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{{Short description|2008 novel by Peter Carey}} |
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{{Infobox book | |
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| name = His Illegal Self |
| name = His Illegal Self |
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| image = File:His_Illegal_Self.png |
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| author = [[Peter Carey (novelist)|Peter Carey]] |
| author = [[Peter Carey (novelist)|Peter Carey]] |
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'''His Illegal Self''' is a 2008 [[novel]] by [[Australian literature|Australian author]] [[Peter Carey (novelist)|Peter Carey]]. It was shortlisted for the 2008 [[Queensland Premier's Literary Awards]] and longlisted for the 2010 [[International |
'''His Illegal Self''' is a 2008 [[novel]] by [[Australian literature|Australian author]] [[Peter Carey (novelist)|Peter Carey]]. It was shortlisted for the 2008 [[Queensland Premier's Literary Awards]] and longlisted for the 2010 [[International Dublin Literary Award]]. |
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==Plot summary== |
==Plot summary== |
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The novel is set in 1972, and the main character Che Selkirk is being brought up in New York by his grandmother. On a rare excursion to the city from his isolated home on Kenoza Lake in upstate New York, Che meets a woman who he believes is his mother. The woman, Dial, attempts to arrange a meeting between Che and his mother but this is cancelled after Che's mother is killed while attempting to plant a bomb. Dial then takes the boy away from New York, first to Seattle where they briefly meet Che's father, and then on to Queensland in Australia. Dial and Che eventually settle into a hippie commune while still attempting to evade the authorities. |
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<ref>[http://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/feb/02/fiction.petercarey "The Lost Boy" by Christopher Tayler, ''The Guardian'', 2 February 2008]</ref> |
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==Awards== |
==Awards== |
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* |
* 2010 longlisted for the [[International Dublin Literary Award]] |
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* 2010 longlisted for the [[International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award]] |
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==Notes== |
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The novel carried the following dedication: |
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"For Bel" |
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==Reviews== |
==Reviews== |
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* ''The New York Times'': "In ''His Illegal Self'', Peter Carey draws as much magic from the muslin of contemporary speech as he has previously from the lustrous velvet of his more fanciful prose. This novel marks a departure — an altogether successful one — for the versatile author, who usually paints gorgeous whorls of story around outlandish figures from the untouchable past, real or imagined: gamblers and dreamers, circus freaks, outlaws, prodigals and passionate eccentrics."<ref>[ |
* ''The New York Times'': "In ''His Illegal Self'', Peter Carey draws as much magic from the muslin of contemporary speech as he has previously from the lustrous velvet of his more fanciful prose. This novel marks a departure — an altogether successful one — for the versatile author, who usually paints gorgeous whorls of story around outlandish figures from the untouchable past, real or imagined: gamblers and dreamers, circus freaks, outlaws, prodigals and passionate eccentrics."<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/10/books/review/Schillinger-t.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 "Child of the Revolution" by Liesl Schillinger, ''The New York Times'', 10 February 2008]</ref> |
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* ''The Sydney Morning Herald'': "The opening chapters are a tour de force, a virtuoso performance by a writer fully confident of his powers and, in a way, of his ability to get away with anything."<ref>[http://www.smh.com.au/news/book-reviews/his-illegal-self/2008/02/04/1201973779701.html ''The Sydney Morning Herald'', review by Andrew Reimer, 4 February 2008]</ref> |
* ''The Sydney Morning Herald'': "The opening chapters are a tour de force, a virtuoso performance by a writer fully confident of his powers and, in a way, of his ability to get away with anything."<ref>[http://www.smh.com.au/news/book-reviews/his-illegal-self/2008/02/04/1201973779701.html ''The Sydney Morning Herald'', review by Andrew Reimer, 4 February 2008]</ref> |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:His Illegal Self}} |
{{DEFAULTSORT:His Illegal Self}} |
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[[Category:2008 novels]] |
[[Category:2008 Australian novels]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:Novels set in New York (state)]] |
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[[Category:Novels by Peter Carey]] |
[[Category:Novels by Peter Carey (novelist)]] |
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[[Category:Novels set in Queensland]] |
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Latest revision as of 21:33, 28 August 2023
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| Author | Peter Carey |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Literary |
| Publisher | Random House, Australia |
Publication date | 2008 |
| Publication place | Australia |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 270 pp |
| ISBN | 9781741665352 |
| Preceded by | Theft: A Love Story |
| Followed by | Parrot and Olivier in America |
His Illegal Self is a 2008 novel by Australian author Peter Carey. It was shortlisted for the 2008 Queensland Premier's Literary Awards and longlisted for the 2010 International Dublin Literary Award.
Plot summary
[edit]The novel is set in 1972, and the main character Che Selkirk is being brought up in New York by his grandmother. On a rare excursion to the city from his isolated home on Kenoza Lake in upstate New York, Che meets a woman who he believes is his mother. The woman, Dial, attempts to arrange a meeting between Che and his mother but this is cancelled after Che's mother is killed while attempting to plant a bomb. Dial then takes the boy away from New York, first to Seattle where they briefly meet Che's father, and then on to Queensland in Australia. Dial and Che eventually settle into a hippie commune while still attempting to evade the authorities.
Awards
[edit]- 2010 longlisted for the International Dublin Literary Award
Reviews
[edit]- The New York Times: "In His Illegal Self, Peter Carey draws as much magic from the muslin of contemporary speech as he has previously from the lustrous velvet of his more fanciful prose. This novel marks a departure — an altogether successful one — for the versatile author, who usually paints gorgeous whorls of story around outlandish figures from the untouchable past, real or imagined: gamblers and dreamers, circus freaks, outlaws, prodigals and passionate eccentrics."[1]
- The Sydney Morning Herald: "The opening chapters are a tour de force, a virtuoso performance by a writer fully confident of his powers and, in a way, of his ability to get away with anything."[2]