWALLOWS UNIVERSE. Life will never be the same after experiencing the saga of Eli, August and, yes, his Mum and Dad. This is a truly astonishing account of a life that most of us will never be so unfortunate to experience except through the genius and love of Trnt Dalton.
- This is a heart warming and heart wrenching story about a boy growing up who manages to find the good whilst surrounded by the bad (and good). It's quirkily told and took me a while to get into the style of writing but once I was there I was hooked and the book gets better from there. You dont have to be Australian or know Brisbane or even be born in this era to appreciate what a gem of a book this is. Memorable characters. I hope to see more from this author.
