Peter carey s new novel, my life as a f ake, is so confidently brilliant, so economical yet lively in its writing, so tightly fitted and continuously startling in its plot that something, we feel, must be wrong with it. Introduction fiendishly devious and addictively readable, peter carey s my life as a fake is a moral labyrinth constructed around the uneasy relationship between literature and lying. His parents ran a general motors dealership, carey motors. Peter carey s my life as a fake is a literate mystery of forgeries and doppelgangers with a fictional manuscript at its heart. Carey s initial narrator is englishwoman sarah wodedouglass, who edits a struggling magazine, and, more or less impulsively, accompanies renegade writer john slater on a trip to kuala lumpurdespite hating him all my life for what she believes was slaters adulterous responsibility for. Peter carey s my life as a f ake is a remarkable novel about a creature as indelible as frankenstein, by the twotime bookerwinning author of amnesia, oscar and lucinda and true history of the kelly gang.
Ive read three of his novels this year and all were fantastic and all seemed to be written by an inspired ventriloquist who juggles voicetovoice, scenetoscene, on a tightrope of his own fancy. For both longtime readers and those coming to his work for the first time, its a book not to miss. The title of peter careys new novel invites a question. Iscriviti a prime ciao, accedi account e liste accedi account e. This makes her smile, but nothing can happen until she has taken me to wash my hair, and dried it, until she has put makeup on me, and it is as she does this that she begins telling me how well my face is made, how fine my nose, how she alone on earth can own me like this. The phrase could apply to almost any character here, starting with his principal narrator. Careys initial narrator is englishwoman sarah wodedouglass, who edits a struggling magazine, and, more or less impulsively, accompanies renegade writer john slater on a trip to kuala lumpurdespite hating him all my lifefor what she believes was slaters adulterous responsibility for her mothers suicide. An australian literary hoax lies at the core of my life as a fake, peter carey s captivating contemplation of the art world.
Peter carey based my life as a fake on a real incident in australia where a writer perpetrated a hoax by publishing the poems of an individual he claimed was dead, but never really existed. An australian literary hoax lies at the core of my life as a fake, peter carey s captivating, continuously startling john updike contemplation of the art world in steamy, fetid kuala lumpur in 1972, sarah wodedouglass, editor of a london poetry journal, meets the mysterious christopher chubb. John updike, the new yorker carey has always been a master of highenergy prose, but he is also skilled at the memorable moment the scene or tableau so rich or original. Fiendishly devious and addictively readable, peter careys my life as a fake is a moral labyrinth constructed around the uneasy relationship between literature and lying. Using as a springboard a real literary hoax that transfixed aust. Peter carey s new novel, my life as a fake, is so confidently brilliant, so economical yet lively in its writing, so tightly fitted and continuously startling in its plot that something, we feel, must be wrong with it. Fiendishly devious and addictively readable, peter careys my life as a fake is a moral labyrinth. Free shipping and pickup in store on eligible orders.
Click to read more about my life as a f ake by peter carey. Peter careys true story of a hoax, my life as a fake, is fast, fantastic and flawed, says blake morrison. Perhaps you remember the public brawl with dylan thomas, or even have a copy of his famous book of dirty poems. Author interview peter carey, author of my life as a fake. Carey does an excellent job at recreating postwar australia, and 1950s and 70s malaysia for the readers, and in creating engaging characters that are fully drawn if not particularly sympathetic. Twotime booker prizewinner peter carey, author of true history of the kelly gang, shows again why he is one of the most acclaimed writers in the world with this ambitious novel. Peter carey received the booker prize for oscar and lucinda, and again for true history of the kelly gang. My life as a fake by peter carey books the guardian.
Australian novelist peter carey grips that energy and holds it fast for twothirds of his slim new book my life as a fake, only to let it squirm out of his grasp in the denouement. Peter carey, my life as a f ake i love peter carey. Carey is one of only five writers to have won the booker prize twicethe others being j. Pdf my life as a fake by peter carey download pdf free ebook. I read this book to satisfy the fb challenge category book from the bottom of my to read list its been on my shelves for over 5 years. Inmy life as a fake, peter carey has created a novel that is captivating and haunting, and, in the end, sinfully delightful. In his authors note at the conclusion of his first novel since true history of the kelly gang 2000 won englands booker prize, australian writer peter carey makes it clear he is not trying to. In 1944, an avantgarde australian poetry magazine called angry penguins published the darkening ecliptic by ern malley, a. Carey has won the miles franklin award three times and is frequently named as australias next contender for the nobel prize in literature. Sep 12, 2003 my life as a fake by peter carey 256pp, faber.
Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Minneapolis startribune in my life as a fake, peter carey has created a novel that is captivating and haunting, and, in the end, sinfully. Peter carey s my life as a fake is a remarkable novel about a creature as indelible as frankenstein, by the twotime bookerwinning author of amnesia, oscar and lucinda and true history of the kelly gang. Click to read more about my life as a fake by peter carey. In steamy, fetid kuala lumpur in 1972, sarah wodedouglass, the editor of a london poetry journal, meets a mysterious australian named christopher chubb. At a time when readers are so often asked to respect, admire and even to buy a vast number of memoirs and naively autobiographical novels whose only dubious merit lies in their sincerity, peter careys new novel my life as a fake comes like a monsoon after drought. A haunting story whose surreal events are as captivating and memorable as the misguided aspirations of its characters. Yet to carey s great credit, the novel is tight in its telling and immensely readable. Peter careys new novel, my life as a fake, is so confidently brilliant, so economical yet lively in its writing, so tightly fitted and continuously startling in its plot that something, we feel, must be wrong with it. Australian novelist peter carey grips that energy and holds it fast for twothirds of his slim new book my life as a f ake, only to let it squirm out of his grasp in the denouement. Peter carey s my life is a fake explores the idea of fakery while paying homage to the ern malley hoax. In steamy, fetid kuala lumpur in 1972, sarah wodedouglass, editor of a london poetry journal, meets the mysterious christopher chubb.
Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers. At a time when readers are so often asked to respect, admire and even to buy a vast number of memoirs and naively autobiographical novels whose only dubious merit lies in their sincerity, peter carey s new novel my life as a fake comes like a monsoon after drought. Pdf my life as a fake by peter carey download pdf free. Astonishing, mesmerizing, and ultimately shocking, my life as a f ake is the most audacious novel yet in peter carey s extraordinary career. In 1944, an avantgarde australian poetry magazine called angry penguins published the darkening ecliptic by ern malley, a humble garage. It is rare to find a book where the characters arent especially likable, yet my life as a f ake is wonderfully engrossing. In my life as a fake, peter carey has created a novel that is captivating and haunting, and, in the end, sinfully delightful. My life as a fake by peter carey penguin books australia. Fiendishly devious and addictively readable, peter careys my life as a fake is a moral labyrinth constructed around the uneasy relationship between literature.
The mysterythe origin of a brilliant but purportedly faked poemfuels a whirlwind pursuit through australia and across the wilds of malaysia. In steamy, fetid kuala lumpur in 1972, sarah wodedouglass, the editor of a london poetry journal, meets a mysterious australian named christopher. In june 1944, while war was raging in europe, australia discovered a literary genius. Australia and a true story again lie at the heart of my life as a fake, but careys new novel is a very different beast. If every artist is indeed a thief, carey is a literary larcenist. My life as a fake is a 2003 novel by australian writer peter carey based on the ern malley hoax of 1943, in which two poets created a fictitious poet, ern malley, and submitted poems in his name to the literary magazine angry penguins. No brief summary can do justice to the haunting beauty, the playfulness, the humor and the riveting storytelling of this masterful novel. Nov 07, 2003 my life as a fake by peter carey knopf, 288 pp. How does this portrait set the framework and tone for the rest of the novel. My life as a fake ebook by peter carey rakuten kobo. Ern malley, a lonely garage mechanic, wrote poems of. An australian literary hoax lies at the core of my life as a fake, peter careys captivating, continuously startling john updike contemplation. Fiendishly devious and addictively readable, peter carey s my life as a f ake is a moral labyrinth constructed around the uneasy relationship between literature and lying.
My life as a fake is his brilliantly fictionalized spin on the greatest li. Early in peter carey s new novel, one of its main characters, a celebrated but. My life as a fake by peter carey and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Peter careys my life as a fake is a remarkable novel about a creature as indelible as frankenstein, by the twotime bookerwinning author of amnesia, oscar and. It begins in 1985, but the story the narrator, sarah wodedouglass, has to tell is of events that happened in 1972 and there, again, it is the telling of stories from earlier times that dominate the narrative, making my life as a fake a talewithinatalewithinatale sort novel. A dazzling, beautifully detailed, intellectually energetic book. Ive read three of his novels this year and all were fantastic and all seemed to be written by an inspired ventriloquist who juggles voicetovoice, sceneto.
Early in peter carey s new novel, one of its main characters, a celebrated but doggedly mediocre english poet named john. Buy the paperback book my life as a fake by peter carey at indigo. Peter carey you would think that a novelist who has twice won the prestigious booker prize and seems a reasonable candidate for a third, given the breathtaking accomplishment of his newest novel, my life as a fake would be set for life. After reading my life as a fake, i cant help but wonder why peter carey is not better known in america. It begins in 1985, but the story the narrator, sarah wodedouglass, has to tell is of events that happened in 1972 and there, again, it is the telling of stories from earlier times that dominate the narrative, making my life as a fake a talewithin a talewithin a tale sort novel. Peter carey s my life as a f ake is a literate mystery of forgeries and doppelgangers with a fictional manuscript at its heart. Peter carey has likened his new novel, my life as a fake, to a jazz improvisation that starts with a known melody and fs with it.
Peter philip carey ao born 7 may 1943 is an australian novelist. It is rare to find a book where the characters arent especially likable, yet my life as a fake is wonderfully engrossing. Fiendishly devious and addictively readable, peter carey s my life as a fake is a moral labyrinth constructed around the uneasy relationship between literature and lying. Carey says my life as a fake is a weird book to talk about. Jan 01, 2003 peter carey, my life as a fake i love peter carey. A novel vintage international kindle edition by peter carey. The story of my life as a f ake is as implausible as it gets. The title of peter carey s new novel invites a question. My life as a fake by peter carey reading guidebook club. Peter carey was born in bacchus marsh, victoria, in 1943. He attended bacchus marsh state school from 1948 to 1953, then boarded at geelong grammar school between 1954 and 1960. About the author peter carey is the multiawardwinning author of eight novels, plus two highly acclaimed collections of short stories and a memoir. While the actual incident would be interesting enough, carey takes this further by have the supposedly imagined poet show up in the life of the individual who created the hoax.
Yet to careys great credit, the novel is tight in its telling and immensely readable. My life as a f ake is his brilliantly fictionalized spin on the greatest literary hoax in australias colorful history in the 1950s poet christopher chubb composes a body of sexually charged poems. Knowledge of this hoax is the backbone of this postmodernist novel, so much so that he covers his thoughts on it in the back of the book. The story of my life as a fake is as implausible as it gets. In his latest novel, my life as a fake, twotime booker prize winner peter carey dares to retell the frankenstein story by imagining the. Sign me up to get more news about literary fiction books. In the end, you are left questioning what is real and what is not, very similar to the questions left after martels life of pi. Miss burma by charmaine craig an historical family saga in the classic sense, charmaine craigs miss burma puts a twist on things by setting the book in the tumultuous burma of the 20th century, from the time of british colonialism, through to independence and ne wins seizure of power. My life as a fake is a 2003 novel by australian writer peter carey based on the ern malley hoax of 1943, in which two poets created a fictitious poet, ern malley. As postmodern fiction continues to blur the lines between the presumably real world of the reader and the presumably unreal world of the novel, the idea of a literary fraud takes on a strange new power.