Precious bodily fluids: A larrikin's memoir

by Charles Waterstreet

The end of 1961 and the New South Wales country town of Albury in Australia lies flat on its back in the sun, with its feet sticking out over the mighty Murray River into Victoria. Everything is on the cusp of something else. A battle royal rages as Alburnians put aside family feuds to present a united front against the dreaded prospect of fluoridation of the town's water supply. Through this furore and tumult, Charlie Waterstreet, 11, local trouble maker, and his mate Taillight, legend and lair, roam the parks and highways of their home town and discover the real hidden horror of everything is what it seems. A very funny childhood memoir.

Genres: Biography

256 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1998

Reviews

[Tziporah Atarah Malkah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I have known Charles Waterstreet as a very good personal friend for decades. He’s an exceptional human being, one of those rare characters that we all want as a friend. He gets very depressed on & off and this book helps to explain why that may be the case. I’ve read Repeating The Leaving also and wish he’d hurry up and write the next one (or probably two by now)! Bless his cotton socks this is a great book x

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

The inner life of an 11-year-old boy is not the most meaty of subjects but it was well written and humorous. The part I like best was about the controversy regarding fluoridation in the town he grew up in. This was a scenario playing out in towns around the world at this time and it's interesting having a first-hand account.

[Robyn Bernasconi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very entertaining - quite a funny read.

[Discoverylover]

"The end of 1961 and the New South Wales country town of Albury in Australia lies flat on its back in the sun, with its feet sticking out over the mighty Murray River into Victoria. Everything is on the cusp of something else. A battle royal rages as Alburnians put aside family feuds to present a united front against the dreaded prospect of fluoridation of the town's water supply. Through this furore and tumult, Charlie Waterstreet, 11, local trouble maker, and his mate Taillight, legend and lair, roam the parks and highways of their home town and discover the real hidden horror of childhood: everything is what it seems. A very funny childhood memoir." (From Amazon)

[Robyn333 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charles is an interesting writer, covers every aspect of his life in 1961 aged 11. Especially, fluoridsation of Albury down to his own bedwetting and his mothers drinking. Many types of fluids, his life is definitly memorable swimming in gallons of wine even. enjoyed it a lot. But then I still read his weekly columns in the herald. hopefully every year to come is represented as well.

[Nic · Rating 1 out of 5]

"A lie is the truth, if you believe it. That's the sort of thing that set me up for life."

I was expecting to learn about the author's success in the world of law and how he came to be a writer. The memoir concentrated on the eleven-year-old Waterstreet. I only got about 5 chapters in then gave up. I will try his other memoir. Not a bad writer, I was just bored by the content.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved every single word of this funny and absurd memoir by one of Australia's most outrageous criminal lawyers. His recollections of a time and place in Australian life that set the foundation of his most notorious habits and predilections had me in stitches, and in tears. Poignant, piss funny and precious.

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rambling and at times repetitive this is nonetheless an honest and humorous account of life in Albury in the 1950s. It brought back fond memories of conversations of the era with my father and his parents and memories of my own early years playing in my grandfather's butcher shop and salt house.

[Robyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charles is such a fun author, I love his honest wordy story. I read his column every week in the sun Herald. cant wait for his story with Richard Roxburgh playing Charles.

[Jen Roe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought it was ok

[David Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful account of a slim slice of the author's life in the NSW country town of Albury.

[Tony · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I suppose that I am a male, brought up in the sixties, meant that it was always a good chance that I would enjoy it but the book was just really really good. I was amazed at the author's ability to recollect minor things like blankets on card tables, which brought memories flooding back to me. There was nostalgia, melancholy and plenty of laughs but I liked the ending when it discussed the reality of those days and whether they were in fact the good old days. Very cleverly written and the detail to the period was outstanding.