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By the line
Schoolboy narrator Daniel Jordan, growing up in working-class Sydney during the Second World War, is confused by a world in which the religious dogma of his school conflicts with the communism of his family's terrifying neighbour, the 'Comrade'. Refreshingly unsentimental, this is the funny, ultimately tragic story of a boy struggling to understand a world in which concepts like innocence and guilt, good and evil are clearly open to interpretation.
152 pages, Paperback
First published October 10, 2013
24 people want to read
About the author
Thomas Keneally
115 books1,272 followersThomas Michael Keneally, AO (born 7 October 1935) is an Australian novelist, playwright and author of non-fiction. He is best known for writing Schindler's Ark, the Booker Prize-winning novel of 1982, which was inspired by the efforts of Poldek Pfefferberg, a Holocaust survivor. The book would later be adapted to Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List (1993), which won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Often published under the name Tom Keneally in Australia.
Life and Career:
Born in Sydney, Keneally was educated at St Patrick's College, Strathfield, where a writing prize was named after him. He entered St Patrick's Seminary, Manly to train as a Catholic priest but left before his ordination. He worked as a Sydney schoolteacher before his success as a novelist, and he was a lecturer at the University of New England (1968–70). He has also written screenplays, memoirs and non-fiction books.
Keneally was known as "Mick" until 1964 but began using the name Thomas when he started publishing, after advice from his publisher to use what was really his first name. He is most famous for his Schindler's Ark (1982) (later republished as Schindler's List), which won the Booker Prize and is the basis of the film Schindler's List (1993). Many of his novels are reworkings of historical material, although modern in their psychology and style.
Keneally has also acted in a handful of films. He had a small role in The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (based on his novel) and played Father Marshall in the Fred Schepisi movie, The Devil's Playground (1976) (not to be confused with a similarly-titled documentary by Lucy Walker about the Amish rite of passage called rumspringa).
In 1983, he was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO). He is an Australian Living Treasure.
He is a strong advocate of the Australian republic, meaning the severing of all ties with the British monarchy, and published a book on the subject in Our Republic (1993). Several of his Republican essays appear on the web site of the Australian Republican Movement.
Keneally is a keen supporter of rugby league football, in particular the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles club of the NRL. He made an appearance in the rugby league drama film The Final Winter (2007).
In March 2009, the Prime Minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd, gave an autographed copy of Keneally's Lincoln biography to President Barack Obama as a state gift.
Most recently Thomas Keneally featured as a writer in the critically acclaimed Australian drama, Our Sunburnt Country.
Thomas Keneally's nephew Ben is married to the former NSW Premier, Kristina Keneally.
Often published under the name Tom Keneally in Australia.
Life and Career:
Born in Sydney, Keneally was educated at St Patrick's College, Strathfield, where a writing prize was named after him. He entered St Patrick's Seminary, Manly to train as a Catholic priest but left before his ordination. He worked as a Sydney schoolteacher before his success as a novelist, and he was a lecturer at the University of New England (1968–70). He has also written screenplays, memoirs and non-fiction books.
Keneally was known as "Mick" until 1964 but began using the name Thomas when he started publishing, after advice from his publisher to use what was really his first name. He is most famous for his Schindler's Ark (1982) (later republished as Schindler's List), which won the Booker Prize and is the basis of the film Schindler's List (1993). Many of his novels are reworkings of historical material, although modern in their psychology and style.
Keneally has also acted in a handful of films. He had a small role in The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (based on his novel) and played Father Marshall in the Fred Schepisi movie, The Devil's Playground (1976) (not to be confused with a similarly-titled documentary by Lucy Walker about the Amish rite of passage called rumspringa).
In 1983, he was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO). He is an Australian Living Treasure.
He is a strong advocate of the Australian republic, meaning the severing of all ties with the British monarchy, and published a book on the subject in Our Republic (1993). Several of his Republican essays appear on the web site of the Australian Republican Movement.
Keneally is a keen supporter of rugby league football, in particular the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles club of the NRL. He made an appearance in the rugby league drama film The Final Winter (2007).
In March 2009, the Prime Minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd, gave an autographed copy of Keneally's Lincoln biography to President Barack Obama as a state gift.
Most recently Thomas Keneally featured as a writer in the critically acclaimed Australian drama, Our Sunburnt Country.
Thomas Keneally's nephew Ben is married to the former NSW Premier, Kristina Keneally.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 25, 2023
Thomas Keneally (with one 'N', despite how Goodreads has it) released 'By the Line' in 1989. It's got a Boys Own verve that suggests a book by a younger author, which Keneally had been - this was originally published as 'The Fear' in 1965 before being repackaged after his Booker Prize success. The brawls, threats and action for the most part make it pacy to read. If you want a quick read with plenty of action, this should do the job
Trains seem to make a regular appearance in Keneally's books - this one was not as powerful as 'Schindler's Ark' but considerably better than I remember 'The People's Train'. It's main interest to me was that it offers a fresh take on WWII, seen from the Australian domestic perspective. Home soil may have largely been spared (Keneally's writing being my main source, so others may want to correct me!) but the sense of threat at the prospect of Japanese landings was well-made. Domestic strife is in abundance, in a book that reflects how geopolitical events overlay but don't necessarily drive intensely-felt emotional lives at a local level. Intra- and inter-familial conflicts take centre stage in 'By the Line', with the war consigned to the periphery (albeit with Danny's father fighting overseas, a munitions truck and war-linked poverty all helping to drive the plot).
My main criticism is that the characters felt overdrawn. The brutal father, strident fishwives, and chipper children had a comic book thickness of outline, which was finally let down a little by the predictable yet still overblown denouement. The boxing scene is typical: we get a hero and a villain, just too neatly set in counterpoint to the revolutionary failings of After Penelope Fitzgerald, the zest of Keneally's tale about missing weapons and misplaced loyalties was refreshing. I would read it again in the right mood.
Trains seem to make a regular appearance in Keneally's books - this one was not as powerful as 'Schindler's Ark' but considerably better than I remember 'The People's Train'. It's main interest to me was that it offers a fresh take on WWII, seen from the Australian domestic perspective. Home soil may have largely been spared (Keneally's writing being my main source, so others may want to correct me!) but the sense of threat at the prospect of Japanese landings was well-made. Domestic strife is in abundance, in a book that reflects how geopolitical events overlay but don't necessarily drive intensely-felt emotional lives at a local level. Intra- and inter-familial conflicts take centre stage in 'By the Line', with the war consigned to the periphery (albeit with Danny's father fighting overseas, a munitions truck and war-linked poverty all helping to drive the plot).
My main criticism is that the characters felt overdrawn. The brutal father, strident fishwives, and chipper children had a comic book thickness of outline, which was finally let down a little by the predictable yet still overblown denouement. The boxing scene is typical: we get a hero and a villain, just too neatly set in counterpoint to the revolutionary failings of After Penelope Fitzgerald, the zest of Keneally's tale about missing weapons and misplaced loyalties was refreshing. I would read it again in the right mood.
September 5, 2024
I decided to read this because it was written by the same author that wrote the book that inspired Schindlers List. Unfortunately the writing did not inspire me so I did not finish it.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews