The Nargun and the Stars

by Patricia Wrightson

An ancient stone creature threatens the lives of a family on a lonely sheep farm in Australia.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction, Childrens, Australia, Classics, Middle Grade

187 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1973

About the author

Winner of the Dromkeen Medal (1984).
Patricia Wrightson is one of Australia's most distinguished writers for children. Her books have won many prestigious awards all over the world. She was awarded an OBE (Officer of the British Empire) in 1977, the Dromkeen Medal in 1984 and the Hans Christian Andersen Medal in 1986, all for her services to children's literature. She is a four-time winner of the Australian Children's Book Council Book of the Year Award: in 1956 for The Crooked Snake, in 1974 for The Nargun and the Stars, in 1978 for The Ice Is Coming and in 1984 for A Little Fear. Patricia lives and writes in a beautiful stretch of the Australian bush beside the Clarence River in northern New South Wales.

Reviews

[Brendan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This haunting tale of a lonely boy discovering an ancient stone Nargun, a creature straight from Aboriginal mythology, on his uncle's rural property had me spellbound. Wrightson, who died in 2010, was criticised for appropriating Indigenous beings and placing them out of context. It's a valid criticism although I think she meant well. What she was trying to say is that European dragons and elves don't belong here - this land has its own mythology. And engaging with that will help you see country through a different and wondrous lens.
Sentus Libri 100 word reviews of overlooked books.

[Kate Forsyth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Patricia Wrightson was my favourite Australian author when I was a child, and ‘The Nargun and the Stars’ was one of my favourites of her books. I found myself giving a very impassioned speech about her at an event on ‘Writing Villains for Children’ at the NSW Writers Centre in late October, which led into a long conversation with members of the audience afterwards. I came home, went straight to my bookshelf, got down my old copy of this book, and read it again that night. It’s as wonderful as I remembered.

[Fiona Gregory · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1980, my closest friend in Year 6 school fell in love with this book. She asked our group of 6 to dress up as the characters for the Bookweek Parade. None of us had read it and none of us ended up doing it. We dressed up as characters from a book now long forgotten.

But my friend was bold and brave and dressed up for this book anyway. Instead of her friends, her loyal little brother and sister helped her instead. There was a huge cardboard Nargun and a Potkoorok and a Turong.

It’s taken me 40 years to finally read this book and finally understand what enchanted her all those years ago. I wish I’d been brave like her. I wish I’d been one to stand on my beliefs. And I wish I’d dressed up as her Nargun that day.

[Valerie]

One of very few books that successfully depict silence. The story is almost an afterthought to the description of life in the Australian Outback

[Capn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Nargun was born of the rocks when the world was first formed; it was part of the Dreamtime; it saw the Aborigines come and go. Later other men came into its plunging, ferny gorges . . . restless, disturbing men.
The Nargun began to move, dragging its stony weight across 800 miles and down 100 years, sometimes quietly and in peace, sometimes in sudden savage anger. Now it was in the Hunter Valley, at Wongadilla.
Simon Brent also came to Wongadilla; a city boy, lonely, orphaned and resentful. Charlie and Edie, who owned the sheep-run, were his cousins . . . but old and dull, strangers who were different from the people he had known. It was Wongadilla that first comforted Simon: the mountain, the swamp, and the spirits to which they had always belonged. They were old beyond memory, yet they had always been young.
The Potkoorok played its tricks on Simon; the Turongs worked havoc with the road workers' equipment; the Nyols rustled and whispered in the rocks. And somewhere on the mountain, grey and still, crouched the monster that did not belong; the Nargun, older than time itself.
Avoided by the others, it bided its time until the day Simon stumbled on it. Then the terror began. Then the courage and small strengths of ordinary people must be set against the old primeval forces of true myth.

Patricia Wrightson is a warm and human writer who can create profoundly moving and evocative scenes. The Nargun and the Stars is her most outstanding book yet . . . a haunting and beautifully written story which will become unforgettably a part of every reader

Inside flap summary, 0091176905, Hutchinson Jr. Jacket painting by Joan Saint

I feel a bit ridiculous criticizing Wrightson - she's brilliant - but I'm going to start with my biggest disappointment with this story, and that is, surprisingly, the characters. Normally, I'm more plot and setting-focused, but in this we start with young, bereft Simon Brent who has just recently become an orphan. He reflects that while he was playing football, and can probably narrow it down to a particular play, his parents were WHAM'ed out of existence in a blink of an eye, victims of a car accident. He's sent to live with distant (elderly) relatives, Charlie and Edie, brother and sister, living on remote Wongadilla farm in the mountains. They're sweet (and well described), call him 'Simey', and welcome him, gently, naturally, to Wongadilla.

Simon's reeling. He's been cast adrift of his life, and having spent time in an orphanage, now here, he's rather detached. He can't even bring himself to use Charlie and Edie's names, though as the horror story unfolds with the Nargun, he does. He talks more, he does more, he learns to ride a horse, and is soon undertaking fantastical adventures with the Potkoorok, the Turongs, and the Nyols.

So my complaint is this - I needed the Hollywood-cheese moment of Simon reflecting upon his place in the universe. And it's not that Wrightson didn't do this, she did, and deftly and subtly, and perhaps a more capable reader might not need such a device. And maybe it was because I was distracted all through reading this book that I failed to absorb the subtext, I don't know. I do know that The Rocks of Honey was quite heavy on the social aspects of the characters, and so perhaps I was simply expecting more in that vein. But though at one point Simon sees himself as (now willing) heir to Wongadilla, I wanted to hear about his parents again. I felt like a boy who lost both his parents so suddenly and tragically would still have a gaping hole to make sense of. Maybe he could relate to the Nargun, somehow, in that timeless longing and aching... this wasn't explored much at all. I think it would have been nearly perfect if it had been developed further (or more obviously, for mugs like me).

As for the rest of the story - loved it! Wow, what fun, and the Nargun was truly creepy (lit. and fig.). I will never scratch my name onto a rock through the lichen (now I'm wondering if the seperation of the 'Simon' and the 'Brent' was deliberate, to show he was moving on from his family? If so, it was so clever that I missed it until after the fact).

I now know the difference between a Potkoorok and a (common, detestable) Bunyip, and the imagery the Potkoorok gives in re: aquifers and subterranean travel in the deep places of the Earth was enchanting. I wanted to hear the scream of the Nargun, though - Ng-a-a doesn't mean a lot to me. This would make a cool audio book, I'm sure.

This is one of the books where the adults are not separated from the magic (the believing/unbelieving divide), which I love (I bet they're harder to write, which is why it happens so seldom), and, for the sake of brevity, I'll just chuck in that there is a claustrophobic passage in this - I now know claustrophobia because of The Weirdstone of Brisingamen, which I fear has now made me less able to go spelunking. Seriously. Not a moment of claustrophobia in my life until that book, and now it's a fear lurking in the dark recesses of my subconscious (thanks a lot, Alan Garner!). ;)

One other aspect I really liked was Charlie's scientific approach to the Nargun. He was wonderful in his quest for basic knowledge and observation and experimental design. I felt myself wanting to slow clap his efforts - few protagonists in horror stories are methodical and cool headed. He also seemed excited and baited, in a way, and so the emotion was not absent. Edie was also good, with a different personality altogether, and Simon seemed to be a combination of the two.

Definitely worth a read, if only for the antipodean Folk Horror aspects. Rock monsters - gotta love 'em!

[Sally906 · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE NARGUN AND THE STARS is a children's fantasy novel set in Australia, but instead of the European fairy folk who are too delicate for our rugged country author Patricia Wrightson uses our homegrown dreamtime bush creatures – far more suited to the land. The Nargun is a fierce half-human half-stone creature that lived in the Den of Nargun in the Gippsland Victoria, the Den of Nargun is a real place and is a cave under a rock overhang behind a small waterfall. All Nargun wanted was peace and quiet during the day and to gaze at the stars at night – while killing and eating the occasional warm-blooded creature, be it animal or human. In the late 1800s the Nargun is disturbed by the noise made by the increasing human population so decides to head out in search of a quieter home. For 80 years the Nargun slowly heads north until it finds a very suitable gully in the Hunter Valley. There it decides to settle – much to the horror of the other bush creatures the cheeky swamp Potkoorok, the whispery cave Nyols and the rustling tree Turongs who love playing tricks on humans – but don’t want this strange foreign creature in their part of the world.

Simon spends time alone and gets to meet these ancient creatures and learn their ways. As the Nargun starts to threaten the farm Simon finds out his aunt and uncle also know and respect the creatures and asks them for help to get rid of the Nargun. The creatures don’t want the Nargun but are too scared to go up against it – but a plan is hatched for Simon and his Uncle to do battle with the beast. THE NARGUN AND THE STARS is beautifully written and is a wonderful introduction to our very own mythical creatures – or are they mythical? Ever walked past rustling trees and noticed there is no wind? Turongs!!

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Wow. Wow. Five stars. I feel fortunate to have found this. It’s rare to find something this good without a recommendation; a brilliant, poetic, exciting and moving book, truly heads and shoulders above a most really good stuff out there. Set in Australia, this story blends a mid-20th-century realistic setting with elements of traditional Aboriginal myth, which doesn’t sound appealing, but it is magnificent, and I feel like I discovered a pot of gold by accident.

Besides writing in a genre I can’t really define, the story is immensely enjoyable. I think this is the first time in over 10 years on Goodreads that I’ve gone right to an author’s Goodreads page and clicked “Want to Read” on every single book!

[Maja Todorovska · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been a while since I've read such an interesting fantasy novel. One part of this is just the fact that it's based on Australian mythological creatures, which you don't see everyday. Something else that grabbed my attention was the descriptiveness of the language and how quickly and effectively got me into the right mindset.
The characters are solid and interesting, but the creature are much more central to the story. The mystery of the Nargun is pretty interesting. The draw of this book is hard to put into words, but the minute you start reading it just sucks you in. It's definitely an intersting take on 'old-fashioned' fantasy.

[Libby · Rating 5 out of 5]

My second favourite childrens book of all time. There is such magic in this book. I remember being entranced by all the mythological creatures, it really transported me to another place and gave me a sense of the beautiful, mysterious spirit our country has.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

A formative work for me, now re-released in paperback form by none other than my own employer's press. Time, I find, has dimmed the beauty of Wrightson's prose only little; she masterfully sketches the vast wildness and sense of isolation that the Australian bush summons. I have my suspicions that those to whom the bush is alien--like Wrightson's characters, I was raised there--will perhaps not connect with this book as much as I did. Four stars, because at the end of the day this is a children's book, with everything that implies: a simplification not necessarily of prose, but of plot, of characters, of morals. There is the seed of something grander in The Nargun and the Stars, as there is from time to time in children's books, but Wrightson's choice of genre prevents her from realising it fully.

[Nooshari · Rating 4 out of 5]

مزاحمِ طبیعت نباشیم .

[Clare O'Beara · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Australian fantasy which introduces us to the mythical beasts of this continent. The nargun is a rock-like being disturbed by a bulldozer and grader. The boy who lives on his family's station discovers that this ancient being has woken up and is not in a good mood. A pot-koorock - a mischievious but helpful froglike creature comes to talk to him and tells him about the nargun. There is also a bunyip or dangerous creature living in a waterhole.

I came to this book through reading other Australian books about brumbies and dingoes, but while there is less animal life in this one, the native monsters have never left me. The adventure is good and the writing is excellent.
Good for pre-teens to young teens.

Another book by this author is The Bunyip Hole but we do not get to meet a bunyip.
For stories of growing up on a station try Mary Elwyn Pachett, Elyne Mitchell, Reginald Ottley.

[Tyler Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite childhood book. It captured the mystery of nature that I felt I growing up. The ancientness and wisdom of the wild places, where special spirit exists. I'll never forget how the water spirit (can't remember his name) watched the boy gently picked up the frog that had been run over and said he had never seen in many years someone treat the wild things with such gentleness and care. That boy is still in me and I own a worn copy of this book that holds a place of honor on my bookshelf.

[anon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved this book from the front cover to the back page. It was absolutely funny and enjoyable. I personally think that this book is full of great descriptions and humor. If you are deciding whether you want to read this book or not, I say you should.

[Luke · Rating 5 out of 5]

A remarkable YA book. I first was read it in class breaks when I was ten, and it still resonates. It encapsulates the feeling of ancient time, of hidden workings in the bush. Deeply spiritual without being preachy, it's a classic.

[Quill & Quoll · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read my full review and more at Quill & Quoll book reviews: https://www.quillandquoll.com

'The Nargun and the Stars' is a children’s fantasy novel written by Patricia Wrightson in 1974, and set in Australia in the Hunter Valley region.

It tells the story of Simon Brent; a lonely, recently-orphaned city boy who comes to live at Wongadilla, a sheep station owned by his distant relatives Charlie and Edie. At first, Simon is resentful and withdrawn, unhappy to be among strangers with dull and different ways, in an unfamiliar landscape of rock and forest-covered ridges, with a still silence so unlike the city clatter he's accustomed to.

Yet slowly, day by day, he explores Wongadilla, and develops a comforting familiarity with the mountain, the swamp, the daily routine of life with Charlie and Edie, and he meets the spirits that have always lived in the rivers, trees, and caves. The Potkoorok plays tricks on Simon, the Turongs interfere with local construction workers equipment, and the Nyols rustle deep inside the mountain. But one day, Simon stumbles across something different. Something ancient and volatile. Something primal, something hungry. The Nargun has arrived at Wongadilla.

'The Nargun and the Stars' is an enthralling story that captures the wonder and curiosity of a young boy settling into his new home, while a creeping eeriness slowly builds around him. It is slow and contemplative in parts, rich with description of nature in a manner reminiscent of Tolkien's 'The Hobbit', yet has an interesting way of balancing a sense of normalcy with a haunting, growing urgency. Furthermore, it features a trope that is often uncommon in children’s stories, where the adults in the story actually listen to, believe, and actively work together with the child protagonist to find a solution.

'The Nargun and the Stars' was the winner of the 1974 Children’s Book Council of Australia’s Book of the Year Award for Older Readers, and was among the first Australian books for young readers that drew on Aboriginal Dreaming. It was also adapted into a five part mini-series which aired on the ABC network from September 1981.

'The Nargun and the Stars' is a captivating, beautifully written story for young and older readers alike. I highly recommend checking it out!

[Jill Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ancient creature of rock woke after an age to roam the Earth again. It lumbered across 800 miles and 100 years until it stopped at Wongadilla in the Hunter Valley.

Simon, an orphan, was sent to live with his Aunt Edie and Uncle Charlie. He didn't know anything about them, but he felt his stomach knot when he heard something very old cry out in anger.

Exploring the landscape around the farm he met the spirits of the swamps and mountains, the Potkoorok a trickster; the Turongs who played havoc with the road workers' equipment; the Nyols rustling and whispering in the rocks. He also met the Nargun and felt its frightening power.

Simon was surprised to learn that Charlie and Edie both knew the old ones. They didn't want to frighten him, so didn't mention them. His new family weren't sure Simey would see them, much less speak to them.

When he told them that the ancient stone creature the Nargun was roaming the land and the Pokoorok and Turongs didn't want it to stay there but to go back where it had come from. They'd found squashed sheep remains and realised they were in danger. How could they move the Nargun on? Would the Potkoorok, Turongs and Nyols help?

Patricia Wrightson has created an intriguing prehistory to Australia. The aboriginals knew about the old ones. The Nargun liked men and boys, but when it was time to feed he would crush them, like the sheep. I can see why this book was awarded the Australian Children's Book of the Year Award in 1974, and why it was converted into an ABC TV production.

[Amber Scaife · Rating 5 out of 5]

A recently-orphaned boy goes to live with his middle-aged cousins on their sheep ranch in the Hunter region of Australia. Coincidentally, the ranch has another new resident in the Nargun, an ancient and quite grumpy, um, boulder-like, thing.
Oh, this one is so good. So. Good. A boy exploring the lovely nature all round him (which includes, delightfully, all sorts of creatures from Australian Aboriginal mythology), parental figures who are loving and absolutely lovable in their gruff-but-kind ways, and all of this set against the cool and relentless scariness of the Nargun. I absolutely love how the Dreamtime creatures are woven into the fabric of the surroundings in a way that makes them perfectly normal and not overly 'magical.' So, yes, a fabulous read in all sorts of ways.

[Sharolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this aloud with my children 7 and 9 (Mr 5 listened for parts but often fell asleep). After the first chapter they were reluctant to continue, but after reading a bunch of positive reviews on here I talked them into continuing and they Perez to really enjoy it. Unlike anything else we’ve read the description of Indigenous spirit creatures was fascinating. Charlie and Edie are beautiful souls and I love how often they are stopping for a cuppa. Their life in the mountains and valleys, tending sheep and stoking fires really appeals to me, and what a place for childhood adventures for Simon. Intrigued you watch the ABC series if we can find a copy anywhere.

(I greatly appreciate Brendan’s 5 star review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...)

[Fiona · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved revisiting this book from my childhood. To be honest, I couldn’t remember much of the content of the book, all that came to mind was an overwhelming feeling of sadness and of longing, of hurt and heartache. As I reread this poignant book, these emotions all returned. At the same time, there was also a glimpse of hope in the transformation of Simon, and the tale is also full of beauty - the joy of the Australian bush, the love of Charlie and Eddie for both Simon and the land with all its history. The playfulness of Potkoorok, the Turongs and the Nyols added a further layer of happiness. A wonderful, bittersweet Australian story for readers of all ages.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first time I have read this book as an adult and wow is The Nargan and the Stars a brilliant little story. Wrightson really manages to capture the mood and the eerie sort of ancient, watchful feeling that some places in Australia have. I absolutely love the various creatures. They are all awesome in their own right and I remember being fascinated by them as a kid. The Nargun and the Stars is a very unique story that is truly Australian and is incredibly memorable. It is beautifully written with vivid descriptions. I even found some sections rather creepy, as the nargan is given so much atmosphere. I am glad I re-read The Nargun and the Stars; it was such a fun read.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

40 or so years ago, I read this book numerous times. Now, I say it stands up pretty well after all that time. It's an early sort of fantasy novel with ecological themes set in the Australian bush, as modernizing rural development comes into conflict with the ancient ones. Muted, but not insignificant allusions to the people who predated European "settlement."

[Tim · Rating 1 out of 5]

Tried reading this in Spanish, but that version is not available here... (When will you be able ti import missing books/versions yourself again on here??!!!)

The language was not what I was used to (in Spanish), and I wasn't captured by the story. Maybe because the language was hard to comprehend. And also maybe because I don't like books for young children either. Did not finish.

[David Bos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Folklore and adventure

I would reccomend this book to anyone. Differently paced than modern novels but thoroughly enjoyable for all ages. Wish there was a narrated copy in a deep voice to play for the kids

[Bryan Wigmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was captivated by this story when it was read on the BBC's Jackanory back in 1976. This is the first time I've read it. I didn't feel its power as I did then, quite, but it's still a beautifully written and closely observed story that evokes a real sense of wonder.

[Derelict Space Sheep · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wrightson’s MG fantasy makes the most of its Australian setting and Aboriginal Dreamtime influences while sneaking in a tale of bereavement and found family. The plot moves at its own pace, in its own direction, while the characters find their way forward.

3.5★

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of my favourite books as a kid! scared the day lights out of me

[Jehlish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extraordinary nature writing. Might be a bit slow for today's kids.

[Meddlesome Wretch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book. Read it as a child and still enjoy it as an adult.

[Chuck McKenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An absolutely brilliant modern fantasy tale with a distinctly Australian flavour, from the setting to the strange (and sometimes frightening) creatures that occupy the bushland. Quite dark in places, this is a wonderful and utterly engrossing read for fantasy fans of all ages.