book: Romulus, my Father, by Raimond Gaita

[dear_prudence]

'romulus, my father', by raimond gaita

i had my suspicions about this book. i had heard that it was a wonderful novel, but i wasn't in a huge hurry to read another book written by a wistful, nostalgic old man about how great and noble his father had been. i couldn't imagine what i could find to relate to in a book of this kind.
i think i should stop judging books by what their blurbs lead me to believe they will be about.
this was a completely honest, involving, and beautiful text. it confronted themes of mental illness, suicide, and the migrant experience in australia, with unsentimental honesty. he writes like a philosopher, in a measured, thoughtful, and clear manner, and that saves the novel from being a romanticised history of 'growing up tough in the bush'.
i'd strongly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good auto/biography.

Comments

[neko-seraph.livejournal.com]

Heh, funny you should say he writes like a philosopher - he is. I met (and you probably did too) his daughter at Melb uni philosophy classes. Mr Gaita's an ethical philosopher, wrote A Common Humanity: Thinking About Love and Truth and Justice, The Philosopher's Dog and Good and Evil: An Absolute Conception.

I remember Eva being very embarrassed when one of her dad's treatises was set as a main text for our subject (though I can't remember which subject it was...).

[dear-prudence.livejournal.com]

i know darling. my aunty is good friends with his wife, yael, and we used to house sit for them :)
i was just noting how interesting it is that even when he is writing about people and issues that affect him very deeply, his style is still measured, thoughtful, balanced and reflective.
i consider myself a philosopher too, but i'm not sure i could emulate his style when writing about my personal history.