Vivienne Cleven
Paperback | Pages: 194 pages Rating: 3.11 | 72 Users | 20 Reviews
Particularize Books Supposing Bitin' Back
| Original Title: | Bitin' Back |
| ISBN: | 0702232491 (ISBN13: 9780702232497) |
| Edition Language: | English URL http://www.penguin.com.au/products/9780702232497/bitin-back |
| Literary Awards: | David Unaipon Award for Unpublished Indigenous Writing (2000) |
Representaion During Books Bitin' Back
Mavis Dooley, mother of twenty year-old Nevil (or 'The Nev' as he's affectionately known), is appalled and confused when her only son awakes and informs her that he's white and a woman. Not just any women but the late twentieth century novelist Jean Rhys! Soon Nevil takes to wearing his mother's frocks and 'eyeshada'. Mavis wonders if her son is gay. She sets out to find an answer to Nev's crazy behaviour. Amidst all the lies and cover-ups, Mavis must use all her cunning abilities to keep the truth about Nev hidden. But soon the townspeople start to suspect something amiss.Fearing the town's vicious retribution, should they uncover Nev's secret, Mavis enlists the help of her brother, Booty Dooley, bare-knuckle brawler, pig shooter, man's man. Booty takes one look at his nephew and asserts that he'll soon make a man out of him. Booty embarks on a pig-shooting trip,and a bare-knuckle box-up, figuring this will instill 'manliness' in his wayward nephew. However, Nevil has other ideas.
Itemize Epithetical Books Bitin' Back
| Title | : | Bitin' Back |
| Author | : | Vivienne Cleven |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Deluxe Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 194 pages |
| Published | : | October 1st 2001 by University of Queensland Press |
| Categories | : | Fiction. GLBT. Queer |
Rating Epithetical Books Bitin' Back
Ratings: 3.11 From 72 Users | 20 ReviewsColumn Epithetical Books Bitin' Back
I had to read this for an Australian Literature course. Although I am not interested in Australian or Aboriginal literature - this ironic novel had me laughing. (You will laugh more especially if you can put on a good aboriginal Australian accent in your head when reading the novel)This book just irritates me on so many levels. The language is frustrating, the characters are annoying, the references to Jean Rhys are pretentious and the whole thing comes off as something that begs for recognition simply for the inclusion of aboriginal characters - it just feels really contrived. Not enjoyable at all, and the cover art made me want to bleach my eyes.
Incredibly funny! A laugh out aloud romp that will have you wanting more! I loved this book and the characters. ***** from me
This wasn't a bad book but I think it could have been so much better. The concept was great but I feel it just fell short. One thing this author nailed was the characters and their voices, I really felt I was smack bang in a small Queensland outback town inhabited by both Aboriginals and 'White Fella's'. The story follows Mavis and her son Nev and shows the how because of your life's circumstances, your race, your sex, your low social economic standing and social standing you can think your life
One of the weirdest books I've ever read, full of small town homophobia, sexism and racism. Some difficult words to understand (and no use Googling it as it is in Australian slang - found myself thinking in that slang after a few hours). For a short book like this one it took long to get to the point and in the end it had nothing to do with anything. I do wonder if LGBTQ people will be offended by the book... Not a too bad story, but not really that good either
This book was not what I was expecting and it was a tedious read.The reasons that Nevil and Trevor had for Nevil pretending to be Jean Rhys did not hold water for me. It was a bizarre and unrealistic plot driver for a novel that was trying to be realistic. The novel could have been more interesting if someone like Gracie, a character who Cleven introduces as sympathetic, had turned out to be in on the drug dealing. This would have been better than pinning it all on Darryl since he was a dull
Nevil Dooley wakes up one morning and decides to call himself Jean Rhys much to the distress of his mother. The writing is quick-paced and reveals much about the limitations imposed on the Aboriginals in the community in the years following assimilation where prejudice still prevails.
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