Untold Tales

by David Malouf

In the four short narratives collected here, David Malouf explores some of the "untold tales" behind familiar stories - historical, mythic and legendary - while at the same time offering a series of meditations on the role of folktales and story-telling in shaping human lives.

60 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

David Malouf is a celebrated Australian poet, novelist, librettist, playwright, and essayist whose work has garnered international acclaim. Known for his lyrical prose and explorations of identity, memory, and place, Malouf began his literary career in poetry before gaining recognition for his fiction. His 1990 novel The Great World won the Miles Franklin Award and several other major prizes, while Remembering Babylon (1993) earned a Booker Prize nomination and multiple international honors.
Malouf has taught at universities in Australia and the UK, delivered the prestigious Boyer Lectures, and written libretti for acclaimed operas. Born in Brisbane to a Lebanese father and a mother of Sephardi Jewish heritage, he draws on both Australian and European influences in his work. He is widely regarded as one of Australia's most important literary voices and has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Neustadt International Prize for Literature and the Australia Council Award for Lifetime Achievement in Literature.

Reviews

[Old Man JP · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Malouf retells four mythical and legendary tales in his magnificent poetic prose. The first is titled Buxtehude's Daughter and is about Dietrich Buxtehude who was the finest organist and composer in Germany. He had decided to find someone to succeed him and had young men from across Germany come to audition for the spot. The understanding was that whoever that person was would marry his daughter, just as he had married the daughter of his teacher. The second story, titled The Runners was about how rumours spread so fast that they must be carried by angelic runners. The third story, titled Epimetheus was about Epimetheus and Pandora, the parents of the first mortals. The fourth and final story was titled Ulysses and is a retelling of the battle for Troy between Achilles, Patroclus and Hector. In my opinion, David Malouf has no equal when it comes to imagination and the ability to express it in such extraordinary poetic prose.

[Liam Ostermann · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful, but very short (60 pages) collection of stories based on history and myth, mostly myth. It is wonderful, I love when a master stylist like Malouf looks at and reimagines, reinterprets, or simply looks freshly at well known stories, particularly the ones that have come to us from Hesiod and Homer. Mr. Malouf is not unique in finding new ways of telling and finding new things to say in an ancient legend or more historic events such as the tale 'Buxtehude's Daughter' (I'm not going to say anything about what this or any of the other stories are about but if you enter Buxtehude into Google the first response will tell you who this person was though not what the story is about).

A lovely collection which I am so happy to own, I don't think these stories are available elsewhere, though fortunately I found a copy considerably less expensive than many of the quotes I've seen on the internet. If you can't lay your hands on this collection search out one of Malouf's other story collections or novels. He is an incomparable author and one not to be missed.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fourth story in this collection of tales and myths, 'Ulysses' (aka Odysseus) has got to be one of my favorites of Malouf's writing. Absolutely beautifully described, especially Achilles and Patroclus' relationship. Gah! So good.
1st story: 3 stars
2nd story: 4 stars
3rd story: 3.5 stars
4th story: 5 stars

[Roderick Mcgillis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and sweet.