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Always East
Paperback
Published January 1, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 11, 2014
Always East
Michael Jacobson
Hodder
Always East is Michael Jacobson's second novel. And I hope he doesn't stop here.
Always East follows Chu Gon, a Chinese man raised in a forgotten inland Chinese community in Tasmania where the prejudices are not always what we might expect, and his friendship with Sabbath Cullen, a much younger man who is making something of himself with the skills his adoptive father taught him.
Chu has an enemy he is unaware of and the havoc this enemy wreaks in his life is anguishing. Sabbath develops an obsession which sees his skills far over-reached, and which costs him dearly.
We are introduced to the plain farming and working folk of Tasmania who form the backdrop against which the tragedies that befall these two men are silhouetted.
Jacobson is a fine artist, drawing humanity with deft lines, and while the plot of Always East made for good reading, it is the depth of the ordinary human heart he depicts which echoes throughout and makes this a great book.
Jacobson's first novel, Windmill Hill, is also set in Tasmania and relies heavily and brilliantly upon warmly drawn, foible infested, everyday characters, just as Always East does. Highly recommended, both.
Michael Jacobson
Hodder
Always East is Michael Jacobson's second novel. And I hope he doesn't stop here.
Always East follows Chu Gon, a Chinese man raised in a forgotten inland Chinese community in Tasmania where the prejudices are not always what we might expect, and his friendship with Sabbath Cullen, a much younger man who is making something of himself with the skills his adoptive father taught him.
Chu has an enemy he is unaware of and the havoc this enemy wreaks in his life is anguishing. Sabbath develops an obsession which sees his skills far over-reached, and which costs him dearly.
We are introduced to the plain farming and working folk of Tasmania who form the backdrop against which the tragedies that befall these two men are silhouetted.
Jacobson is a fine artist, drawing humanity with deft lines, and while the plot of Always East made for good reading, it is the depth of the ordinary human heart he depicts which echoes throughout and makes this a great book.
Jacobson's first novel, Windmill Hill, is also set in Tasmania and relies heavily and brilliantly upon warmly drawn, foible infested, everyday characters, just as Always East does. Highly recommended, both.
March 11, 2022
A well paced, well told story of North East Tasmania in the 1950's with rich characters. Highly recommend!
May 3, 2022
Where do I begin to review this novel with stories with in stories. May be I’ll start with the description of the surroundings, the author has such a way with words, the reader feels they too are there in Easter Tasmania - ‘They crossed soft green paddocks, which were divided by tall poplar tree windbreaks…..moving across flat, sheltered land……the thick myrtle and eucalyptus forest that would seem to follow them whole, only to spit them out onto huge slabs of cold, wet and slippery rock; the brittle and broken ground and labyrinthine tree roots that could snap ankles; the mud that could trap dray wheels; the canyons that plunged hundreds of feet’. Wow, I loved this style. But to the characters, they are all so interesting with so many traits, good and sometimes not so good. There are some time changes between current and past, which are not always clear, but as the book continues the reader puts the history into the context of current. If you have not travelled to Tasmania this book will encourage you too. The book is a subtle history lesson, sharing information which is not generally discussed or taught as part of history. When I read the final page I just wanted to start again immediately, not a common feeling for me when finishing a book. I have already read the authors prior book, Windmill Hill but I have not been able to find any more novels. A shame as his stories are wonderful and need to be shared.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews