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The Antipodeans
Beginning with the return to Venice of an old man determined to confront his past, The Antipodeans spans three generations of a New Zealand family and their interaction with three families of Northern Italy.
From Venice to the South Island of New Zealand, from the assassination of a Gestapo commander in WWII to contemporary real estate shenanigans in Auckland, from political assassination in the darkest days of the Red Brigade to the vaulting cosmology of particle physics, The Antipodeans is a novel of epic proportions where families from the opposite ends of the earth discover an intergenerational legacy of love, blood and betrayal.
From Venice to the South Island of New Zealand, from the assassination of a Gestapo commander in WWII to contemporary real estate shenanigans in Auckland, from political assassination in the darkest days of the Red Brigade to the vaulting cosmology of particle physics, The Antipodeans is a novel of epic proportions where families from the opposite ends of the earth discover an intergenerational legacy of love, blood and betrayal.
352 pages, Paperback
First published July 9, 2015
31 people are currently reading
257 people want to read
About the author
Greg McGee
20 books8 followersGreg McGee is an award-winning New Zealand playwright, television screenwriter, novelist, and biographer.
A promising young rugby player, McGee became a Junior All Black and All Blacks trialist. He graduated from law school, then in 1980 his first play, Foreskin's Lament, debuted. Centred around rugby, this play became iconic in New Zealand and garnered McGee popular acclaim.
He is a successful screenwriter, writing based-on-true story dramatisations and mini-series based on the Erebus disaster and the infamous Lange Government, as well as contributing to several popular television shows (Marlin Bay, Street Legal, Orange Roughies). He also penned the screenplay for Old Scores, a rugby-based feature film.
As a novelist, McGee first wrote under the pseudonym Alix Bosco, winning the prestigious Ngaio Marsh Award for his debut, CUT & RUN. He also wrote All Blacks captain Richie McCaw's biography, one of the bestselling New Zealand books of recent years.
A promising young rugby player, McGee became a Junior All Black and All Blacks trialist. He graduated from law school, then in 1980 his first play, Foreskin's Lament, debuted. Centred around rugby, this play became iconic in New Zealand and garnered McGee popular acclaim.
He is a successful screenwriter, writing based-on-true story dramatisations and mini-series based on the Erebus disaster and the infamous Lange Government, as well as contributing to several popular television shows (Marlin Bay, Street Legal, Orange Roughies). He also penned the screenplay for Old Scores, a rugby-based feature film.
As a novelist, McGee first wrote under the pseudonym Alix Bosco, winning the prestigious Ngaio Marsh Award for his debut, CUT & RUN. He also wrote All Blacks captain Richie McCaw's biography, one of the bestselling New Zealand books of recent years.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
November 28, 2015
I won this book on the Good Reads giveaway (first reads)programme. Thanks very much for that.
When I look at my old review of
by Donna Tarte I often contemplate changing the four star rating. Sure it was an engrossing story - in parts. But in other parts it was an exhausting slog & sometimes I wondered if I was ever going to get through it. Certainly other books in my reading pile looked far more enticing!
& this is how I felt about The Antipodeans a large part of the time.
Yes, it was an interesting story. But there was a large caste of characters, & if you count Bruce (& I do) there were three major point of view characters & the book shifts back & forth between different time periods. I really hate that - it makes for a hard to follow the story & for me it meant a lot of rereading to try to keep up with & understand the action . Bruce's part being in a different font (I'm not going to reveal the reason) was an inspired idea though. My fellow reviewer Andrea Brown's idea of reading one time period first & then the other is a good idea & if I ever reread this book, that is what I will do.
Edit. Read July/Aug 2015, revised rating downwards 28/11/15. & I revised my Secret History rating too! I'm trying to be more consistent on rating how I enjoyed a book rather than how much I feel I should rate a book. & I gave Chappy
3.5* - & it is a much better book with much the same flaws. I have to stop feeling gratitude for a book win & be totally honest.
3.5* it is.
When I look at my old review of
by Donna Tarte I often contemplate changing the four star rating. Sure it was an engrossing story - in parts. But in other parts it was an exhausting slog & sometimes I wondered if I was ever going to get through it. Certainly other books in my reading pile looked far more enticing!& this is how I felt about The Antipodeans a large part of the time.
Yes, it was an interesting story. But there was a large caste of characters, & if you count Bruce (& I do) there were three major point of view characters & the book shifts back & forth between different time periods. I really hate that - it makes for a hard to follow the story & for me it meant a lot of rereading to try to keep up with & understand the action . Bruce's part being in a different font (I'm not going to reveal the reason) was an inspired idea though. My fellow reviewer Andrea Brown's idea of reading one time period first & then the other is a good idea & if I ever reread this book, that is what I will do.
Edit. Read July/Aug 2015, revised rating downwards 28/11/15. & I revised my Secret History rating too! I'm trying to be more consistent on rating how I enjoyed a book rather than how much I feel I should rate a book. & I gave Chappy
3.5* - & it is a much better book with much the same flaws. I have to stop feeling gratitude for a book win & be totally honest.3.5* it is.
January 2, 2018
I'm loving reading this new version in paperback The Antipodeans published by lightning books . It's the first UK publication of the epic wartime love story that took New Zealand by storm. It's now taking me by storm. I can't put it down. I'm loving the mix of historical and fictional characters.
March 15, 2018
Extremely thankful to Lightning Books who made me aware of this book as they knew I loved historical reads - and this was a captivating and compelling story that I'm extremely glad to have had the pleasure of reading.
Mainly set over 2 timelines; 2014 - Clare and her father go to Venice as her father is dying and he wants to revisit his past, while Clare is escaping her present. 1942 - 2 Kiwi POW's are helped out by an Italian family who hide them from their captors and they become part of the community during their stay. You wonder how the timelines are linked and what has really prompted the trip to Venice now and it is fascinating as the past is revealed and secrets are uncovered leading to Clare finding out so much more about her father than she ever thought possible.
The dual timeline works so well in this story - the present storyline has so many layers to it from the father trying to make sense of his past, alongside Clare dealing with escaping her cheating ex and the let downs she has suffered over the years. When her father is taken ill whilst in Venice, she is then faced with even more revelations that rock her. Her father kept diaries of his time as a rugby coach in Italy and whilst at times I did find these a little confusing as they centred around politics of the time and featured a lot of names, the details soon all came together to help things slot into place and make things clearer.
And the story line throughout the war years was a complex mix of life on the run, the brutal reality of times of war and the relationships built up between soldiers and those they sought shelter with.
This book was such a quality mix of history, family bonds, secrets, loves and lies and I can see why this book was such a big hit in New Zealand where it spent almost a year on the bestseller chart. The short, snappy chapters really helped with the pace of the story as I found myself not wanting to put it down once I'd started it, and for a book of nearly 450 pages that is quite a feat!! I enjoyed the bond between Clare and her father, and the time they spent in Italy was quite a journey for both of them and brought so vividly to life by the author. As were the war years and the horrors that the soldiers witnessed and how they survived by pulling together and relying on the kindness of strangers.
Cannot recommend this highly enough as an absorbing read that will stay with me for some time!
Mainly set over 2 timelines; 2014 - Clare and her father go to Venice as her father is dying and he wants to revisit his past, while Clare is escaping her present. 1942 - 2 Kiwi POW's are helped out by an Italian family who hide them from their captors and they become part of the community during their stay. You wonder how the timelines are linked and what has really prompted the trip to Venice now and it is fascinating as the past is revealed and secrets are uncovered leading to Clare finding out so much more about her father than she ever thought possible.
The dual timeline works so well in this story - the present storyline has so many layers to it from the father trying to make sense of his past, alongside Clare dealing with escaping her cheating ex and the let downs she has suffered over the years. When her father is taken ill whilst in Venice, she is then faced with even more revelations that rock her. Her father kept diaries of his time as a rugby coach in Italy and whilst at times I did find these a little confusing as they centred around politics of the time and featured a lot of names, the details soon all came together to help things slot into place and make things clearer.
And the story line throughout the war years was a complex mix of life on the run, the brutal reality of times of war and the relationships built up between soldiers and those they sought shelter with.
This book was such a quality mix of history, family bonds, secrets, loves and lies and I can see why this book was such a big hit in New Zealand where it spent almost a year on the bestseller chart. The short, snappy chapters really helped with the pace of the story as I found myself not wanting to put it down once I'd started it, and for a book of nearly 450 pages that is quite a feat!! I enjoyed the bond between Clare and her father, and the time they spent in Italy was quite a journey for both of them and brought so vividly to life by the author. As were the war years and the horrors that the soldiers witnessed and how they survived by pulling together and relying on the kindness of strangers.
Cannot recommend this highly enough as an absorbing read that will stay with me for some time!
August 29, 2015
It took Greg McGee thirty years to complete this book, the seed planted in the mid 1970s when he was playing rugby in the north-east of Italy, living amongst Italians, speaking the language, absorbing himself into being Italian. At that time it was only thirty years since the end of the second world war, a war which tore Italy apart - one minute Italy was an enemy, next minute it was an ally - so still very fresh in people's minds. Many NZ soldiers fought in Italy during the war, and in the northeast where this novel is set, a number of NZers were closely involved in the partisan movement, risking their own lives, and putting the lives of the local people at huge risk, for which the consequences were deadly. Much of this has been documented and McGee acknowledges these sources which he makes rich use of in his story telling.
And what a rich tale this is, set against such a background, telling the story of three generations, over three different time periods, in both New Zealand and in Italy. Clare is one of the narrators, in the present day, who is accompanying her father on a trip to Venice for a reunion of a rugby team he played and coached for in the 1970s. Clare has had a pretty rough time of it lately herself and the trip is supposed to give her some space from what has been going on in her life. Her father, Bruce, is also on a personal mission which Clare does not appreciate until it is too late, and on reading her father's diary she begins to unscramble the father she never really knew. Parallel to the Clare/Bruce thread is that of Joe Lamont and Harry Spence - two NZ POWs, on the run in the mountainous regions of the border between Yugoslavia and Italy. Goes without saying terrible things happen. Most of the book is taken up with Joe's story - from his early life in rural Oamaru to his big war adventure, time as a POW and subsequent escape, then the dark days after the war and its horror ended. War does terrible things to people, some thrive and survive, others almost die and still survive, and others just die. Both Harry and Joe are haunted for the rest of their days by what went on in the mountains. Things have not improved much for Bruce when he is in Italy in the 1970s. Fascism never really went away after the war, and the Red Brigade is running its own terror campaign.
Through this many layered web, the story swirls and travels, coming together at the end in a most satisfactory fashion, and not without a twist or two in the tale. I really liked this book, I was hooked from the very beginning, and snatched chances to read a few more pages any chance I could. Fortunately the chapters were fairly short so I could do this! The only two jarring notes for me were the constant shifts in time and location, I found it distracted from the flow of the story. And the second thing, the quantum physics stuff: I know the author is trying to tell us something here, but it just seemed to be out of place with the story telling that is 99% of the book, and for me, meant I had to put my brain into another gear, and I just could not quite make that leap into connecting it all. But this is just a small criticism as the philosophical physics stuff does not distract from the story in any way.
And what a rich tale this is, set against such a background, telling the story of three generations, over three different time periods, in both New Zealand and in Italy. Clare is one of the narrators, in the present day, who is accompanying her father on a trip to Venice for a reunion of a rugby team he played and coached for in the 1970s. Clare has had a pretty rough time of it lately herself and the trip is supposed to give her some space from what has been going on in her life. Her father, Bruce, is also on a personal mission which Clare does not appreciate until it is too late, and on reading her father's diary she begins to unscramble the father she never really knew. Parallel to the Clare/Bruce thread is that of Joe Lamont and Harry Spence - two NZ POWs, on the run in the mountainous regions of the border between Yugoslavia and Italy. Goes without saying terrible things happen. Most of the book is taken up with Joe's story - from his early life in rural Oamaru to his big war adventure, time as a POW and subsequent escape, then the dark days after the war and its horror ended. War does terrible things to people, some thrive and survive, others almost die and still survive, and others just die. Both Harry and Joe are haunted for the rest of their days by what went on in the mountains. Things have not improved much for Bruce when he is in Italy in the 1970s. Fascism never really went away after the war, and the Red Brigade is running its own terror campaign.
Through this many layered web, the story swirls and travels, coming together at the end in a most satisfactory fashion, and not without a twist or two in the tale. I really liked this book, I was hooked from the very beginning, and snatched chances to read a few more pages any chance I could. Fortunately the chapters were fairly short so I could do this! The only two jarring notes for me were the constant shifts in time and location, I found it distracted from the flow of the story. And the second thing, the quantum physics stuff: I know the author is trying to tell us something here, but it just seemed to be out of place with the story telling that is 99% of the book, and for me, meant I had to put my brain into another gear, and I just could not quite make that leap into connecting it all. But this is just a small criticism as the philosophical physics stuff does not distract from the story in any way.
July 26, 2015
I won this book via Goodreads.
I have only just started reading Fiction after a lifetime of reading Travelogue and Autobiography type books. So this book was great transition with elements of both and set in both the present time and the second world war with a lot tie in to true happenings and timeframed events.
Personally I found the backwards and forwards across the eras hard to cope with, so I decided to read the book as two (not sure if the author would approve). First I read all chapters of 2014 storyline then followed up with the older storyline. And this worked for me - by the end of the book it all slotted together in my mind and I knew exactly where everyone linked. It is an epic tale but was easily digested with likeable characters many who sounded familiar in the NZ peoplescape.
It was an enjoyable read and the particularly the dramas of Joe kept me from putting the book down...and the housework suffered for that. These chapters for me were the most addictive and the 2014 Clare related chapters had me a little bored (even skipping tracts) which were the quantum physics related parts. I would highly recommend to anyone interested in family, Italy or WWII.
I have only just started reading Fiction after a lifetime of reading Travelogue and Autobiography type books. So this book was great transition with elements of both and set in both the present time and the second world war with a lot tie in to true happenings and timeframed events.
Personally I found the backwards and forwards across the eras hard to cope with, so I decided to read the book as two (not sure if the author would approve). First I read all chapters of 2014 storyline then followed up with the older storyline. And this worked for me - by the end of the book it all slotted together in my mind and I knew exactly where everyone linked. It is an epic tale but was easily digested with likeable characters many who sounded familiar in the NZ peoplescape.
It was an enjoyable read and the particularly the dramas of Joe kept me from putting the book down...and the housework suffered for that. These chapters for me were the most addictive and the 2014 Clare related chapters had me a little bored (even skipping tracts) which were the quantum physics related parts. I would highly recommend to anyone interested in family, Italy or WWII.
August 10, 2015
I would like to thank the Author for putting this book up to win. It was a big read, but an interesting one.
It is set in Northern Italy and Venice and New Zealand over three different era's 2014, 1942-1944 and 1976. It all ties in together but you don't find out how till later on in the story.
It's about war, love, heartache and family secrets which makes it hard on the next generation who have no idea what's going on. It's also about the good the bad and the ugly of war and people.
It does have some real events with real people weaved through the story. Which I find cleaver.
'I'm glad it ate the bastard up, because his cowardice has wrecked me"
It is set in Northern Italy and Venice and New Zealand over three different era's 2014, 1942-1944 and 1976. It all ties in together but you don't find out how till later on in the story.
It's about war, love, heartache and family secrets which makes it hard on the next generation who have no idea what's going on. It's also about the good the bad and the ugly of war and people.
It does have some real events with real people weaved through the story. Which I find cleaver.
'I'm glad it ate the bastard up, because his cowardice has wrecked me"
November 7, 2016
Master Kiwi storyteller and playwright, Greg McGee, has woven a searing tale of love, loss and rebellion in his WWII novel, The Antipodeans. The war is sewn into the fabric of three generations and each thread is dramatically unravelled until, eventually, the reason that these people are in this story at this time, becomes clear. McGee impressively handles an expansive time period without it feeling like he's skipping from one dramatic moment to the next. The cast of characters is large so I recommend reading it in a short space of time, or keep a few notes as you go to get the absolute most out of a great yarn.
February 9, 2016
Loved it. It was totally absorbing, well written, believable. As a New Zealander whose grandfather, great uncle and father saw active service in WW1 & 2 it explained a lot. I hope they make it into a film.
February 10, 2022
I surprised myself by being most caught up in the war scenes in this novel - not my usual fare. Some New Zealand soldiers in Italy in World War II escape from a POW camp and become part of the anti-fascist resistance along with Italians and Slovenians in the countryside and mountains. Plenty of vivid action, some of it heart-in-mouth stuff - would make a great film.
Alongside the war story is a contemporary narrative of Clare and her terminally ill father Bruce who go to Venice so Bruce can reconnect with Italians he played rugby with there in the 1970s. Clare discovers more than she bargains on.
As the story evolves, the two strands become interwoven as the links between the two periods, and two families, are revealed. This is quite a saga involving three generations of interconnected families in Italy and Aotearoa, and the author manages it skilfully, bringing Venice and the north Italian area of Veneto alive with descriptions and phrases in Italian and local dialect.
I would have liked more about the bold, callous yet enigmatic character Harry - what exactly happened to him after the war? He went back to the North Otago farm at some point, but virtually nothing is said about life for him then, only an acutely anguished moment witnessed by his son (Bruce). But perhaps this is in keeping with the rest of the story as - while he is a strong and primary character - he is seen only through others' eyes.
My mum read the book too, and got a bit confused about all the characters, because of the different names (e.g. English/Kiwi name, and Italian name). It would have been helpful to have a list of characters and who they were - except that would have defeated the revelations that unfold right through to the end.
Alongside the war story is a contemporary narrative of Clare and her terminally ill father Bruce who go to Venice so Bruce can reconnect with Italians he played rugby with there in the 1970s. Clare discovers more than she bargains on.
As the story evolves, the two strands become interwoven as the links between the two periods, and two families, are revealed. This is quite a saga involving three generations of interconnected families in Italy and Aotearoa, and the author manages it skilfully, bringing Venice and the north Italian area of Veneto alive with descriptions and phrases in Italian and local dialect.
I would have liked more about the bold, callous yet enigmatic character Harry - what exactly happened to him after the war? He went back to the North Otago farm at some point, but virtually nothing is said about life for him then, only an acutely anguished moment witnessed by his son (Bruce). But perhaps this is in keeping with the rest of the story as - while he is a strong and primary character - he is seen only through others' eyes.
My mum read the book too, and got a bit confused about all the characters, because of the different names (e.g. English/Kiwi name, and Italian name). It would have been helpful to have a list of characters and who they were - except that would have defeated the revelations that unfold right through to the end.
September 23, 2015
An easy reading and compelling epic of a novel, by a thoroughly authentic New Zealand novellist. McGee has been a steady writer of work which has consistently garnered acclaim on the stage, tv and in print. An apostle of the statement, "Good writers are great readers"; The Antipodeans is a clear reflection of the belief, with eloquent insertions of quantum mathematics, newtonian physics and the consequences of nazism, fascism, and the evolution of political awareness in the NZ workforce.
The Antipodeans is an "epic" albeit easily read novel, with nuances of a Shakespearean Trage-comedy, where the offspring right the "wrongs" of the previous generations.
The plot carries three story lines which are seamlessly and intimately entwined. It spans three generations from World War Two and binds together the current, and past cultures of New Zealand and Italy. Plot scenarios are already abundantly available for the Antipodeans which are more eloquent than any I could offer.
Suffice to say that it was thoroughly engaging, authentic, informative, insightful and enjoyable: Just like the author. Bravo!
Buy it and support a fine NZ author and NZ literature in general.
The Antipodeans is an "epic" albeit easily read novel, with nuances of a Shakespearean Trage-comedy, where the offspring right the "wrongs" of the previous generations.
The plot carries three story lines which are seamlessly and intimately entwined. It spans three generations from World War Two and binds together the current, and past cultures of New Zealand and Italy. Plot scenarios are already abundantly available for the Antipodeans which are more eloquent than any I could offer.
Suffice to say that it was thoroughly engaging, authentic, informative, insightful and enjoyable: Just like the author. Bravo!
Buy it and support a fine NZ author and NZ literature in general.
September 1, 2015
This is a good read although the style is a bit patchy in the beginning. I noted that the narrative pertaining to the past was better than the modern day story of the young woman.
In this story a New Zealander and his daughter return to Venice where he spent a lot of time during the war. The story swaps time frames as we learn of the time he spent in the Italian Resistance, the people he is looking for in the present and the years after the war spent in New Zealand.
The stories are good, the writing frustrating at times, it lacks lyricism, nuances of language. At times it is a series of factual statements one after the other, as if it is recounting an occurrence, not taking us along a story.
Worth reading nonetheless.
In this story a New Zealander and his daughter return to Venice where he spent a lot of time during the war. The story swaps time frames as we learn of the time he spent in the Italian Resistance, the people he is looking for in the present and the years after the war spent in New Zealand.
The stories are good, the writing frustrating at times, it lacks lyricism, nuances of language. At times it is a series of factual statements one after the other, as if it is recounting an occurrence, not taking us along a story.
Worth reading nonetheless.
April 26, 2016
I do not like books about the world wars. However this was certainly a very well researched and in- depth look at the consequences of countries torn apart by war, and the devastating effect it has on families for several generations.The various twists in the narrative kept me reading and I admired the author's ability to tie in so many threads in the complicated relationships and war time events. A great ending to a complex situation.
October 26, 2015
Again I have had the problem whether to rate three or four stars - it is a three + in my view. The portions of the book set in Italy in the 1940s are chilling. However the present day dissertations on physics, while I understood (I think!) the relevance, were somewhat tortured and overworked.
September 13, 2017
I read most of this novel in Rome. The gear change in the final 100 pages or so is extraordinary. I was so enthralled I missed my stop on the 913 bus – which in ordinary circumstances nobody in their right mind would stay on for a second longer than they had to.
December 31, 2015
Needed two readings to get all the characters straight. very well written, intriguing story
November 13, 2019
As another reviewer has suggested, reading one era before heading to the next makes for a more fundamental understanding of the storyline — a book to be enjoyed when you can immerse yourself totally with no distractions. As there is so much going on with many characters and places to absorb.
Overall, a book worth reading.
Overall, a book worth reading.
January 13, 2022
Such a moving story of a Kiwi veteran visiting the area in Italy where he'd been during WW2. His daughter is accompanying him and it becomes an emotionally heightened experience for her too. The author does a masterful job of capturing the brotherhood that seems to epitomize rugby culture and allows the reader to draw parallels to the brotherhood of soldiers.
October 12, 2020
I must begin my review by saying I know Greg McGee. We both grew up in Oamaru in the 1960s and shared many similar influences such as listening to our parents' generation telling stories about their wartime experiences and reading the very popular Fleetwood Magazine war comics. There was one of those stories which many of us read because it was about two men in the New Zealand Division at the Battle for the River Po.
I suspect that in recent years Greg and I also watched the same BBC Panorama documentaries about guerilla warfare in Italy and the series about escaping P.O.W.s in Italy in 1943-44. The story of Harry and Joe's escape seems familiar territory.
Although I had expected from reviews that this was to be a novel about New Zealand troops involved with the Italian partisans, resisting the German occupation of Northern Italy, that was just part of the novel. I see this as first a cautionary tale about how warfare with rules like the Geneva Conventions can quickly become barbaric without a system of discipline such as a structure of command. It is also about how men who served in combat need help to overcome the effects of post traumatic disorder.
I also found this aspect of the novel resonated with me as I try to tease out the stories of my relatives who served in the Boer War and the Two World Wars, particularly those who were killed. Two died in Italy in engagements I had not known had taken place, Sangro River on the Gustav Line and Faenza on the Gothic Line. In the novel, Bruce Spence looks for answers to what happened to his father in Italy and was that tormented soul and sadist a war hero worthy of admiration? (My interests are more modest. I just want to ensure my parents' cousins will not be forgotten.)
At first I wondered how the story of Joe and Harry as P.O.W.s in 1943 should be in the same book as the story of Clare and her father as tourists in Venice in 2014. The reader has to be paying attention so that, when we read Bruce Spence's diary from 1976, we discover he is Harry's son. Then the cleverness of the parallel narration reveals itself. The readers come to know more about what happened to Harry in 1944-5 than Bruce can find out from a taciturn and unco-operative Gianni Lamonza. The shock when we discover Joe Lamont has assumed the identity of Gianni Lamonza is an additional spur to read on and see how Joe came to be here and how he is going to react to meeting Harry's son.
When Bruce leaves under such terrible circumstances, we know in the 2014 storyline that he may never learn the truth. Watching Clare and Renzo puzzle over the true identity of Gianni when we know who he is, is like the children in a Christmas pantomime who know more than the characters, or like the audience of that old Oliver and Hardy movie who witnessed the villain hiding a poison pill in a cream cake and then see the cake offered as a treat to the main character . The conclusion brings finality not just to Joe's nightmare that Harry might return but also resolves Bruce's own heartache. It is surprisingly satisfying.
I suspect that in recent years Greg and I also watched the same BBC Panorama documentaries about guerilla warfare in Italy and the series about escaping P.O.W.s in Italy in 1943-44. The story of Harry and Joe's escape seems familiar territory.
Although I had expected from reviews that this was to be a novel about New Zealand troops involved with the Italian partisans, resisting the German occupation of Northern Italy, that was just part of the novel. I see this as first a cautionary tale about how warfare with rules like the Geneva Conventions can quickly become barbaric without a system of discipline such as a structure of command. It is also about how men who served in combat need help to overcome the effects of post traumatic disorder.
I also found this aspect of the novel resonated with me as I try to tease out the stories of my relatives who served in the Boer War and the Two World Wars, particularly those who were killed. Two died in Italy in engagements I had not known had taken place, Sangro River on the Gustav Line and Faenza on the Gothic Line. In the novel, Bruce Spence looks for answers to what happened to his father in Italy and was that tormented soul and sadist a war hero worthy of admiration? (My interests are more modest. I just want to ensure my parents' cousins will not be forgotten.)
At first I wondered how the story of Joe and Harry as P.O.W.s in 1943 should be in the same book as the story of Clare and her father as tourists in Venice in 2014. The reader has to be paying attention so that, when we read Bruce Spence's diary from 1976, we discover he is Harry's son. Then the cleverness of the parallel narration reveals itself. The readers come to know more about what happened to Harry in 1944-5 than Bruce can find out from a taciturn and unco-operative Gianni Lamonza. The shock when we discover Joe Lamont has assumed the identity of Gianni Lamonza is an additional spur to read on and see how Joe came to be here and how he is going to react to meeting Harry's son.
When Bruce leaves under such terrible circumstances, we know in the 2014 storyline that he may never learn the truth. Watching Clare and Renzo puzzle over the true identity of Gianni when we know who he is, is like the children in a Christmas pantomime who know more than the characters, or like the audience of that old Oliver and Hardy movie who witnessed the villain hiding a poison pill in a cream cake and then see the cake offered as a treat to the main character . The conclusion brings finality not just to Joe's nightmare that Harry might return but also resolves Bruce's own heartache. It is surprisingly satisfying.
December 13, 2015
This was great in parts but in others, I just wanted it to get on with it. The war parts of the plot were really great, engaging and I was driven to find out what was going to happen. The author tries to do a lot of things and cover a lot of ground. Sometimes this is really successful but at others (the rugby scenes and the stuff about the daughter's marriage in particular) seemed superfluous to the story and I needed to skip over them. I liked the clever linkages and the big mystery but in places, it felt like I was supposed to have made connections that weren't clear. Moments of brilliance and moments of unnecessary stuff. I did feel that I learnt a lot about the resistance fighters in Italy during the Second World War which was quite fascinating.
March 31, 2016
Won through First Reads.
Unfortunately, the book's 2014 storyline is the reason I've rated this book so poorly. I couldn't stand Clare, which essentially made half the book an unenjoyable slog. The pages-long discussions about physics were also completely out of place, not to mention incredibly boring. I wish McGee had stuck to the 1943-45 storyline, which is what drew me to the book in the first place.
Unfortunately, the book's 2014 storyline is the reason I've rated this book so poorly. I couldn't stand Clare, which essentially made half the book an unenjoyable slog. The pages-long discussions about physics were also completely out of place, not to mention incredibly boring. I wish McGee had stuck to the 1943-45 storyline, which is what drew me to the book in the first place.
October 27, 2015
Epic read of love, loss and war. I found it really hard to put down. Gotta say though that the discussions on physics left me with a sore brain :)
March 28, 2016
Great book set in Italy but with NZ connection. Well written so keeps you involved in story.
August 31, 2024
2014 reist Clare gemeinsam mit ihrem Vater nach Venedig. Beide fliehen vor ihren Dämonen: Clare lässt eine gescheiterte Ehe im heimatlichen Neuseeland zurück, während ihr Vater sich den Geistern der Vergangenheit stellen will. Die Geschichte der beiden beginnt noch vor seiner Geburt, nämlich mit zwei neuseeländischen Soldaten im zweiten Weltkrieg.
Meine Meinung
Clares Geschichte fand ich von Anfang an etwas platt. Über die betrogene Ehefrau, die sich in an einem neuen Ort neu erfinden will, gibt es unzählige Geschichten. Dass ihr Vater mitkommt, war eine neue Variante. Wie das Verhältnis der beiden ist und wie es sich entwickelt, so etwas habe ich dagegen auch öfter gelesen.
Viel interessanter fand ich die Geschichte von Joe und Harry. Die Erlebnisse der beiden Soldaten im Italien des zweiten Weltkriegs und gerade Harrys Wandlung haben mich berührt. Dieser Teil wirkte sehr real.
Dann gab es den dritten Teil, der in der Jugend von Clares Vater spielt. Dieser Teil war ein Auf und Ab. Teile fand ich sehr gut, andere leider auch sehr konstruiert. Gegen Ende verbinden sich alle drei Teile zu einer Geschichte, nämlich der von Clare. Die ist mir über die gesamte Geschichte hinweg so unsympathisch geworden, dass das Buch nur noch verlieren konnte.
Meine Meinung
Clares Geschichte fand ich von Anfang an etwas platt. Über die betrogene Ehefrau, die sich in an einem neuen Ort neu erfinden will, gibt es unzählige Geschichten. Dass ihr Vater mitkommt, war eine neue Variante. Wie das Verhältnis der beiden ist und wie es sich entwickelt, so etwas habe ich dagegen auch öfter gelesen.
Viel interessanter fand ich die Geschichte von Joe und Harry. Die Erlebnisse der beiden Soldaten im Italien des zweiten Weltkriegs und gerade Harrys Wandlung haben mich berührt. Dieser Teil wirkte sehr real.
Dann gab es den dritten Teil, der in der Jugend von Clares Vater spielt. Dieser Teil war ein Auf und Ab. Teile fand ich sehr gut, andere leider auch sehr konstruiert. Gegen Ende verbinden sich alle drei Teile zu einer Geschichte, nämlich der von Clare. Die ist mir über die gesamte Geschichte hinweg so unsympathisch geworden, dass das Buch nur noch verlieren konnte.
March 11, 2017
I loved reading this book. From the off, the style of the novel makes you want to keep reading to see how all of the stories and characters are connected, and this continues all the way through until the end - a rare accomplishment in my experience.
Hopefully I'll come back to elaborate on this review later, but in brief:
-from an historical perspective, it was so fascinating to think about the 'other wars' that took place during WW2, away from the main fighting. It was such a huge war, and affected so many places in so many ways, including these tiny villages of people otherwise just going about their daily lives.
-I loved the occasional sidetrack onto physics; an excuse for a break to try and wrap your head around something different for a few pages (for me as a non-scientist, anyway).
-the novel expressed so well the desire we have to know and understand the who, what, where that makes us the person we are; the importance of family (blood or adopted) is a massive theme throughout the novel. Also a good (if stark) reminder that those we love won't always be around at least in a physical sense. Definitely makes you want to call your mum/dad/sibling/best friend/partner.
My biggest gripe about the book was that there was a (fairly significant) typo on the last page of the edition I read. Didn't make a difference to understanding, as it was obviously a mistake, but that just makes it more upsetting that it was there.
Hopefully I'll come back to elaborate on this review later, but in brief:
-from an historical perspective, it was so fascinating to think about the 'other wars' that took place during WW2, away from the main fighting. It was such a huge war, and affected so many places in so many ways, including these tiny villages of people otherwise just going about their daily lives.
-I loved the occasional sidetrack onto physics; an excuse for a break to try and wrap your head around something different for a few pages (for me as a non-scientist, anyway).
-the novel expressed so well the desire we have to know and understand the who, what, where that makes us the person we are; the importance of family (blood or adopted) is a massive theme throughout the novel. Also a good (if stark) reminder that those we love won't always be around at least in a physical sense. Definitely makes you want to call your mum/dad/sibling/best friend/partner.
My biggest gripe about the book was that there was a (fairly significant) typo on the last page of the edition I read. Didn't make a difference to understanding, as it was obviously a mistake, but that just makes it more upsetting that it was there.
April 29, 2018
‘Physicists don’t accept reality in that way’ says Renzo, grandson of Kiwi war veteran Joe to the granddaughter of Joe’s wartime comrade Harry. ‘The whole of realty exists at once. There is no now, no then, no tomorrow...’ As a metaphor both for the profound and moving way in which the past affects the future and the sometime complexity of the interlocking layers of characters and time in this book, that quote seems to sum things up quite nicely. But at the same time as the quantum physicist is explaining some of the most baffling elements of science, we’re baffled both by the events that shape the characters (love, war, loyalty, patriotism) and the random choices that the characters themselves make. What we’re left with is a penetrating analysis of human nature, and a story with a huge sweep - not quite the scope of the particle physicist’s specialism but an epic, heroic and timeless narrative that deals with love and war and everything in between.
September 11, 2024
The Antipodeans weaves together the stories of three generations of families spanning New Zealand and Italy, exploring how the past—particularly World War II—affects the present. The novel delves into the complexities of love, betrayal, and the impact of historical events on individual lives, as secrets gradually unravel. Through the characters' journeys, the story spans continents and decades, blending personal histories with larger historical narratives.
The novel is richly layered and offers a vivid portrayal of different eras. I found keeping track of the multiple characters and their relationships can confusing at times but the author did an awesome job of bringing it all together in the end. The blend of personal and historical intrigue makes the story quite compelling.
The novel is richly layered and offers a vivid portrayal of different eras. I found keeping track of the multiple characters and their relationships can confusing at times but the author did an awesome job of bringing it all together in the end. The blend of personal and historical intrigue makes the story quite compelling.
March 19, 2017
I plodded my way through this one. It tells the story of three generations of New Zealanders and Italians who are connected in ways that most of them don't understand. Some of the story is set in Italy during World War 2 and that was the most engaging storyline. The modern protagonist, a thirty-ish kiwi woman with a failed marriage, wasn't as interesting or convincing and some of her conversations with the sexy Italian physicist left me cringing. The cheating husband was worse! The fact that he was an Aussie was also annoying. (Why?? Don't kiwi men cheat on their wives?) However, it did make me want to go back to Venice.
April 11, 2022
My father was part of the NZ spring offensive to Trieste in 1945. This book had many references that reminded me of him. He was a South Canterbury farm boy whose letters home from the front commented on the farming techniques just as the characters in the book observed.
The constant stress of war and it’s flow on effects on lives afterwards are brilliantly articulated - effects which that generation in general were not able or encouraged to acknowledge or remember as they rebuilt peacetime lives.
This book has given me great insight into the Italian theatre of war as well as its subsequent political machinations.
The constant stress of war and it’s flow on effects on lives afterwards are brilliantly articulated - effects which that generation in general were not able or encouraged to acknowledge or remember as they rebuilt peacetime lives.
This book has given me great insight into the Italian theatre of war as well as its subsequent political machinations.
February 26, 2024
The Antipodeans is a great read. It is one of those rare books that I would read again.
The author ambitiously created an epic tale on a large landscape over 3 generations. There were a number of occasions where I had to go back and re-read passages to clarify the relationships of some of the characters, but that just added to my interest. I appreciated that the author engaged the reader to use their imagination to tie up some of the loose ends. There was one passage that I thought was just a little too contrived for the purposes of story continuity, but I may change my mind about that when I re-read in a year or two.
The author ambitiously created an epic tale on a large landscape over 3 generations. There were a number of occasions where I had to go back and re-read passages to clarify the relationships of some of the characters, but that just added to my interest. I appreciated that the author engaged the reader to use their imagination to tie up some of the loose ends. There was one passage that I thought was just a little too contrived for the purposes of story continuity, but I may change my mind about that when I re-read in a year or two.
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