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Fiveways
Thrust together on a crowded city bus, week after week, the lives of five strangers unfold unexpectedly over the course of this compelling novel. JAMES is a teenage junkie on the run, riding buses for kicks; PAULINE is a Greek widow and a slave to her nine-to-five life; WILLIAM is a spoilt-rich-kid banker who would rather be driving his silver Audi; PIETER is an immigrant cellist who escaped his past, but tragedy still haunts him; and ANNA is on the verge of leaving her accountant husband. They all share the same bus route but are on very different journeys. Five ways is a fascinating snapshot of modern urban life and the stories behind the anonymous faces that make up a city.
272 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 23, 2019
4/5
I was really pleasantly surprised by this book. It doesn’t really have a plot at all, like those movies that just tell the simple story of someone’s life (eg. Everybody Wants Some).
It was a little slow to get into and a little hard to follow at first as each chapter was from a different character. But after you get to know the characters you become pretty interested in their lives.
I will admit that some of the terminology would not be acceptable today and I would have been offended if the characters hadn’t been treated with respect. So that wasn’t great but it could have been an awful lot worse.
I knew James would be a favourite from the one sentence description of him on the back cover. I just had a feeling, and my feeling was right. I guess I’m a little biased when it comes to LGBT characters but I felt for young James and was really happy with where his story ended up.
Pauline and Anna’s stories surprised me, they became my favourites too. I loved hearing about these two very different but strong and smart women. They are both terrific mothers and they have personality that isn’t tied to them being mothers. I would love to meet women like them, they are just gems.
Pieter’s story was tinged with sadness, and while he was a lovely man I got a little tired of the melancholy.
William was the worst. I’ve never read a character as awful as him. He’s an arrogant arsehole and he doesn’t care about anything. I’m very glad his chapters were few and far between.
All in all, Fiveways was a delightful story that left me feeling warm and fuzzy. It’s a soft smile and calm wave sort of feeling. A wonderful little book that I wish for more recognition.
I was really pleasantly surprised by this book. It doesn’t really have a plot at all, like those movies that just tell the simple story of someone’s life (eg. Everybody Wants Some).
It was a little slow to get into and a little hard to follow at first as each chapter was from a different character. But after you get to know the characters you become pretty interested in their lives.
I will admit that some of the terminology would not be acceptable today and I would have been offended if the characters hadn’t been treated with respect. So that wasn’t great but it could have been an awful lot worse.
I knew James would be a favourite from the one sentence description of him on the back cover. I just had a feeling, and my feeling was right. I guess I’m a little biased when it comes to LGBT characters but I felt for young James and was really happy with where his story ended up.
Pauline and Anna’s stories surprised me, they became my favourites too. I loved hearing about these two very different but strong and smart women. They are both terrific mothers and they have personality that isn’t tied to them being mothers. I would love to meet women like them, they are just gems.
Pieter’s story was tinged with sadness, and while he was a lovely man I got a little tired of the melancholy.
William was the worst. I’ve never read a character as awful as him. He’s an arrogant arsehole and he doesn’t care about anything. I’m very glad his chapters were few and far between.
All in all, Fiveways was a delightful story that left me feeling warm and fuzzy. It’s a soft smile and calm wave sort of feeling. A wonderful little book that I wish for more recognition.
July 15, 2021
Tiresome book jumping backwards and forwards between 5 different protagonists.
April 14, 2022
The people on the bus don't have happy lives, but they drew me in.
January 20, 2023
Not sure how to rate this. It's probably more of a 2-star, but I'm giving it an extra star because the concept is exactly the same as an idea I had a few years ago. Brisbane! Public transport! Zero degrees of separation! I'm even bothering to write a review because I can't find any online.
The five plots were mostly okay, though the spartan writing style didn't suit the ones that were aiming for an emotional response. It worked best in the junkie plotline, where a lot of shit was going down and the detached tone made it all seem more entertaining, but I think He Died With A Felafel In His Hand did it better.
I also got the impression that the author really hates rich people. Admittedly, I went to an inner-city Brisbane private school for a bit and guiltily agreed with the incredibly unflattering descriptions of the upper-middle class, but I had to roll my eyes at how ~inspiring~ the immigrants and refugees were. The very first chapter almost made me give up because there was such a fetishy description of African refugees and how they don't mind the bus being late because they've lived through wars and blah blah. That'd probably be considered offensive these days.
But hey, well-intentioned offensiveness is a very Brisbane thing, in my experience. I enjoyed recognizing the landmarks and smiled slightly when the bus route number was revealed at the end. I didn't think the book was a waste of my time, at least.
(I can't believe an editor thought that ending was appropriate though... seriously?)
The five plots were mostly okay, though the spartan writing style didn't suit the ones that were aiming for an emotional response. It worked best in the junkie plotline, where a lot of shit was going down and the detached tone made it all seem more entertaining, but I think He Died With A Felafel In His Hand did it better.
I also got the impression that the author really hates rich people. Admittedly, I went to an inner-city Brisbane private school for a bit and guiltily agreed with the incredibly unflattering descriptions of the upper-middle class, but I had to roll my eyes at how ~inspiring~ the immigrants and refugees were. The very first chapter almost made me give up because there was such a fetishy description of African refugees and how they don't mind the bus being late because they've lived through wars and blah blah. That'd probably be considered offensive these days.
But hey, well-intentioned offensiveness is a very Brisbane thing, in my experience. I enjoyed recognizing the landmarks and smiled slightly when the bus route number was revealed at the end. I didn't think the book was a waste of my time, at least.
(I can't believe an editor thought that ending was appropriate though... seriously?)
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July 22, 2010Just started new author could be interesting
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August 10, 2011not bad....
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March 20, 2013I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/11661202
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/11661202
December 6, 2025
A surprisingly riveting character driven debut novel, that was genuinely enjoyable.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews