No reading group should be without this companion guide. Once i got past the first 60 or 70 pages, there was no turning back. The narrow road to the deep north book club kit book club kit. The narrow road to the deep north by richard flanagan wendy. I had started the audio version of the book earlier in the week so my arrival came with. Richard flanagans novel the narrow road to the deep north is based on a terrible chapter from wwii. He won the man booker prize for the narrow road to the deep north. They are among those tasked with building the death line, a railway to link thailand and burma. A war story and also by, yes, convention a love story. Winner of the man booker prize nothing since cormac mccarthys the road has shaken me like this.
Narrow road to the deep north book club notes the narrow road to the deep north an inspired reading group selection. Narrow road to the deep north book club notes penguin. We are defining this as any book that falls in the public domain and covers the topic of. His story about a group of australian pows during world war ii will cast a shadow over your summer and draw you.
This narrow road to the deep north is both unforgiving and generous, a paradox that should earn it some fame of its own. The narrow road to the deep north by richard flanagan book. Narrow road to the deep north world book club richard flanagan talks with harriet gilbert and the wbc audience about his. The narrow road to the deep north richard flanagan adult until recently, id never cursed an author, definitely not for making me care. Narrow road to the deep north is a 1968 satirical play on the british empire by the english playwright edward bond it is a political parable set in japan in the edo period. In the despair of a japanese pow camp on the thai burma death railway, australian surgeon dorrigo evans is. Flanagan wrote the narrow road to the deep north, inspired to do so by his father, who was a japanese pow.
It would take until 2018 for me to finally do so, but in the end, i did release a full account in my book senryokei to oku no hosomichi a dosimeter and the narrow road to the deep north, 2018. No reading group should be without this book club companion to richard flanagans man booker prizewinning novel, the narrow road to the deep north. Background on the author and australian authors as a whole made the book come alive even more. The narrow road to the deep north by by richard flanagan.
This everlasting search leads through particularly hellish territory in the narrow road to the deep north. Born in poverty in tasmania, welleducated in australia, a surgeon by training, a lifelong ladies man, a prisonerofwar during world war ii, a national hero and regarded by many as a national treasure, a man always at odds with himself, dorrigo also is an avid reader. The narrow road to the deep north an inspired reading group selection. The question is repeated as a statement close to the end of book on page. Great information for the reader of the narrow road to the deep north. In the despair of a japanese pow camp on the thailandburma death railway in 1943, australian surgeon dorrigo evans is haunted by his love affair with his uncles young wife two years earlier.
The narrow road to the deep north discussion questions. The narrow road to the deep north poetically records the experiences of australian prisoners of war in the japanese labour camps on the thaiburma railway. Reading guide for the narrow road to the deep north by. Flanagans skill and agreeing with historian barbara tuchman that, without books, history is silent, literature dumb, the very best books dont just entertain, uplift or educate us. The narrow road to the deep north the books the book club. Its scope, its themes and its people all seem to grow richer and deeper in significance with the progress of the story, as it moves to its extraordinary resolution. Bookclub with richard flanagan the narrow road to the deep. In the narrow road to the deep north, richard flanagan displays the gifts that have made him one of the most acclaimed writers of contemporary fiction. Winner of the 2014 man booker prize, the narrow road. Dorrigo becomes engaged to a very correct young woman named ella lansburg one evening, without really intending to make the proposal. Richard flanagan the narrow road to the deep north bookclub this episode is related to the narrow road to the deep north novel i had many letters. Do you believe that this imagery is meant to represent some prevalent positive forcehope, faith, or optimism, for example.
Narrow road to the deep north world book club richard flanagan talks with harriet gilbert and the wbc audience about his man booker prizewinning novel. The book tells the story of the building of a 258 mi. Aug 18, 2014 and in the narrow road to the deep north the title comes from a travelogue written by the japanese haiku master basho, his son manages to convey with stomachchurning power the sheer. The deeper i got into the story, the more often i found myself making silent bargains with flanagan to just. Bestselling australian writer richard flanagan talks about his booker prizewinning novel the narrow road to the deep north. Here are some reading group questions to help make your next book club discussion one to remember. The narrow road to the deep north paperback april 14, 2015. Explanations of the themes and imagery instilled more richness throughout the reading.
Moving deftly from a japanese pow camp to presentday australia, from the experiences of dorrigo evans and his fellow prisoners to that of the japanese guards, this savagely beautiful novel. Enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app. Richard flanagan talks about the narrow road to the deep north, winner of the man booker prize 2014. The listener experiences a lifes journey through the sufferings of wwii as a japanese pow and the dissatisfactions of the return to normal life. The narrow road to the deep north richard flanagan, 20 knopf doubleday 352 pp. The narrow road to the deep north is an ambitious book. The narrow road to the deep north audiobook by richard.
The narrow road to the deep north by richard flanagan last week for book club i walked in the door with the next months tub of books, the narrow road to the deep north. It was tough wrapping my head around the lack of quotation marks. Narrow road to the deep north by world book club instantly on your tablet, phone or browser no downloads needed. Born in poverty in tasmania, welleducated in australia, a surgeon by training, a lifelong ladies man, a prisonerofwar during world war ii, a national hero and regarded by many as a national treasure, a man always at odds with himself, dorrigo also. Narrow road to the deep north book club notes penguin books. Aug 25, 2014 the narrow road to the deep north is many things at once. The narrow road to the deep north begins with dorrigos recollection of a church hall flooded with light. It deals with the poet basho and the changing political landscape over about 35 years the play won bond the john whiting award for 1968. Aug 31, 2014 this narrow road to the deep north is both unforgiving and generous, a paradox that should earn it some fame of its own.
The narrow road to the deep north by richard flanagan. Love is two bodies with one soul, we and dorrigo read on the novels final page. As well as being a book of the year for both the new yorker and the observer, it won the queensland premiers prize, the western australian premiers prize and the tasmania book prize. The narrow road to the deep north begins with dorrigo s recollection of a church hall flooded with light. I started it twice before i bulled through and kept reading. Shortlisted for this years miles franklin award, australias major literary prize, the narrow road to the deep north is about truth and many levels of courage. Jun 28, 2014 to order the narrow road to the deep north for. Dorrigo evans, protagonist of richard flanagans novel, the narrow road to the deep north, is a man of many facets. The slave labor conditions and the tortures experienced by the forced laborers claimed the lives of,000 allied. A guide for book clubs and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle. Richard flanagans way with intimacy the new yorker. The narrow road to the deep north 20 is flanagans sixth novel. Oct 15, 2014 richard flanagan, who yesterday became the third australian to win the booker prize, for his novel the narrow road to the deep north, was born in tasmania.
The book tells the story of dorrigo evans, an australian doctor haunted by memories of a love affair with his uncles wife and of his subsequent experiences as a prisoner of war. What is the significance of the name of the novel, the narrow road to the deep north. Bookclub with richard flanagan the narrow road to the deep north. The narrow road to the deep north is the sixth novel by richard flanagan. May 12, 2016 winner of the 2014 man booker prize, the narrow road to the deep north by richard flanagan is a novel of the cruelty of war, the tenuousness of life and the impossibility of love. The narrow road to the deep north spans decades of the life of dorrigo evans and the people he encounters over the course of his adult life. The narrow road to the deep north has been described by richard flanagan as a dance in and out of the light. The narrow road to the deep north by richard flanagan the. Why might flanagan have chosen to name his book after bashos wellknown travelogue by the same name. This is not an easy story, but it is very absorbing and moving.
Aug 19, 2014 beware richard flanagans new novel, the narrow road to the deep north. Moving deftly from a japanese pow camp to presentday australia, from the experiences of dorrigo evans. The narrow road to the deep north reading australia. The narrow road to the deep north the books the book. Richard flanagans narrow road to the deep north the new. The narrow road to the deep north richard flanagan discussion starters 1. Today im going to convince you to go ahead and get yourself a copy of the narrow road to the deep north, a novel for adults, written by tasmanian author richard flanagan. Sep 05, 2014 the narrow road to the deep north is a window into the cruelty of war. This image is recalled again at the storys conclusion. Apr 22, 2015 the narrow road to the deep north is published by vintage. The narrow road to the deep north is a window into the. Richard flanagan the narrow road to the deep north it is getting harder to record the dialogue of book club as time goes on. It centres on dorrigo evans, an australian surgeon who is captured along with his men by the japanese.
Buy the narrow road to the deep north first edition 5th impression by flanagan, richard isbn. James naughtie talks to richard flanagan about the narrow road to the. The washington post in the narrow road to the deep north, richard flanagan displays the gifts that have made him one of the most acclaimed writers of contemporary fiction. And then i read richard flanagans the narrow road to the deep north. His story about a group of australian pows during world war ii will cast a shadow over your summer and draw you away. This comprehensive guide includes thoughtprovoking discussion questions. The narrow road to the deep north is many things at once. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. In this way, thought nakamura, the japanese spirit is now itself the railway, and the railway the japanese spirit, our narrow road to the deep north, helping to take the beauty and wisdom of basho. Do you believe that this imagery is meant to represent some prevalent positive forcehope, faith, or optimism. Why at the beginning of things is there always light. His story about a group of australian pows during world war ii will cast a shadow over your summer and draw you away from friends and family into dark contemplation the way only the most extraordinary books can.
Richard flanagans narrow road to the deep north the. His novels death of a river guide, the sound of one hand clapping, goulds book of fish, the unknown terrorist, wanting, the narrow road to the deep north and first person have received numerous honours and are published in 42 countries. The central character, tasmanian surgeon dorrigo evans, remembers his affair with amy, his uncles wife. The washington post from the author of the acclaimed goulds book of fish, a magisterial novel of love and war that traces the life of one man from world war ii to the present. May 05, 2015 dorrigo evans, protagonist of richard flanagans novel, the narrow road to the deep north, is a man of many facets. The narrow road to the deep north vintage international.
The narrow road to the deep north glen street theatre. The narrow road to the deep north, by richard flanagan. This is a record of what i saw and the people i met, as well as a document of the radiation levels i measured in each place i visited. In the despair of a japanese pow camp on the thaiburma death railway, australian surgeon dorrigo evans is haunted by his affair with his uncles young wife two years earlier.
This unforgettable novel about the cruelty of war and the tenuousness of. The narrow road to the deep north is a window into the cruelty of war. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. The title of the book comes from bashos travel journal, which has been read by many of the japanese characters, as discussed here on page 1. This unforgettable novel about the cruelty of war and the tenuousness of love and life tells the story of captive australian soldiers forced into hard labour, working on the burmese railway during and after world war two. It received critical acclaim on its release, and won the 2014 man booker prize. Flanagans profound novel ambitiously explores the significance of literature and the ways in which texts, as cultural products, represent ideas as well as past events. Bookclub with richard flanagan the narrow road to the. The narrow road to the deep north is a big, magnificent novel of passion and horror and tragic irony. Last week, as well as sundays gloriously sunny walking book club, when we discussed ali smiths staggeringly brilliant how to be both which. Dec 03, 2017 bestselling australian writer richard flanagan talks about his booker prizewinning novel the narrow road to the deep north.
His life is a daily struggle to save the men under his command from starvation, from cholera. Richard flanagan the narrow road to the deep north bookclub this episode is related to the narrow road to the deep north novel i had many letters from people who said i was bereaved and. I got about halfway through and gave up for now i will return to it because i think it is a good book. A guide for book clubs the reading room book group notes no reading group should be without this companion guide to richard flanagans man booker prizewinning novel, the narrow road to the deep north.
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