Krishna
This is one of the ‘heavier’ books, off the beaten track. The story revolves around the small town of Outer Maroo (population 87) in a remote corner of Australia. The town is off even the official maps of Australia and it is not just due to the smallness of the place. The residents there prefer it so and fight to keep it that way. They do not welcome foreigners – and foreigners in their definition include even Australians from almost anywhere else! Any pesky foreigner who resists or ignores subtle warnings to leave are suitably dealt with.
In the town, Charles Given is the priest and the Ma and Bill Beresford own the only shop that sells anything at all.
The nearest town (on the map) is Quilpe, and the towns closer to it (Inner Maroo and what becomes later known as Oyster Reef) are also off the map.
The secret of the place is Opal, and Opals mined and smuggled out produce such enormous wealth that the people do not want to share it with “corrupt and evil” civil servents and the Australian government.
The mix of Murries (Aboriginals or, disparagingly, ‘abos’) and the locals live in a kind of uneasy alliance until a stranger – Oyster -arrives. He does not come from Quilpe but from the opposite direction, where there are no nearby towns. He also turns up on foot, with a white dress soaked with blood. The town in minutes falls under his spell and never looks into his intentions deep enough – until it is too late.
The story is told in a winding fashion, and the effect is not altogether smooth. Like Blind Assassin, the story is told in a time travelling fashion and also the narration switches between a third person narrator’s account to the viewpoint of Jess (The Silent One), one of the characters that resisted Oyster’s all encompassing spell.
The story is riveting in parts and especially the last two chapters are so are very gripping (Mercy Given’s ordeal is probably the climax of the book). The environment where the story happens – The Outback with no water, red earth and red dust everywhere except where Opal is mined which has chalk white dust everywhere; the dryness with complete absence of water, the fog with its dead animal stink, the unbearable heat that permeates everything it touches – is described vividly and you get immersed into the ambience completely.
But the story takes on a rambling aspect at times, and the storytelling strategy of hinting at something and coming back to it much later (Why are Nick and Sarah there? What really happened to Miss Rover?) annoys rather than piques the curiosity. There is a bit too much time travelling to keep your interest.
Despite this flaws, if you are looking for something completely different to read, this book is worth giving a try.
I would say 5/10
— Krishna