Rachel Reviews: The Outlands by Frank Torn
Family, farm-life and hardship feature in this original novel set in Australia, with elements of saga mixed with myth and magical realism
Having finished The Outlands, I am wondering how I can write this review to give you as full a sense of the book as I can. I think that I'm going to fail because all of the words that I want to use will make it seem unusual and I don't want it to sound unappealing because it's not.
It starts very darkly indeed and these elements are continued throughout, although they are not as pronounced as at other times in the story. The book is split into "Acts" and deals with the stories of different characters although they are all essentially linked to the town of Wondilla and beyond that a farm, even when the action takes us to Brisbane and less wholesome locations.
This means there are multiple stories in this novel, connected by place. The division of the book into "Acts" allows the author to provide a shift of perspective as Torn takes us into the life and history of Wondilla's residents. These stories are not limited to people, one of the Acts being devoted to Bessie the cow; but don't think that this is some children's tale or a dive into a cartoon-style viewpoint. Torn uses Bessie to pass on a serious message about food consumption and to be mindful about what we're eating.
What I think is remarkable is the way that the book has been meshed together. There is a sense that this is woven, that all the characters are living individual lives and they are all different and yet, there is a connectedness between them, and Torn takes these isolated strands, examines them and draws each one out of the fabric of his narrative, only to ease back to show us how it fits into the bigger picture. There is a chance with this complexity for strands to become crossed and for confusion to reign but this was never the case here. The weave was smooth, without knots. That, in my opinion, takes some doing and to do it well as in The Outlands, even more so.
What this ability to "knit the narrative" also provides is a stimulating read and with the clear characterisation conveyed through realistic dialogue, as well as a writing voice which is capable of conjuring vivid descriptions and tense situations, this was a great read.
Rachel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
This review was first published on Reedsy Discovery where I was privileged to read it as an ARC:
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Comments (4)
What is an ARC reader? I have so many books in my Kindle that I haven’t read and I have a long list and paper books. And then reviews like yours come out and it adds to my list!! But if there’s a bad ending for Bessie, I don’t wanna read it😩 I’m so disappointed in humans and what we’re doing to the Earth. Wish Australia wasn’t so far away. And I wish you lived in my neighborhood so we could have a book discussion group in person. Years ago in a library book discussion group we read The Dry about Australia and they just made a movie out of it recently.
Another lovely review, Rachel. The book sounds intriguing. And like Lana, I too await anxiously for a book that you give the quintuple thumbs up to.
Love reading your reviews, Rachel. Still waiting for the one where you'd give it 5/5.
I think I'd enjoy the Bessie Act. Not only because she's a cow but also because of the topic of food consumption and mindful eating. Loved your review!