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Antipodes: Stories
Antipodes - stories which pinpoint the contrast between the old world and the new, between youth and age, love and hatred and even life and death itself...
David Malouf is one of Australia's most highly acclaimed and popular poets and novelists. Now, with his first stunning collection of stories, he establishes himself as one of the most accomplished and provocative short story writers of our time.
David Malouf is one of Australia's most highly acclaimed and popular poets and novelists. Now, with his first stunning collection of stories, he establishes himself as one of the most accomplished and provocative short story writers of our time.
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First published January 1, 1985
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94 people want to read
About the author
David Malouf
82 books305 followersDavid 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
August 19, 2022
With the public library still closed for the pandemic, it’s exciting to find books I already possess that are surprises! Did I ever read this before? I know I love Malouf, but have not reviewed any of his books here (that usually means they were read in a previous century).
This collection started out strong and fabulous. Poetic, evocative, and compelling. However the last couple of stories did not grab me, especially the longer one, “A Traveller’s Tale.”
This collection started out strong and fabulous. Poetic, evocative, and compelling. However the last couple of stories did not grab me, especially the longer one, “A Traveller’s Tale.”
May 30, 2021
While Malouf is one of Australia's celebrated authors, I have somehow missed out on reading his works, though I've lived here in Sydney for over two decades. So, part of my delight in reading the book was how many cultural references there were, place names or vocabulary, which I knew I wouldn't have recognised before arriving on these shores.
It was his first collection of short stories, published in 1985, and certainly, these are stories of a different time, some purposefully going far back into Australian history and others still seeming from another generation. They are wildly different in tone and setting (jumping between Australia and Europe, and from urban settings to the bush), some so short as to be anecdotal, and a few longer more substantial stories.
I have to say I was very, very engaged for most of the book. I find his writing beautiful and thoughtful, and a turn of phrase or thoughtful sentence could elevate a simple scene. And I did really enjoy the stories of Australia from an earlier time. He combines a light touch and humour with darker turns.
I couldn't make much sense of the order, neither in time, nor setting. I perhaps liked the first story the most, Southern Skies, a complex coming of age story, which I imagine could have been controversial when it was published, but none of the other stories are similar. A Change of Scene, a holiday that turns bad, reminded me of an Alice Munro story: the real story here is the change of perception of the protagonist towards her husband in a situation of danger and stress.
I was all set to write a fairly rave review as I was barrelling towards the end, and then was surprised by the last two stories. A Traveller's Tale about a fan of an opera star with sudden access to her mysterious past, yet for me, a fantastical tale without depth or narrative hook. And then 'A Medium', a slight five pages and no more than an anecdote.
Still, I was very happy to discover this book, and it does make me interested in finding more of Malouf's work.
It was his first collection of short stories, published in 1985, and certainly, these are stories of a different time, some purposefully going far back into Australian history and others still seeming from another generation. They are wildly different in tone and setting (jumping between Australia and Europe, and from urban settings to the bush), some so short as to be anecdotal, and a few longer more substantial stories.
I have to say I was very, very engaged for most of the book. I find his writing beautiful and thoughtful, and a turn of phrase or thoughtful sentence could elevate a simple scene. And I did really enjoy the stories of Australia from an earlier time. He combines a light touch and humour with darker turns.
I couldn't make much sense of the order, neither in time, nor setting. I perhaps liked the first story the most, Southern Skies, a complex coming of age story, which I imagine could have been controversial when it was published, but none of the other stories are similar. A Change of Scene, a holiday that turns bad, reminded me of an Alice Munro story: the real story here is the change of perception of the protagonist towards her husband in a situation of danger and stress.
I was all set to write a fairly rave review as I was barrelling towards the end, and then was surprised by the last two stories. A Traveller's Tale about a fan of an opera star with sudden access to her mysterious past, yet for me, a fantastical tale without depth or narrative hook. And then 'A Medium', a slight five pages and no more than an anecdote.
Still, I was very happy to discover this book, and it does make me interested in finding more of Malouf's work.
July 26, 2015
This is the first collection of Malouf short stories that I've read, and the first he published in 1985.
They vary greatly in tone, often seemingly matter of fact but then a poetic nugget that shifts the writing way out of the ordinary.
Malouf is known for his writing around the themes of male identity and place. In this early collection, his characters are all connected with Australia somehow, though where and how they live varies greatly. Many are first or second generation immigrants, some are Australians overseas and this allows Malouf to play with ideas of displacement and the looping ropes of connection between Europe and Australia.
My 3 stars is really 3.5.
Some stories don't quite come off - Bad Blood, for instance, fades away rather weakly at the end; and In Trust's three sections don't cohere as they should, though the connecting idea is clear, fascinatingly put forward in the first section of the story.
I'm left with some enduring images and look forward to reading more from later in his work.
For a more detailed review see Lisa Hill's always excellent blog:
http://anzlitlovers.com/2011/07/30/an...
They vary greatly in tone, often seemingly matter of fact but then a poetic nugget that shifts the writing way out of the ordinary.
Malouf is known for his writing around the themes of male identity and place. In this early collection, his characters are all connected with Australia somehow, though where and how they live varies greatly. Many are first or second generation immigrants, some are Australians overseas and this allows Malouf to play with ideas of displacement and the looping ropes of connection between Europe and Australia.
My 3 stars is really 3.5.
Some stories don't quite come off - Bad Blood, for instance, fades away rather weakly at the end; and In Trust's three sections don't cohere as they should, though the connecting idea is clear, fascinatingly put forward in the first section of the story.
I'm left with some enduring images and look forward to reading more from later in his work.
For a more detailed review see Lisa Hill's always excellent blog:
http://anzlitlovers.com/2011/07/30/an...
August 29, 2024
Antipodes is a collection of 13 novels or short stories written by David Malouf. As the name suggests, the topic of this book is Australians (the term Antipodes was/is used by inhabitants of the Northern hemisphere as a synonym for Australia and New Zealand, or more precisely their inhabitants). However, originally the word meant to describe something diametrically opposite, both geographically and figuratively, in reference to what we perceive as normal. This is why Australia and New Zealand are considered as Antipodes as they’re on the other side of the Earth vis-à-vis Britain. In short, the stories presented here are meant not only to describe a facet of Australian life but also to those people we conceive as outcasts and socially abnormal.
In each story, different characters are described through their environment (family, friends, origins, etc) and their past experiences. Almost all of the stories are set in the post-war era and echo the immigration of Central-Eastern Europeans from the “the old country” to Australia. Frequently, the author portrays the relation between the first generation of immigrants or their relatives in Europe and their 2nd generation descendants. Here, we see the gap created through the trauma of WW2 and immigration between two generations who, despite living together under the same roof, are in two distinct worlds.
On one hand, the generational trauma is shown through several violent ways (suicide, rape, pedophilia, etc). On the other hand, sometimes heavily-charged emotional details of the past are mentioned casually, symbolising the gap between the old and new generation. Nevertheless, not all of the novels go into this direction. Instead, they focus on themes such as mortality, the passage of time, and coming of age. As mentioned before, what is common to all of them is the description of life in Australia or rather the life of Australians. Specifically, of those who are different. These can be immigrants, aboriginals, atheists, alcoholics, or other social outcasts.
Although the book does well in addressing heavy themes, I still found it sometimes to be too dull or even pretentious by trying to present itself as symbolical through almost boring metaphors. Arguably, the dullness itself is an important theme of Australian rural life, in which case the aforementioned comment should not be taken into account. Additionally, the characters resemble each other in a rather unoriginal way. All of the women characters are shown as mysterious, attached to past memories, and feel written by a man. On the other side, there are three types of male characters: the young who are either portrayed as philosophical or are mediums for larger themes; the snobbish adults whose worldview is usually challenged in the stories or again mediums for larger themes; and finally, an idealised rural working-class man who is to be revered as a symbol of rural Australia (I think?).
I would humbly suggest that the author could have developed a bit more these stories and give them more life. Some of the novels, like Southern Skies and A Change of Scenes, actually do this and are much more interesting to read. I recommend this book for readers interested in post-war Australia or simply Australians and for those who like to decrypt classical novels (take a brief break in between each story).
In each story, different characters are described through their environment (family, friends, origins, etc) and their past experiences. Almost all of the stories are set in the post-war era and echo the immigration of Central-Eastern Europeans from the “the old country” to Australia. Frequently, the author portrays the relation between the first generation of immigrants or their relatives in Europe and their 2nd generation descendants. Here, we see the gap created through the trauma of WW2 and immigration between two generations who, despite living together under the same roof, are in two distinct worlds.
On one hand, the generational trauma is shown through several violent ways (suicide, rape, pedophilia, etc). On the other hand, sometimes heavily-charged emotional details of the past are mentioned casually, symbolising the gap between the old and new generation. Nevertheless, not all of the novels go into this direction. Instead, they focus on themes such as mortality, the passage of time, and coming of age. As mentioned before, what is common to all of them is the description of life in Australia or rather the life of Australians. Specifically, of those who are different. These can be immigrants, aboriginals, atheists, alcoholics, or other social outcasts.
Although the book does well in addressing heavy themes, I still found it sometimes to be too dull or even pretentious by trying to present itself as symbolical through almost boring metaphors. Arguably, the dullness itself is an important theme of Australian rural life, in which case the aforementioned comment should not be taken into account. Additionally, the characters resemble each other in a rather unoriginal way. All of the women characters are shown as mysterious, attached to past memories, and feel written by a man. On the other side, there are three types of male characters: the young who are either portrayed as philosophical or are mediums for larger themes; the snobbish adults whose worldview is usually challenged in the stories or again mediums for larger themes; and finally, an idealised rural working-class man who is to be revered as a symbol of rural Australia (I think?).
I would humbly suggest that the author could have developed a bit more these stories and give them more life. Some of the novels, like Southern Skies and A Change of Scenes, actually do this and are much more interesting to read. I recommend this book for readers interested in post-war Australia or simply Australians and for those who like to decrypt classical novels (take a brief break in between each story).
September 10, 2025
Very well written, just not my thing.
October 29, 2019
Great collection. Favourite story is "Change of Scene"
April 29, 2023
There is a short story in here about a boy who gets molested but then decides it’s okay because he learned a deeper life lesson and shakes the man’s hand.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 8, 2023
It is ironic that I was introduced to the writing of David Malouf though the first short story in this collection the really superlative 'Southern Skies' which was included in Edmund White's Picador anthology of gay short fiction yet I can find no reason to shelve this as of 'queer interest' because although they are about many things they are not really about anything, situations, actions or events that might be considered gay/queer. Even the story White included can only be tenuously labelled 'gay'*.
What these stories are is beautiful, sensitive, intelligent and a joy to read. Malouf is particularly strong and good on the whole business of being an outsider, an immigrant, thus an emigrant from somewhere else. Roots, and how deep they go, and how diverse, is something he has written about elsewhere and does splendidly here.
I felt, like others that the final few stories in the collection were weaker but then there is something about the final story 'A Medium' that continues to haunt me. It is a short and in many way inconclusive and insubstantial, yet again I have to draw back from my initial condemnation. Maybe it is minor, but the minor works of master like Malouf are so rich in nuance that I could only wish other writers could write so well.
If you haven't read Malouf you must. His stories are gems and his novels simply astounding. If you have time dio yourself a favour and enjoy this wonderful author.
*Unless anything by a writer who is known to be gay/queer becomes gay/queer writing which I don't accept but more importantly to many gay/queer writers are very contradictory. Christopher Bram the very 'gay' identifying novelist of 'The Father of Frankenstein', amongst many others, complained when that Jonathan Strong's novel 'Ourselves' contained no specifically gay characters or context. I feel in good company in recognising everything a gay/queer authors writes as gay/queer. Which pretty much demolished the idea of a 'gay' author - which is what Gore Vidal was always attacked for insisting.
What these stories are is beautiful, sensitive, intelligent and a joy to read. Malouf is particularly strong and good on the whole business of being an outsider, an immigrant, thus an emigrant from somewhere else. Roots, and how deep they go, and how diverse, is something he has written about elsewhere and does splendidly here.
I felt, like others that the final few stories in the collection were weaker but then there is something about the final story 'A Medium' that continues to haunt me. It is a short and in many way inconclusive and insubstantial, yet again I have to draw back from my initial condemnation. Maybe it is minor, but the minor works of master like Malouf are so rich in nuance that I could only wish other writers could write so well.
If you haven't read Malouf you must. His stories are gems and his novels simply astounding. If you have time dio yourself a favour and enjoy this wonderful author.
*Unless anything by a writer who is known to be gay/queer becomes gay/queer writing which I don't accept but more importantly to many gay/queer writers are very contradictory. Christopher Bram the very 'gay' identifying novelist of 'The Father of Frankenstein', amongst many others, complained when that Jonathan Strong's novel 'Ourselves' contained no specifically gay characters or context. I feel in good company in recognising everything a gay/queer authors writes as gay/queer. Which pretty much demolished the idea of a 'gay' author - which is what Gore Vidal was always attacked for insisting.
December 18, 2023
Getting down to crunch time. Only 3 books after this one to reach my goal… I think I can get there with a couple short ones and finishing off Cranford.
This debut was appropriately direct, reflective and melancholic for this tail end of the year. The passage of time and the dislocation. It is the frailty between youth and maturation and seniority glimpsed in Malouf’s vision. Souther Skies, Bad Blood and A Traveller’s Tale were each precise enough to stand out. Southern Skies’s clarity and exactness is so kinda brilliant and it expressed puberty and maturation in an effective way. Apart from these it’s somewhat all down from there but with hills and valleys of quality. None of the stories are without direction and purpose, some just meander in spite of their short length. Now I want to read more Malouf but not before I read more Patrick White and firstly another breezy Frank Moorhouse which is what is next on the nightstand so I guess the end of this year is a bit national with Plains of Promise in there too. Beach reads after the next three I’m so keen to laugh and have fun
This debut was appropriately direct, reflective and melancholic for this tail end of the year. The passage of time and the dislocation. It is the frailty between youth and maturation and seniority glimpsed in Malouf’s vision. Souther Skies, Bad Blood and A Traveller’s Tale were each precise enough to stand out. Southern Skies’s clarity and exactness is so kinda brilliant and it expressed puberty and maturation in an effective way. Apart from these it’s somewhat all down from there but with hills and valleys of quality. None of the stories are without direction and purpose, some just meander in spite of their short length. Now I want to read more Malouf but not before I read more Patrick White and firstly another breezy Frank Moorhouse which is what is next on the nightstand so I guess the end of this year is a bit national with Plains of Promise in there too. Beach reads after the next three I’m so keen to laugh and have fun
May 25, 2017
A great collection of stories on the human condition
January 8, 2023
Immigration in Aus - different perspectives. Individual stories stand out but not quite everything. Some stories should have kept going, felt they stopped when it was getting somewhere.
Want to read
October 1, 2024Bought at Oxfam, in Oxford
September 27, 2024
September 27, 2024
August 23, 2015
Maybe it's because I haven't read a good one yet, but I really don't enjoy short stories. To me, they are pointless. There's never enough time for anything worthwhile to develop, I get no connection with the characters - and for me, that's key to my enjoyment of a story.
These seemed extra pointless, and overly pretentious to boot. I didn't enjoy a single one. And even though I've literally just closed the book I can barely remember anything in it. And for a very slim volume (160 pages), it took me TWO WEEKS to read. Given that I can read a doorstop of snook in a day, that should show how gripping these were. I even had to take breaks in the middle of a story. A short story.
These seemed extra pointless, and overly pretentious to boot. I didn't enjoy a single one. And even though I've literally just closed the book I can barely remember anything in it. And for a very slim volume (160 pages), it took me TWO WEEKS to read. Given that I can read a doorstop of snook in a day, that should show how gripping these were. I even had to take breaks in the middle of a story. A short story.
March 20, 2012
Only three stars for something from my favourite author? Well, that's the thing with a collection of short stories, isn't it: some you love, some you like, some you just don't get at all.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews