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The Torch
Melbourne, 1960: Mrs Blayney and her twelve year old son live in South Richmond. At least, they did, until their house burnt down. The prime suspect - one Keith Aloysius Gonzaga Kavanagh, also aged 12 - has mysteriously disappeared. Our narrator, the Blayney kid, sets off on a covert mission to find young Keith, who he privately dubs 'Flame Boy', to save him from the small army of irate locals - not to mention his mother - who want to see him put away.
Flame Boy has not only made himself scarce, but he's done so with a very important briefcase of secrets, which the kid is keen to get hold of for his grandfather, a shady character who has some secrets of his own. But the kid has got a lot going on: he's also organising a new gang of kids; coping with the ups and downs of having a girl friend (who likes to kiss - a lot); trying to avoid Keith's dangerous prison-escapee father, Fergus Kavanagh, also an arsonist, who is suspected of selling secrets to the Russians; and all the while wondering how he can get his hands on the most beautiful object in the world: the Melbourne Olympic Torch.
A madcap, brilliantly shambolic and irresistibly fun novel about loss, discovery and living life to the full, The Torch is a ripper of a ride.
Flame Boy has not only made himself scarce, but he's done so with a very important briefcase of secrets, which the kid is keen to get hold of for his grandfather, a shady character who has some secrets of his own. But the kid has got a lot going on: he's also organising a new gang of kids; coping with the ups and downs of having a girl friend (who likes to kiss - a lot); trying to avoid Keith's dangerous prison-escapee father, Fergus Kavanagh, also an arsonist, who is suspected of selling secrets to the Russians; and all the while wondering how he can get his hands on the most beautiful object in the world: the Melbourne Olympic Torch.
A madcap, brilliantly shambolic and irresistibly fun novel about loss, discovery and living life to the full, The Torch is a ripper of a ride.
480 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2015
4 people are currently reading
78 people want to read
About the author
Peter Twohig
7 books7 followersPeter grew up in Melbourne in the Fifties and Sixties and attended a series of very nasty Catholic schools. One night, during an air raid he escaped - no, wait, I made that up. What really happened was a very ordinary life, punctuated.
By the age of nine Peter was an accomplished raconteur (‘Dear Mrs Twohig, Peter tells stories,’ was his first and fairest review). His mother, a journalist and peerless BSA, explained to him that bullshit is even more convincing (and memorable) when written down. She pointed out that the radio serials he loved were actually scripted. He got it.
It was an easy leap from performing art to literature. During his De La Salle years he wrote quite a bit, and regularly contributed in the school magazine, the Eagle. Getting published was easy; getting censored was even easier. Back then, you didn’t get rejection slips, you got rejection beatings. Nevertheless, Peter kept on writing.
He attended several universities, and studied till he was blue in the face (literally true, though that’s another story). He became a prolific diarist with a view to publishing a novel. But the Lord of Reincarnation intervened (again) and sidetracked him. At least, that’s his story. Eventually, discouraged, he eventually became a Naturopath & Homoeopath, but really, he was a just a disenchanted artist.
Then the L of R took pity, and sayeth unto him, 'Okay, pal, you wanted it; now you got it, ' or something (That's how the L of R spakes [sic]). And he got it.
By the age of nine Peter was an accomplished raconteur (‘Dear Mrs Twohig, Peter tells stories,’ was his first and fairest review). His mother, a journalist and peerless BSA, explained to him that bullshit is even more convincing (and memorable) when written down. She pointed out that the radio serials he loved were actually scripted. He got it.
It was an easy leap from performing art to literature. During his De La Salle years he wrote quite a bit, and regularly contributed in the school magazine, the Eagle. Getting published was easy; getting censored was even easier. Back then, you didn’t get rejection slips, you got rejection beatings. Nevertheless, Peter kept on writing.
He attended several universities, and studied till he was blue in the face (literally true, though that’s another story). He became a prolific diarist with a view to publishing a novel. But the Lord of Reincarnation intervened (again) and sidetracked him. At least, that’s his story. Eventually, discouraged, he eventually became a Naturopath & Homoeopath, but really, he was a just a disenchanted artist.
Then the L of R took pity, and sayeth unto him, 'Okay, pal, you wanted it; now you got it, ' or something (That's how the L of R spakes [sic]). And he got it.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
April 13, 2016
#11 A book set during summer
This is a sequel to The Cartographer, Twohig's debut novel centred on an eleven-year-old boy from Richmond in Melbourne with an encyclopedic knowledge of the drains which he uses to evade retribution from a murderer he witnessed in action. This time he is trying to find the boy who burnt down the family home forcing Blayney and his mother to move in with her father, former boxing champion and local crime boss, Archie Taggerty. The 'torch' of the title is both Keith, the young pyromaniac, and his father whose firelighting has been far more strategic. Once again Blayney gets involved in adult crimes whilst engaged in a rich fantasy life which helps him compensate for the death of his twin which he blames himself for. It is an entertaining read with a highly individual narrative voice full of humour and inventive similes.
It is a while since I read the first book and it picks up where the last one left off. It took a bit of time to remember who the characters were. The central character now twelve seems much more knowing than what I remember from the earlier book. Knowledge of the underground drains in Melbourne is once again crucial and the contrast of the female characters' experiences during WW2 and as wives is very telling. Husbands frequently shoot through leaving women to bring up children alone. Blayney acquires a girlfriend but it's really a boy's world.
This is a sequel to The Cartographer, Twohig's debut novel centred on an eleven-year-old boy from Richmond in Melbourne with an encyclopedic knowledge of the drains which he uses to evade retribution from a murderer he witnessed in action. This time he is trying to find the boy who burnt down the family home forcing Blayney and his mother to move in with her father, former boxing champion and local crime boss, Archie Taggerty. The 'torch' of the title is both Keith, the young pyromaniac, and his father whose firelighting has been far more strategic. Once again Blayney gets involved in adult crimes whilst engaged in a rich fantasy life which helps him compensate for the death of his twin which he blames himself for. It is an entertaining read with a highly individual narrative voice full of humour and inventive similes.
It is a while since I read the first book and it picks up where the last one left off. It took a bit of time to remember who the characters were. The central character now twelve seems much more knowing than what I remember from the earlier book. Knowledge of the underground drains in Melbourne is once again crucial and the contrast of the female characters' experiences during WW2 and as wives is very telling. Husbands frequently shoot through leaving women to bring up children alone. Blayney acquires a girlfriend but it's really a boy's world.
January 6, 2016
Given the author is apparently a civil servant, it is all the more remarkable that in presenting the voice of a street wise 13 year old he is remarkably successful. Putting aside the unlikely plot line and an environment more remniscent of gangland London, the book has an authenticity about it...as well as a lot of clever humourous observation through the eyes of the protagonist. It was hard to really believe his level of maturity, the quick one liners and the second life that he appeared to lead in Melbourne 50 years ago but somehow it begins not to matter - a concern. I had to break reading this to return a copy to my local library so retrieved the book two days ago with a mind refreshed by other reading I had to guess where I had reached...still about 1/3 left as I write and the fact this was fairly easy says something about the easy style of the book. I don't think I have learnt very much about Richmond nor much about Blaney and there have been few descriptions of that particular urban landscape but I was intrigued enough to turn pages but ultimately felt I did let down. The book was overlong and in dire need of an edit.Because it lacked dramatic tension replacing this with an implicit suggestion the story would continue in another book I ceased to care. I would neither read more by this author nor recommend him to others particularly.
February 24, 2023
Great sequel to The Cartographer. Once again, Twohig opened a door to my own childhood in Sydney. While I couldn't personally relate to the setting of Richmond, Victoria I did connect with the attitudes, language and activities of the time. Best reads of 2015.
February 1, 2018
I must confess I struggled with this one at first. The voice of the kid bothered me, plus I was missing all the background information from The cartographer (I shall rectify that soon). [book club selection] As I learnt more about the boy's previous adventures and experiences, everything fell into place. This is a very funny, very tragic, very Melbourne-of-old book.
May 28, 2020
Disappointing. The first book (The Cartographer) was great & this was also very well written in a delightfully cheeky voice. But it needed an editor to make it a lot shorter, reduce the confusing array of characters & give the story a clearer arc. The story of seeking The Torch could hold up a moderate sized book, but 450 pages involved just too many red herrings & side tracks. And there was far too much repetition, including unnecessary/gratuitous reminders of what happened in Book 1.
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August 12, 2023O lo pop 09 are the perfect choice
February 21, 2017
The Torch is Twohig’s sequel to the The Cartographer, and sees us back with the Blayney kid rampaging around early 1960s Richmond.
Blayney (we never learn his first name) is 12, and obsessed with spying, exploration and being a super-hero. At the start of the book, his house has been burned to the ground by a local arsonist, whom he dubs Flame Boy and considers his nemesis. He pursues Flame Boy through the houses, alleys, drains and tunnels of Richmond.
Twohig’s rollicking plot turns on the maguffin of a briefcase that Flame Boy has in his possession, which an awful lot of people want to get their hands on. Aware of the kid’s propensity for getting about and finding stuff, various parties put pressure on him to find it. He scrambles around Richmond forming secret societies, hobnobbing with spies, girls and other super-heroes, starting high school and meeting a very interesting new friend, Rafi.
While the tone of the book is pacy and funny, there is a serious undercurrent to all this; Blaney’s twin Tom died in his presence and he was unable to save him. From that time on, he developed epilepsy and his parents’ marriage has fallen apart. There is a suggestion that a lot of his fantasy life is escapism to help him deal with this and get away from a world that gets him down at times. His immersion in Richmond's criminal element, and his growing awareness of the complexity of the adult matters going on around him, including grief, adultery, alcoholism and the war also add to the book’s serious side.
The narrative voice that Twohig has created from this mix is unique and utterly Australian. The kid uses lots of humorous slang, and the writing is full of cheeky wit. As someone who grew up in inner Melbourne in the 60s, this book struck a lot of chords and brought back a lot of memories. I’m pretty sure some of the jokes will go over the heads of readers not familiar with Australia at that time, but that doesn’t mar the book much. For those of us familiar with Richmond and its surrounds, Twohig works in a lot of discreet references to various familiar buildings and events, which adds to the fun.
Twohig has created a cast of memorable supporting characters, notably Granddad, who is what the papers of the time would have referred to as a “colourful local identity”. A highly improbably plot is played for all it is worth and there is a lot of laughs and a bit of sadness as well. Twohig has come up with a winner again. There are hints in this book that a third may be on the cards, which I will greatly look forward to.
Blayney (we never learn his first name) is 12, and obsessed with spying, exploration and being a super-hero. At the start of the book, his house has been burned to the ground by a local arsonist, whom he dubs Flame Boy and considers his nemesis. He pursues Flame Boy through the houses, alleys, drains and tunnels of Richmond.
Twohig’s rollicking plot turns on the maguffin of a briefcase that Flame Boy has in his possession, which an awful lot of people want to get their hands on. Aware of the kid’s propensity for getting about and finding stuff, various parties put pressure on him to find it. He scrambles around Richmond forming secret societies, hobnobbing with spies, girls and other super-heroes, starting high school and meeting a very interesting new friend, Rafi.
While the tone of the book is pacy and funny, there is a serious undercurrent to all this; Blaney’s twin Tom died in his presence and he was unable to save him. From that time on, he developed epilepsy and his parents’ marriage has fallen apart. There is a suggestion that a lot of his fantasy life is escapism to help him deal with this and get away from a world that gets him down at times. His immersion in Richmond's criminal element, and his growing awareness of the complexity of the adult matters going on around him, including grief, adultery, alcoholism and the war also add to the book’s serious side.
The narrative voice that Twohig has created from this mix is unique and utterly Australian. The kid uses lots of humorous slang, and the writing is full of cheeky wit. As someone who grew up in inner Melbourne in the 60s, this book struck a lot of chords and brought back a lot of memories. I’m pretty sure some of the jokes will go over the heads of readers not familiar with Australia at that time, but that doesn’t mar the book much. For those of us familiar with Richmond and its surrounds, Twohig works in a lot of discreet references to various familiar buildings and events, which adds to the fun.
Twohig has created a cast of memorable supporting characters, notably Granddad, who is what the papers of the time would have referred to as a “colourful local identity”. A highly improbably plot is played for all it is worth and there is a lot of laughs and a bit of sadness as well. Twohig has come up with a winner again. There are hints in this book that a third may be on the cards, which I will greatly look forward to.
November 10, 2015
This book follows the adventures of the boy, now twelve, introduced in "The Cartographer", a mix of superhero and rascal. He is slowly coming to terms with the loss of an identical twin and also with that fact that grown ups have many secrets of their own. The setting is the 1950's in Richmond, Melbourne, footy allegiances, fluorescent socks, the Cold War, and corporal punishment in the schools. This background is fascinating, as well as the world of drains and tunnels that our superhero knows backwards. There's a colourful mix of characters; I particularly enjoyed his relationship with his grandfather and his grandfather's friend, Barney - both with dubious reputations that he is oblivious to. Our superhero's mission this time is to save "the Torch" - a boy with an arson problem; this gets mixed up with spies and a certain briefcase of papers that lots of people seem to want. There's tension and humour; seen through a twelve year old's sometimes innocent eyes. Very clever writing.
February 20, 2015
Fun to read, witty and entertaining, especially for someone whose childhood reading was the adventures of the famous five, the secret seven and Dennis the menace. Our 12 year old hero grapples with family, friends, girls, neighbours, superheroes, school, church, underground tunnels and growing up in 1960 in Melbourne.
As a sequel to The Cartographer, which I loved for its charm and ability to convey a spirit of long-lost adventure and sense of place and time, this delivers the same characters, place and tone. I still enjoyed every minute of it and I do hope there's more to come about how our hero fares.
As a sequel to The Cartographer, which I loved for its charm and ability to convey a spirit of long-lost adventure and sense of place and time, this delivers the same characters, place and tone. I still enjoyed every minute of it and I do hope there's more to come about how our hero fares.
March 18, 2015
It's a big call but I'm going to make it - Blayney, the hero of these novels, is my favourite first person narrator OF ALL TIME. A twelve year old boy who can't help but get himself mixed up in madcap adventure, he's the perfect mix of sorrow and charm, mischief and bravery, naivety and street smarts. There is never a dull moment in The Torch and Blayney makes me laugh out loud on every page. I just adore him and I'm thrilled Peter Twohig wrote this sequel to The Cartographer. If he writes a thousand more books about this kid I'll read every one.
March 4, 2015
Absolutely top follow-up to The Cartographer. The young Blayney is back, and once again up to his neck in matters he only thinks he understands - this time, a mate who's a firebug, the mate's dad who may or may not also be a firebug, a mysterious suitcase that everyone seems to want, and the compelling adventure that is kissing a girl. Great fun, and wonderfully captures its era (Richmond in 1960, when it was still an out-of-working class slum.
January 1, 2016
The sequel to The Cartographer, which was one of my favourite books from a few years ago. A boys own adventure through the streets and alleys and underground tunnels in Melbourne in 1960. This time our young hero is looking to find "flame boy", the boy who set his house on fire and is now in hiding. Along the way our hero stumbles across some Russians...
Lots of fun, I still love Twohig's rather laconic style of story telling.
Lots of fun, I still love Twohig's rather laconic style of story telling.
March 5, 2015
This book had me chuckling all the way through. I love the language the Blayney kid uses, partly reminiscent of my own childhood. He has fabulous insight into the behaviour of adults, and I might even adopt his rating system for Smells & Pongs as I think it's terrific. I'm sure there's more to his story, and I really look forward to the next instalment.
May 27, 2015
An entertaining romp through Melbourne's lane-ways and tunnels in the company of a 12 year-old rascal. I do think, however, that although I appreciated many of Peter's analogies, he did rather milk that particular device.
November 4, 2015
The super hero narrator of this story makes you laugh, worry and wonder at the escapades and characters or Richmond. A wonderful romp, by tram, train and drain around inner Melbourne. His extended family add colour and movement to the saga. A great read.
March 30, 2016
If anyone wants to understand the Australian idiom then this is a great yarn , it's the Australian version of huck fin or Paddy Clarke ha ha ha. If you've read the first book The Cartographer then I think this one is probable 100 pages too long.
May 5, 2015
Absolute Bewdy.
March 1, 2016
I loved this book. The protagonist's perspective is so distinctive that the whole novel is just a breath of fresh air.
May 2, 2016
Did not finish.
November 20, 2016
Enjoyed this every bit as much as its predecessor and can only hope for more.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews