The Comfort of Figs

by Simon Cleary

1939. A bridge is built, and a country town becomes a city. Three young men forge a close friendship as they labour precariously high above the river, but one slip transforms their lives. A generation later, Robbie, a young landscaper, is grappling with those who should be closest to him - his father, whose past is linked with the iconic bridge, and his girlfriend, Freya, who is left shattered after a vicious assault. The Comfort of Figs is the unforgettable story of the birth of a city, the power of obsession and the burden of a family secret.

Genres: Fiction, Australia, Literature, Book Club

334 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2008

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully written book which deserves to be more widely read.
The Comfort of Figs is a fine story which links the dangers inherent in the building of Brisbane’s Story Bridge with present day violence and trauma. The relationship between Robbie, a young landscape gardener and his girlfriend Freya is put to the test in the aftermath of the kind of assault that occurs all too often in a modern city; he also has a fractured relationship with his father - who worked on the construction of the Story Bridge, the bridge that enabled Brisbane to grow from a country town into that city.
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[Sammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book!! It opens your heart and mind to the luscious and sensual earthliness of beautiful Brisbane. This story follows a fascinating and beautiful mystery that is linked to our Story Bridge that weaves in a life long love and loyalty stronger than steel.
I will never look at Moreton Bay Figs without thinking of the wonderful Robbbie and his morning rituals of stealthy strangling!!

[Dianne Maclean · Rating 4 out of 5]

For Brisbanites this captures a wonderful chapter in the making of Brisbanes iconic landmark The Story Bridge.

[Lauren Stark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to the audio version - loved it, loved the visuals and could really place myself inside the story of the characters, found the history of brisbane interwoven into the story fascinating.

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This has echoes of other books I have read about the building of bridges or tunnels. In this case it is, in part, about the building of the Brisbane ‘Story’ bridge (the pun is intended) and how one man’s actions reverberate down the generations. The ‘figs’ are the different variety of fig trees (particularly the Moreton Bay fig and the strangler fig) which Robbie – the contemporary character – plants each day. He works with trees, unlike his father, who worked in steel. While some of the psychological motivations in the story are a little weak and the symbolism rather too neat at times, this is a very pleasing first novel.

[Rhonda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Always enjoy reading about Australian places and plants and I did enjoy this - but even as a native plant enthusiast I thought the fig links were just a bit overdone. Reminded me of another novel about building the Sydney Harbour Bridge and a local priest who becomes obsessed with it (sorry can't remember the title).

I wanted to know more about how our hero and heroine first met.

[Meredith Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had been wanting to read this for ages - love books that are about Brisbane history. It was good, with lots of local detail to add flavour, but the plot was a little pedestrian. Nowhere in the league of Johnno.

[Jane · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have given up on this, it's going back to the library unfinished, which is very unusual for me. Have other things to read and honestly got fed up with all the biological fig names and a story that was vague and plodding.

[Robi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listened to audiobook; set in Brisbane around the bridge I walked under every day on way to work and home, which really brought the book to life for me. I preferred Simon's other book, "Closer to Stone" more for it's contemporary issues but enjoyed this one's local content.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a great story about the building of the Story Bridge in brisbane, Australia and about the people working on the bridge.

[MarieD]

Awful

[Riem · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like books set in places I know.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the history in this book based in Brisbane,