Three Dog Night

by Peter Goldsworthy

If love is an obsessive-compulsive disorder - same driven behaviour, same altered brain state, same chemistry - then I have been ill for years. But never as sick with bliss, as diseased, as now.

Genres: Fiction, Australia, Book Club, Literature

342 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Peter Goldsworthy grew up in various Australian country towns, finishing his schooling in Darwin. After graduating in medicine from the University of Adelaide in 1974, he worked for many years in alcohol and drug rehabiiltation. Since then, he has divided his time equally between writing and general practice. He has won major literary awards across a range of genres: poetry, short story, the novel, in opera, and most recently in theatre.

Reviews

[Clare · Rating 2 out of 5]

This would have been so much more effective in short story form. There’s not enough storyline to cover the 340 pages and it really drags as a result. A married couple return back to Adelaide after ten years in England, Martin hopes to reconcile with his best friend Felix. However he finds out that Felix has changed beyond recognition.

There’s really not much more to it than this. I found all of the characters unlikeable and couldn’t bring myself to care for them. Martin sets out to help his estranged friend to great personal cost to himself and his relationship with his wife Lucy. Their conclusions just don’t seem logical to me and their actions were never made to seem rational. I would have given up on this book if it were any longer.

[George · Rating 3 out of 5]

An engaging, disconcerting novel about Martin Blackman, his wife Lucy, and Martin’s old friend Felix. Felix isn’t well and requests Lucy to go out with him and comfort him. The novel begins with Martin Blackman, after ten years in London, returning to work in Adelaide with his wife and fellow psychiatrist Lucy, very happily in love. Martin introduces her to his old friend Felix, a barred surgeon, who has changed into a very abrasive, depressed, physically ill person.

I particularly enjoyed the first third of this book. The dinner party to celebrate Lucy’s birthday is entertaining with crisp dialogue. The second half of the novel is less lively, and Lucy’s character becomes more complicated. We learn the Felix has spent much of his time as a surgeon in the outback, with aborigines. There are some interesting comments on life in the outback and about aboriginal justice.

A fairly intense, fast paced reading experience. I did not find the book an enjoyable read. However is it a memorable, thought provoking novel.

This book is shortlisted for the 2004 Miles Franklin award.

[Ilyhana Kennedy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm an Australian with some familiarity with the cultures of some of our Australian Aboriginal peoples. So I'm likely to be sharp on some cultural aspects of this novel.
Overall, I felt that there is an immaturity in the writing of this novel and having said that, I see the promise of more and better.
The writing style of the novel is excellent, beautifully lyrical in places, eyes that truly see Australia's beauty.
The pace is good.
The structure of the novel is fairly restricting for the reader. The story is locked within the view of the character narrating, Martin. The central characters of the story are Felix and more subtly, Lucy. I think the characters would have been more accessible if narration came also from them or someone else's view of their behaviour.
The premise of the story just didn't work for me.
There's a darkness in this story. At no point however, not even in the ending could I credit that Lucy would act the way she did. The story failed to substantiate her actions.
I felt distinctly uncomfortable with the narrator's assertions about his own guilt and shame. I can hardly prescribe to the moral position that a person dying should have the right to waive the usual social mores and act as he pleases, have anything he wants. Lucy's actions appear patronising to me, rather than the "act of love" we are asked to accept.
There is a dark undertone in this book as well, that suggests that men who've grown up together as 'brothers' see their wives as common sexual property available for bargaining. There's a highly predatory theme in this novel.
Lucy is reduced to a sexual fantasy figure.
I have a suspicion that a line of intercultural respect has been crossed with the lifting of elements of Aboriginal culture out of context, and especially where the cultural mores are compared with white Australian culture and told from a white Australian perspective.
A fairly unsatisfying read for me. I was pretty annoyed with it by the time I read the conclusion.

[notgettingenough · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just as in the case of Everything I Knew, Goldsworthy's portrayal of the main female character in this story leaves one perplexed. It was published some five years earlier, in 2003. Again I wondered if it was the case that 'way back then' women would have been okay with the characterisation. That is, until I came upon two reviews cut from newspapers of the day, both by females, and both unhappy with Lucy. Overall, a rather unsatisfactory affair.

[Maggie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'd like to give this book one and a half stars, but am feeling generous tonight. I particularly disliked the characters, especially Felix and Lucy. I found them to be amoral and totally self indulgent, and it annoyed me that her behaviour / choices remains unexplained. Some of the other characterisations, for instance the guy with the fez, were flat, no depth. I tired of the story, and the characters by about half way through, and finished it only because a friend is going to ask me what I thought of it, and I'd like to be able to discuss it with her.
I will not read anything else by this author. On second thoughts I'd like to give this book one star, but cant be bothered changing the rating now.

[Louis Moresi · Rating 3 out of 5]

1) Take the author's advice and do not look up penile subcision on google

2) Powerful book about love, jealousy, betrayal and death. Many reviewers found it hard to connect with any of the characters on account of their inherent dislikability but I didn't get that at all. I found the downward trajectory of the entire book compelling and dreadful in equal measure. The language is elegant and a little strange but this, to me, harks forward to the desert languages with their rolling syllables and mimicry which thread the text.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

On page 244 the main character finally asks himself 'why?' - something I'd been asking since the beginning of the book. I could not understand why these people were doing the things they were doing. Made no sense at all. But after that the story got a whole lot more interesting, plenty of plot twists and turns, complex characters and choices to be made. By the end I really enjoyed it.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gave a very interesting perspective on both an Australian that returns home after living so many years abroad, as well as interesting insight to the Australian bush and the Aboriginal culture. The relationship between the 3 main characters is indeed complicated. I definitely was engaged with this book until the end...and then still wasn't quite sure what to think.

[Roslyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

My least favourite Goldsworthy book, about an unappealing anti-hero who is incredibly immature, self-centred and narcissistic. It also has some elements of Australia's search for reconciliation, as the protagonist goes on a typically self-indulgent road journey to the dessert.

[Suzie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was... pretentious and underwhelming, with no likeable characters

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed this, the hot Adelaide summer, then the desert, not a bad place to die.

[Kitty Maloona · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am continually amazed that people will condemn a book because they find the characters unlikeable! Do we read a book to make friends with the characters? I hear the rush of 'but we must feel a connection with at least one of the characters' and 'but what if we don't care about the characters because we don't like them' - etc. It's entirely irrelevant. Some of the most intriguing characters in fiction have been thoroughly unlikeable. What about Hamlet for example? Or Macbeth? Or The Fierce Bad Rabbit? Everyone in Ulysses except for Molly Bloom? Viri and Nedra Berland? It seems such a childish premise on which to judge a book.

Yes the characters are frustrating, unlikeable, infuriating, slap-worthy at times, baffling. All creates push and pull and tension that drives the story. WE DON'T HAVE TO LIKE THEM.

On the question of the authenticity of and respect for the culture of the Indigenous people portrayed in the story, I am not knowledgeable enough to comment; it seems to me that a writer of this standing would have written from personal experience and have taken care to write truthfully.

I think it's a beautifully written book. A story that explores themes of selfishness and loyalty, trust and obligation, paranoia and possessiveness, the way we see ourselves within the context of friendship and love, the painfully conflicted situations that arise when we form relationships with other people. And I didn't like any of the characters!

[Sally · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I found this story to be enthralling, I think it was mainly to find an answer to the question 'How do people get themselves into such messes?' Unfortunately, an answer was not forthcoming. The characters were hard to picture, even though some of the more two dimensional beings reminded me a little of people I have known, despite the depiction of the very close knit Adelaide society and the inevitable connections it brings. I never really understood Martin and Lucy's marriage to be more than a convenient friendship. Their conversations about their work provided some insight into the story plot ahead and the notion of self-fulfilling prophecies. I was disappointed that Lucy's actions were not better explained beyond vague references to letters and heir contents. I mean ultimately we all want to know - who does that??

[Chip · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can't decide on whether this is a 2 or a 3 star book. It just left me feeling... meh... nothing. So I decided to be generous.

I had this book recommended to me and about half way through another friend who had read it, was it worth my time to continue? Her response surprised me greatly (now that I have personally finished).
"When you read "Once were Warriors", did you love the story line or was it more powerful than that?!"
I'm convinced that we were speaking of another book other than "Three Dog Night". But I stuck it out I kept expecting, nay, hoping, it would get better only to be dreadful anti-climax...
I've had a few books like this recently. Hopefully the next I pick up has more promise.

[Toula]

I would highly recommend this book for its clever use of words and witty dialogue between the main characters as well as the very entertaining narrative. The plot itself is highly absorbing although the flawed characters may be unlikable do gain the reader's empathy as the novel progresses. Also, the highly desriptive scenery and references to the indigenous Australian culture and lifestyle evoked feeling and interest.

[Tracey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved and hated this book at the same time. The questions it raises about how far you would go for a friend or lover made it impossible for me to put it down, but dreadfully uncomfortable at the same time. The theme of selfishness, or selflessness, was painful to watch unfold. I recommend this book, but only if you have time or head-space for the inevitable self reflection that will follow reading.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing book. I felt I learned so much about about Australian Aboriginal desert culture. I loved the language and descriptions of landscapes and emotions. A book I will be thinking about for a long while.

[Amanda]

total crap. Do yourself a favour and save time - skip it.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good read. Local setting lovely to relate to. Probably didn't take the direction I was anticipating... great local and indigenious references though.

[Kate Irish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent, if at times confronting. I like Peter Goldsworthy very much. I prefer him to Tim Winton really, despite the fact that Tim Winton wins all the accolades

[Susan Lambe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic read. Thoroughly enjoyable. Great pace. Well written. Good Australian fiction

[Tien · Rating 1 out of 5]

Argh! This book contained that which I would've studiously avoid and I would rant but that'd take more of my precious time; I'd rather just forget.

[Wendy Sice · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first time reading this author and I was not disappointed. Three Dog Night is the story of doctors, Martin and Lucy, who move to Adelaide to live, and then reunite with Martin’s university friends from the past. At first, his best friend, Felix, is distant and even rude, but he takes a liking to Lucy and makes an effort to be more amiable. Soon, his interest becomes more serious, and an awkward triangle develops between the three of them. Dinner parties and tennis matches in the city contrast with a haunting journey through the sparse and beautiful desert landscape of South Australia and the Northern Territory chasing Felix’s darkest dreams.

Goldsworthy’s prose is stunningly poetic and his portrayal of Martin’s despair is vivid and heart-wrenching. The Australian outback becomes a personality in itself, through the cry of the birds, and the song of the Aboriginal elders around the campfire. I was swept up in this sensual story of seduction and betrayal, rattling through the pages to discover Lucy’s ultimate decision. Give this one a go.

[David Gagen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably should be 3 1/2 stars really. Peter Goldsworthy is a very fine writer - parts of this novel are so beautifully written. The story unfolds with a quiet momentum and the language is superbly crafted. Yet something happens after the middle stages of the story and it all becomes a little ridiculous. There's too many birds, with too many Latin names; the protagonists English wife (with a limp) would rather hang out (& sleep) with a rude boorish dying best friend of the husband (who she loves kinda) who knows all the psychiatric names for jealousy & obsession; her motivations are not explored really; too many budgerigars appear at just the right moment. Aboriginal cultural symbols & custom are presented in a rather superficial manner. Just all a bit cliched. And yet, on nearly every page there is some magical writing. All a bit confusing really. There is a fine story in here somewhere, it's just not this one.

[Deb Askew · Rating 2 out of 5]

Beautifully written, but dissatisfying. Agree with others' comments about the shallow characters, although in retrospect, the complexities of life were woven throughout the novel. I too am uneasy about the misappropriation and romanticizing of Aboriginal culture and life. I was irritated by the inaccurate description of when Martin arrives in Alice Springs - there is no ramp for getting on & off the plane, nor can you see faces in the windows of the terminal. You exit the plane, walk down steps and across the tarmac to a pathway that leads to the terminal. Anyways, a small matter but undermined the book for me.

[Elise March · Rating 4 out of 5]

I devoured this book. 4.5 starts. Was it flawless? No. It drags a bit at times and left so many questions unanswered and didnt love the ending. But good god I was GRIPPED in that middle section - it’s dark, disconcerting, made me confused and not wanting to stop turning the pages. I like the writing style. I like how obsessed Marty is with Lucy. The relationships are amazing (but part of the issue is that the characters fell short at the end, I think). Perfect for my wisdom teeth recovery.

[Judy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unpleasant people behaving unpleasantly. This only gets two stars instead of one because the author does write very beautifully about place; also, the death scene is very touching and atmospheric. But what horrible people. Also, massive cultural appropriation, but written at a time when consulting with an indigenous person or two seemed to allow writers to get away with pretty much anything.

[Craig Peters · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciate the skill in the writing, but just don't believe it.

No man I have ever known would go on the trip Martin did in those circumstances.

Felix was entirely unlikeable from beginning to end. Lucy would not have been attracted to him. He would not have earned the respect of the desert folk. Noone would have undertaken that onerous a journey for him.

Sorry.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow.

I finished this book in two days. It was THAT intense and evocative. I'm wandering around in a bit of a daze - surprised to be in the 'real world' and not with Marty and Lucy and Felix.

Powerful story. And I truly enjoyed and appreciated the drawing upon Indigenous culture that helped pack an emotional punch.

I need to buy this book. I'm going to feel the after-effects for days.

[Ro Hart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peter Goldsworthy was a new author for me.
I really enjoyed the story. Three people love each other.......difficult.
It was an original story, I was taken in from the first chapter.
Loved the way the Australian birds played a big part right up to the end.
A real page turner.