Too Close To Home

by Georgia Blain

How tenuous the links are that build a life. Too Close To Home takes us right inside who we really are.

Freya writes uncomfortable domestic dramas. Her friends work in theatre and film, show in galleries, talk politics and are trying new ways of having children with friends. These are the people who are slowly gentrifying the next ring of inner-city suburbs while praising their diversity.

As the stultifying heat of summer descends, Shane, an Aboriginal man, moves up the road. He was once close to Matt, Freya's partner, and he not only brings with him a different approach to life, he also has news of a boy who might be Matt's son. Despite wanting to
embrace all that Shane represents and the possibility of another child in their life, Freya and Matt stumble, failing each other and their beliefs.

Genres: Fiction

293 pages, Paperback

First published May 2, 2011

About the author

Georgia Blain has published novels for adults and young adults, essays, short stories, and a memoir. Her first novel was the bestselling Closed for Winter, which was made into a feature film. She was shortlisted for numerous awards including the NSW and SA Premiers' Literary Awards, and the Nita B. Kibble Award for her memoir Births Deaths Marriages. Georgia's works include The Secret Lives of Men, Too Close to Home, and the YA novel Darkwater. In 2016, in addition to Between a Wolf and a Dog, Georgia also published the YA novel Special. She lived in Sydney, where she worked full-time as a writer.

Reviews

[Michael Livingston · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting and thoughtful book, about a lefty middle-class family whose comfortable progressiveness is challenged by the discovery of a child they didn't know existed. Blain is a lovely, exacting writer, but the emotions at the core of this book didn't really connect with me - Matt and Freya's relationship didn't have the same spark as, say, Freya's relationship with her best friend Anna. Still, nice to read a contemporary Australian novel concerned with politics at both the macro and micro levels.

[Sooz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think that this book is well written: the prose is lovely, and at times it is insightful. However, by the end of it I felt that something was lacking to make it a really good book, one that would leave a mark on me. Maybe it was that the protagonist didn't really seem to struggle at all - and that her problems seemed a bit too self-indulgent for me to really care. I didn't really care for any of the characters, to be honest. Not Blain's best peice of work, but still worth the read.

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for making me feel as uncomfortable as it did. The title is indeed apt, throwing into sharp relief the culture I live in, which is all talk all left labor angst guilt without any practical effect. Thrown into the mix is a dysfunctional marriage, relationships between inner city suburbanites and an aboriginal family, and the question of whether an affair from years ago led to a child. It's also against the backdrop of very recent Australian federal politics. Highly recommend it.

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book strangely compelling, I read it quite quickly, I found I couldn't put it down, which I am a bit surprised at, as I actually loathed almost everyone in this book except for the kids. This is an uncomfortable look at white, middle class life in Australia. I say 'uncomfortable' not just because uncomfortable writing is part of the story, but it did genuinely make me uncomfortable because I could see myself. We white, middle class folk do tend to sit around in our privileged bubbles, moaning about right wing politics (I too threatened to leave the country if Tony Abbott became PM) and the state of the world. But we are mostly detached from the realities of the actual state of the world, and completely impotent - unable or unwilling to actually 'do something about it'. And that leads me to my problems with the characters. I am willing to admit I saw glimmers of myself and my world in this book, but these characters I think are extremes. I didn't quite know what to make of Freya, she is very anxious, constantly making excuses for why she can't or won't step up and make changes in her life. We see that again and again in her dealings with both Matt and Shane. Matt is probably one of my least favourite types of people - he is constantly dissatisfied with his life, he is clearly 'a free spirit', aloof and irritated by domesticity. He loves his wife and his child in his own way, but he clearly does not want to be 'a family man' which is why, I think, he throws himself headfirst into the whole Lucas situation. Not because ' it is the right thing to do' but because he craves 'meaning' in his life and on a more basic level, some excitement. He really irritated me, I found him to be incredibly selfish and self absorbed, even when he thinks he is being responsible. He tells Freya he would help Lisa and Lucas regardless of whether Lucas was his son, but this is clearly nonsense. Of course he wouldn't, but he likes to think of himself in that light. He seemingly knows very little about his wife, puts himself and his needs before hers throughout the story and seems to resent her, blame her for his dissatisfaction.

Shane is an interesting character, I don't really know what to say about him. I think the the author is careful not to stereotype Shane in any way, but we don't really get to know him very well - he is very much a side story that isn't explored with any real depth. The others, Freya's friends, are most superficial and uninteresting.

Ultimately I found this very readable. There were things I didn't like but it was an interesting tale and while I didn't like the characters, I don't think I was meant to. I liked the slow burning, tense atmosphere. The ending however is something of an anti climax and I was left feeling a little annoyed that it doesn't really go anywhere. Its not a particularly satisfying story, but it is entertaining enough.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. The author’s style of writing appeals to me and I always feel that there is honesty and truth in the way she expresses herself. A relatively simple read but the characters are fleshed out fairly well and you get a real sense that you are almost an interloper in their lives.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting reading about ily and a family facing domestic dramas within their family and with friends

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good family drama. Characters were all pretty unlikeable.

[Katarina · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a whole, the book didn’t quite hold together for me - but there were some elements to the book which were really interesting.

This book is essentially a domestic drama, with politics (eg, looking at race, class) woven into it. The protagonist (Freya - a white, middle class, educated woman) and her friends often talk about politics - generally on a national scale (how the government is failing, etc). But Freya is faced with politics on a more personal level during the novel - she meets several people from different backgrounds, and many of her biases come bubbling to the surface. She grapples with her confusion about her underlying racism and classism, and attempts to work through it (not always successfully).

I think that this quote sums up what Blain wanted to achieve with this book:
“So much art is lazy ... It peddles extremes. It allows us to congratulate ourselves. We are not that xenophobic, or that misogynistic, or that wicked. It simply reaffirms our own comfortable position, allowing us to ignore any challenges to that.”

One of the things I enjoyed about this book is that it’s local - it’s set in the area of Sydney where I live. While I love learning more about other parts of the world through reading, it’s also quite special to read about your own neighbourhood. :-)

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reminded me a little of “The Slap”..same era set in Melbourne.

[Chris Waterford · Rating 5 out of 5]

A superbly written relationship drama set in the Inner West of Sydney. Lots of challenges and moral dilemmas. I loved it.
8/10

[Carol - Reading Writing and Riesling · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars

The first few chapters did not inspire me to read much further –I don’t know why, they just did not engage me but I forged on and soon found myself totally engrossed in this narrative. It is a gently told story of relationships, of how the individual person can be political and of modern day suburban Australia, and I am pleased I read this book. It did make me think, it made me a little sad; the revealing of personal prejudices, personal stories which for me asked one important question – how do you describe and define family?

Although written a few years ago the political references and conundrums haven’t changed, they are still relevant today; including but not limited to climate change, refugees, Indigenous rights, unemployment, cost of housing, youth mental health concerns... Australian politics still remains a two person race and not one of any real choice. Where is the leadership? Blain’s writing is mostly subtle as she gently prods our conscience and asks us to think about prejudices and family, mostly she is subtle; sometime she out and out shouts her political concerns to anyone who will hear. Are we listening? I was, her concerns held real meaning to me.

The big question that I feel was raised in this book was about caring for others, (p.223 Matt to Freya) “But am I only allowed to help if there is a genetic link - is my care and compassion limited to that? You and your friends sit around complaining about how little is done for others and you never look at yourselves. All I can do is make a decision about the way I think I should behave in the circumstances - and I want to help.”

Isn’t that all anyone can do/should do? These few sentences condense the issues of the book and of society today, issues that are very close to home.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Contemporary novel about a group of friends from University and their partners and families. Freya is a 40 something playwright living in the suburbs of Sydney with husband Matt, an architect, and daughter Ella. Anna is an actor, married to Paolo, who doesn't want Anna to have a child. Mikhala is an artist with a successful new show. And Louise, a director, has returned to Australia to have a child with Scott and Alistair.

Matt's friend, Shane, an Aboriginal lawyer, comes to live in the same suburb with his two children, who befriend Ella. Shane tells Matt that his ex-girlfriend from university, Lisa, has a son, Lucas, who may be Matt's. Matt becomes involved in with Lisa and Lucas, who come to step with Matt and Lisa, when Lucas is caught assaulting an old lady. This and other events precipitate a crisis for Matt, with his son, and for Freya, who is trying to reconcile an affair with a fellow theatrical worker with her desire for a normal life.

[Penni Russon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a compelling novel, a gripping gen-x domestic family drama that plays against a larger backdrop of political ideas. It really shows the way that politics entangle and intersect our personal lives (the personal is political here), but also it suggests that politics is only one agent for social change, and that the current state of things in our cultural climate could be an opportunity for great change. Idealism and cynicism is so charmingly and perfectly balanced here that the novel resonates with realness - I could be these people, having that conversation. All the characters are flawed, difficult but ultimately I cared for them all. I suspect this won't be the case for everyone - but I believe I am hardwired to empathise with Georgia Blain - all the writing of hers I've read seems to come from a colder, more astute, unrelenting part of myself.

[Robyn Canny · Rating 3 out of 5]

A novel set in contemporary Sydney referencing actual political & current events from approx. 4 years ago! The main character, Freya, is a writer (mostly plays) and seems to never be satisfied with her life. While I enjoyed the book, I'm not sure if I would recommend as sometimes I feel I enjoy things just because they are easy reads! Also, I didn't really like any of the characters which reminded me of my thoughts of The Slap. This is a really bad "review"!

[Carolyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

The issues that illustrate the title are both racial and domestic. Freya thinks of herself as enlightened but has difficulties dealing with her partner’s friendship with aboriginal Shane and his son and the discovery of a child born to Lisa, a previous lover of Matt. The child may or may not be his. Issues around the 2010 Australian election are also canvassed. Blain writes well but the novel’s characters and issues didn’t engage me. Not memorable.

[Sophie Shanahan · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was the most forgettable story I've read in a long while. It went nowhere and said nothing. And I hated the characters.