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The Curlew's Eye
A richly atmospheric Gothic mystery set around a ruined homestead in the NT's Top End.
'It struck her that in all these years, every highway and meandering track they'd taken together had been heading towards this destination. A shack perched halfway up a hill in an other-world of bizarre shadow plants and dark sentinel trees . . . Every road had been leading here, to this place.'
Greta's partner Joel grew up with five brothers and a sister in a feisty household on an isolated NT property. But he doesn't talk about those days-not the deaths of his sister and mother, nor the origin of the scars that snake around his body.
Now, many years later, he returns with Greta and their three young boys to prepare the place for sale. The boys are quick to settle in, and Joel seems preoccupied with work, but Greta has a growing sense of unease, struggling in the build-up's oppressive heat and living in the shadow of the old, burned-out family home. She knows she's a stranger in this uncanny place, with its eerie and alluring landscape, hostile neighbour, and a toxic dam whose clear waters belie its poison. And then there's the mysterious girl living rough whom Greta tries to befriend.
Determined to make sense of it all, Greta is drawn into Joel's unspoken past and confronted by her own. Before long the curlew's haunting cry will call her to face the secrets she and Joel can no longer outrun.
'It struck her that in all these years, every highway and meandering track they'd taken together had been heading towards this destination. A shack perched halfway up a hill in an other-world of bizarre shadow plants and dark sentinel trees . . . Every road had been leading here, to this place.'
Greta's partner Joel grew up with five brothers and a sister in a feisty household on an isolated NT property. But he doesn't talk about those days-not the deaths of his sister and mother, nor the origin of the scars that snake around his body.
Now, many years later, he returns with Greta and their three young boys to prepare the place for sale. The boys are quick to settle in, and Joel seems preoccupied with work, but Greta has a growing sense of unease, struggling in the build-up's oppressive heat and living in the shadow of the old, burned-out family home. She knows she's a stranger in this uncanny place, with its eerie and alluring landscape, hostile neighbour, and a toxic dam whose clear waters belie its poison. And then there's the mysterious girl living rough whom Greta tries to befriend.
Determined to make sense of it all, Greta is drawn into Joel's unspoken past and confronted by her own. Before long the curlew's haunting cry will call her to face the secrets she and Joel can no longer outrun.
352 pages, Paperback
Published September 14, 2021
17 people are currently reading
162 people want to read
About the author
Karen Manton
3 books5 followersKaren Manton lives in Darwin and Batchelor in the Northern Territory, with her husband, two sons, and their two dogs and a turtle. She has short stories published in various anthologies. The Curlew's Eye is her first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
September 15, 2021
As Greta, Joel and their three boys, Toby, Griffin and Raffy, headed to the old homestead in the lonely Northern Territory bush, their lives continued as they always had. Travelling from one place to the next, never to settle their roots in one place. The old homestead had been burnt and was dangerous; the hut was almost falling down but that would be their home for the duration of their stay. Joel was preparing the old place for sale – he’d once lived there with his parents, five brothers and a sister, grown up through childhood until things went badly wrong.
As Joel mended fences and the boys settled in, being boys, Greta couldn’t get past the uneasiness she felt. The curlew’s call haunted her, and she could feel things had once gone wrong here. When Greta met a young girl who was living in an old hut over the river, she would visit and bring her food. Signs of things past were at the hut and Greta wasn’t sure whether to talk to Joel about it or not. But gradually Joel’s past intruded on the present until Greta wasn’t sure what was happening. The eeriness of the curlew’s call, the gravestones, the storms and the poison lake – all felt like a message to Greta…
The Curlew’s Eye is the debut novel by Aussie author Karen Manton and is set in the Top End of Australia, not all that far from Darwin. The blurb says A richly atmospheric Gothic mystery set around a ruined homestead in the NT's Top End. and that is exactly what it is. Beautifully descriptive, I could see what Greta saw, and feel what she felt. The heart was pounding while waiting to see what was going to happen next. All in all, an impressive debut novel which I have no hesitation in recommending.
With thanks to Allen & Unwin for my uncorrected proof ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
As Joel mended fences and the boys settled in, being boys, Greta couldn’t get past the uneasiness she felt. The curlew’s call haunted her, and she could feel things had once gone wrong here. When Greta met a young girl who was living in an old hut over the river, she would visit and bring her food. Signs of things past were at the hut and Greta wasn’t sure whether to talk to Joel about it or not. But gradually Joel’s past intruded on the present until Greta wasn’t sure what was happening. The eeriness of the curlew’s call, the gravestones, the storms and the poison lake – all felt like a message to Greta…
The Curlew’s Eye is the debut novel by Aussie author Karen Manton and is set in the Top End of Australia, not all that far from Darwin. The blurb says A richly atmospheric Gothic mystery set around a ruined homestead in the NT's Top End. and that is exactly what it is. Beautifully descriptive, I could see what Greta saw, and feel what she felt. The heart was pounding while waiting to see what was going to happen next. All in all, an impressive debut novel which I have no hesitation in recommending.
With thanks to Allen & Unwin for my uncorrected proof ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
December 7, 2021
Greta and Joel are a somewhat itinerant couple, never settling anywhere but always on the move with their three sons in tow, going to wherever the next job is. They all seem to thrive on the adventure of long road trips and moving to new places and making new friends. When Joel is hired by his brother to go back to the family property in the Northern Territory to spend three months getting it ready for sale to a developer who wants to convert it into huts for backpackers and travellers, they jump at the idea. Joel has never told Greta much about his time growing up there with his five brothers and a sister or talked much about the deaths of his mother and sister, so she’s curious to see the place for herself.
The tropical north is unlike anything Greta and the boys have experienced before. It’s lush and fertile, but also brutal with an eeriness about Joel’s family’s property with its burnt-out homestead, toxic lake, skeletons of abandoned cars and the haunting night call of the curlew. Despite the lush beauty of the place, a preternatural atmosphere hangs over the whole property, as if the memories of past crimes and tragedies still linger looking for resolution. Both Joel and Greta will be forced to face their pasts and the guilt they carry that made them leave their homes behind.
“We’re travelling to the centre of the earth, you and I, she thought, but from different hemispheres. No one ever really knows anyone.
She’d never pried into Joel’s past, or he into hers. It had worked for them. But something was shifting in this place, on this land; under the gaze of the quiet, breathing lake. The respectful silences they’d kept were tipping. Now it was concealment.”
There is much to admire in this debut novel. The writing is skilled and atmospheric with lush descriptions of the landscape and its plants and animals. This is not a fast-paced novel but rather a slow burn with an almost dreamy feel as the days blend into each other with family life and work on the property. The slow build-up of the wet season is echoed by the build-up of tension between Greta and Joel, with secrets rising to the surface. The boys are wonderfully portrayed as eager explorers and discoverers, soaking up all the land has to offer them, devoid of the distractions of modern electronic life. Greta experiences and frames much of what she sees through a camera lens, falling back on her mother’s profession of photography and using it to meld the present with the past. Altogether a very enjoyable read and a writer I shall be looking out for in the future.
The tropical north is unlike anything Greta and the boys have experienced before. It’s lush and fertile, but also brutal with an eeriness about Joel’s family’s property with its burnt-out homestead, toxic lake, skeletons of abandoned cars and the haunting night call of the curlew. Despite the lush beauty of the place, a preternatural atmosphere hangs over the whole property, as if the memories of past crimes and tragedies still linger looking for resolution. Both Joel and Greta will be forced to face their pasts and the guilt they carry that made them leave their homes behind.
“We’re travelling to the centre of the earth, you and I, she thought, but from different hemispheres. No one ever really knows anyone.
She’d never pried into Joel’s past, or he into hers. It had worked for them. But something was shifting in this place, on this land; under the gaze of the quiet, breathing lake. The respectful silences they’d kept were tipping. Now it was concealment.”
There is much to admire in this debut novel. The writing is skilled and atmospheric with lush descriptions of the landscape and its plants and animals. This is not a fast-paced novel but rather a slow burn with an almost dreamy feel as the days blend into each other with family life and work on the property. The slow build-up of the wet season is echoed by the build-up of tension between Greta and Joel, with secrets rising to the surface. The boys are wonderfully portrayed as eager explorers and discoverers, soaking up all the land has to offer them, devoid of the distractions of modern electronic life. Greta experiences and frames much of what she sees through a camera lens, falling back on her mother’s profession of photography and using it to meld the present with the past. Altogether a very enjoyable read and a writer I shall be looking out for in the future.
October 2, 2021
The Curlew’s Eye is a very atmospheric and unsettling story set on an isolated property in the Northern Territory. The bush stone-curlew has a cry that sounds almost like a human scream, and this haunting cry at night would certainly freak out any newcomer to the area(you can look it up on YouTube). Greta, her husband Joel and their three sons are returning to the property to fix it up for sale. Joel grew up there with his five brothers and one sister, his immigrant parents and uncles but left after an event that left him with scars on his body. Greta is drawn into the story of her husbands past by the burnt-out homestead, mysterious bracelets and wind chimes, a poisonous lake,an angry neighbour, an abandoned meat works and the natural surroundings including the heat and the coming wet season. Greta has some secrets in her own childhood that she’s working through, taking photos with an old camera and developing the pictures herself, following in her mother’s footsteps who was a professional photographer.
I enjoyed the slow build of the story, there’s plenty of interesting characters and the mysteries as they’re revealed tell a tragic history interwoven with a fairytale, The Sixth Swan. An intriguing and satisfying read.
I enjoyed the slow build of the story, there’s plenty of interesting characters and the mysteries as they’re revealed tell a tragic history interwoven with a fairytale, The Sixth Swan. An intriguing and satisfying read.
October 7, 2021
⭐️4 Stars⭐️
The Curlew's Eye is a book of haunting mystery and secrets. It’s atmospheric and the descriptive prose takes you deep into a tropical and ancient land with ghosts of the past. It has a gothic vibe and is an exciting debut novel for author Karen Manton.
Greta and Joel are travellers and never settle in one place, they find work wherever they land and both carry grief from their traumatic pasts.
The couple and their three boys, Toby, Griffin and Raffy travel to the outback in the far north, the top end of Australia to Joel’s family homestead where he grew up. The homestead is now a burnt out ruin but the land is about to be sold off but first there needs to be work done to prepare it for sale.
Greta and Joel settle into the one room shack just down the slope from the old homestead. Twenty metres in front of the shack the land drops away to a poison lake, which is crystal clear from the toxic water.
At the homestead Greta feels a presence and the eerie wail of the curlew haunts her. The abandoned car wrecks scattered everywhere fascinates Greta and become a good subject for her photography. She converts the disused railway carriage on the property into a dark room to develop the prints. There’s plenty to photograph, the bush, the meat works and wildlife.
But there’s an air of mystery and a feeling of unease, who is the mysterious teenage girl she sometimes sees in the distance? Bracelets and wind chimes are found…..
There is a sense of ‘not knowing’ and exquisite beauty in the writing. A story of loss, hope, secrets and family, a slow burn, woven with magical realism.
Publication date 14 September 2021
Thank you to Allen & Unwin for giving me the opportunity to win this book in their newsletter giveaway.
The Curlew's Eye is a book of haunting mystery and secrets. It’s atmospheric and the descriptive prose takes you deep into a tropical and ancient land with ghosts of the past. It has a gothic vibe and is an exciting debut novel for author Karen Manton.
Greta and Joel are travellers and never settle in one place, they find work wherever they land and both carry grief from their traumatic pasts.
The couple and their three boys, Toby, Griffin and Raffy travel to the outback in the far north, the top end of Australia to Joel’s family homestead where he grew up. The homestead is now a burnt out ruin but the land is about to be sold off but first there needs to be work done to prepare it for sale.
Greta and Joel settle into the one room shack just down the slope from the old homestead. Twenty metres in front of the shack the land drops away to a poison lake, which is crystal clear from the toxic water.
At the homestead Greta feels a presence and the eerie wail of the curlew haunts her. The abandoned car wrecks scattered everywhere fascinates Greta and become a good subject for her photography. She converts the disused railway carriage on the property into a dark room to develop the prints. There’s plenty to photograph, the bush, the meat works and wildlife.
But there’s an air of mystery and a feeling of unease, who is the mysterious teenage girl she sometimes sees in the distance? Bracelets and wind chimes are found…..
There is a sense of ‘not knowing’ and exquisite beauty in the writing. A story of loss, hope, secrets and family, a slow burn, woven with magical realism.
Publication date 14 September 2021
Thank you to Allen & Unwin for giving me the opportunity to win this book in their newsletter giveaway.
September 14, 2021
“We don’t know the stories under us. Right with us, all around. Bring our own instead…Those old paperbarks, the black cockatoo, the boulders down by the creek. They’re the fabric underneath, holding us, know it or not.”
The Curlew’s Eye is the first novel by Australian author, Karen Manton. Joel and Greta are itinerant workers, taking whatever jobs are available wherever they happen to stop with their three young sons. But now Joel’s brother has a plan for the old family property in the Northern Territory: tourist cabins for backpackers and grey nomads.
They will live for a few months in Uncle Pavel’s one-room shack while Joel clears the rampant overgrowth, mends fences and builds a cabin, Greta establishes a garden and the boys go to school: the most settled they have ever been.
The burnt-out homestead looms over them on the hill; from the signs it’s clear the neighbour is not friendly (perhaps even dangerous?); the nearby poisonous lake breathes malice; the rock-filled ground seems determined to hamper their progress on every task; the black stones and boulders sometimes seem to be alive; and all this in the relentless, uncomfortable build-up to the wet.
Yet the boys love their new home and are fascinated with every exploratory outing. The neighbours and townspeople are friendly and welcoming. Taught by her late mother, Greta takes up photography, converting an old railway carriage to a darkroom. Her son is fascinated by the process: “It’s like a memory. Or a daydream. You can choose when to start and stop it.”
Little mysteries keep all of them curious: who is making the quirky wind chimes they keep finding? Who is the young teenaged girl sometimes glimpsed hanging around? Whose were the beautifully-crafted metal bracelets?
Greta has always accepted her husband reticence about his family’s history, his telling her that the past is the past, but now she wonders if she should have insisted on knowing more. Turns out they both have harbour long-held secrets and guilts about the consequences of youthful escapades.
Manton easily evokes her setting: the heat and humidity of the tropics is almost palpable, while the mix of laconic and quirky Territory dwellers is very much in evidence. Greta’s sons are bound to charm the reader. Greta may be viewed as a somewhat unreliable narrator, and her narrative is interspersed with scenes that gradually reveal tragic events in Joel’s youth.
Manton’s descriptive prose is marvellous, and includes gems like: “Waves curved, sighed, broke, pulled back and made themselves again.” This novel is very much a slow burn and features an element of the paranormal. Although readers anticipating a major dramatic twist may find the resolution a little anti-climactic, this is an impressive debut novel.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by Allen & Unwin.
The Curlew’s Eye is the first novel by Australian author, Karen Manton. Joel and Greta are itinerant workers, taking whatever jobs are available wherever they happen to stop with their three young sons. But now Joel’s brother has a plan for the old family property in the Northern Territory: tourist cabins for backpackers and grey nomads.
They will live for a few months in Uncle Pavel’s one-room shack while Joel clears the rampant overgrowth, mends fences and builds a cabin, Greta establishes a garden and the boys go to school: the most settled they have ever been.
The burnt-out homestead looms over them on the hill; from the signs it’s clear the neighbour is not friendly (perhaps even dangerous?); the nearby poisonous lake breathes malice; the rock-filled ground seems determined to hamper their progress on every task; the black stones and boulders sometimes seem to be alive; and all this in the relentless, uncomfortable build-up to the wet.
Yet the boys love their new home and are fascinated with every exploratory outing. The neighbours and townspeople are friendly and welcoming. Taught by her late mother, Greta takes up photography, converting an old railway carriage to a darkroom. Her son is fascinated by the process: “It’s like a memory. Or a daydream. You can choose when to start and stop it.”
Little mysteries keep all of them curious: who is making the quirky wind chimes they keep finding? Who is the young teenaged girl sometimes glimpsed hanging around? Whose were the beautifully-crafted metal bracelets?
Greta has always accepted her husband reticence about his family’s history, his telling her that the past is the past, but now she wonders if she should have insisted on knowing more. Turns out they both have harbour long-held secrets and guilts about the consequences of youthful escapades.
Manton easily evokes her setting: the heat and humidity of the tropics is almost palpable, while the mix of laconic and quirky Territory dwellers is very much in evidence. Greta’s sons are bound to charm the reader. Greta may be viewed as a somewhat unreliable narrator, and her narrative is interspersed with scenes that gradually reveal tragic events in Joel’s youth.
Manton’s descriptive prose is marvellous, and includes gems like: “Waves curved, sighed, broke, pulled back and made themselves again.” This novel is very much a slow burn and features an element of the paranormal. Although readers anticipating a major dramatic twist may find the resolution a little anti-climactic, this is an impressive debut novel.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by Allen & Unwin.
November 4, 2021
Greta, Joel and their three sons lead a nomadic life moving from town to town wherever Joel finds work. When he gets a job repairing the shack on his childhood property Greta is looking forward to learning more about Joel and his family.
As they settle into the area and meet other residents Greta can feel the pull of the place. It calls to her and the history of the area seeps into her being.
Karen Manton's prose are eerie and haunting. She uses short, sharp sentences that hold within themselves a hint of impending menace.
Single page chapters from the past are dotted throughout revealing a malevolent presence that once lurked.
I liked how Karen Manton set the novel in the modern day however there was only brief mentions of mobile phones and email. The three young boys ran around the bush collecting things, fishing and amusing themselves. They were happy, outgoing, friendly boys despite living a nomadic life.
Greta and Joel are slowly being destroyed by secrets held within them and secrets held from them.
Everything is brought to life in this gothic style tale of secrets kept hidden. The vegetation, trees, bird-life are all watching, judging.
Water and its alluring beauty and danger is a large presence running through the novel. The poison lake at the property holds secrets within its depths and the ocean of Greta's childhood holds memories of despair and loss.
Karen Manton has expressed this foreboding style of narration with an expertise that makes it look effortless. The gloom, despair and horror as it built to the climax did however overwhelm me. The Curlew's Eye is a highly emotional read.
*I received my copy from the publisher
As they settle into the area and meet other residents Greta can feel the pull of the place. It calls to her and the history of the area seeps into her being.
Karen Manton's prose are eerie and haunting. She uses short, sharp sentences that hold within themselves a hint of impending menace.
Single page chapters from the past are dotted throughout revealing a malevolent presence that once lurked.
I liked how Karen Manton set the novel in the modern day however there was only brief mentions of mobile phones and email. The three young boys ran around the bush collecting things, fishing and amusing themselves. They were happy, outgoing, friendly boys despite living a nomadic life.
Greta and Joel are slowly being destroyed by secrets held within them and secrets held from them.
Everything is brought to life in this gothic style tale of secrets kept hidden. The vegetation, trees, bird-life are all watching, judging.
Water and its alluring beauty and danger is a large presence running through the novel. The poison lake at the property holds secrets within its depths and the ocean of Greta's childhood holds memories of despair and loss.
Karen Manton has expressed this foreboding style of narration with an expertise that makes it look effortless. The gloom, despair and horror as it built to the climax did however overwhelm me. The Curlew's Eye is a highly emotional read.
*I received my copy from the publisher
September 16, 2021
“We don’t know the stories under us. Right with us, all around. Bring our own instead…Those old paperbarks, the black cockatoo, the boulders down by the creek. They’re the fabric underneath, holding us, know it or not.”
The Curlew’s Eye is the first novel by Australian author, Karen Manton. The audio version is narrated by Melissa Madden Gray. Joel and Greta are itinerant workers, taking whatever jobs are available wherever they happen to stop with their three young sons. But now Joel’s brother has a plan for the old family property in the Northern Territory: tourist cabins for backpackers and grey nomads.
They will live for a few months in Uncle Pavel’s one-room shack while Joel clears the rampant overgrowth, mends fences and builds a cabin, Greta establishes a garden and the boys go to school: the most settled they have ever been.
The burnt-out homestead looms over them on the hill; from the signs it’s clear the neighbour is not friendly (perhaps even dangerous?); the nearby poisonous lake breathes malice; the rock-filled ground seems determined to hamper their progress on every task; the black stones and boulders sometimes seem to be alive; and all this in the relentless, uncomfortable build-up to the wet.
Yet the boys love their new home and are fascinated with every exploratory outing. The neighbours and townspeople are friendly and welcoming. Taught by her late mother, Greta takes up photography, converting an old railway carriage to a darkroom. Her son is fascinated by the process: “It’s like a memory. Or a daydream. You can choose when to start and stop it.”
Little mysteries keep all of them curious: who is making the quirky wind chimes they keep finding? Who is the young teenaged girl sometimes glimpsed hanging around? Whose were the beautifully-crafted metal bracelets?
Greta has always accepted her husband reticence about his family’s history, his telling her that the past is the past, but now she wonders if she should have insisted on knowing more. Turns out they both have harbour long-held secrets and guilts about the consequences of youthful escapades.
Manton easily evokes her setting: the heat and humidity of the tropics is almost palpable, while the mix of laconic and quirky Territory dwellers is very much in evidence. Greta’s sons are bound to charm the reader. Greta may be viewed as a somewhat unreliable narrator, and her narrative is interspersed with scenes that gradually reveal tragic events in Joel’s youth.
Manton’s descriptive prose is marvellous, and includes gems like: “Waves curved, sighed, broke, pulled back and made themselves again.” This novel is very much a slow burn and features an element of the paranormal. Although readers anticipating a major dramatic twist may find the resolution a little anti-climactic, this is an impressive debut novel.
The Curlew’s Eye is the first novel by Australian author, Karen Manton. The audio version is narrated by Melissa Madden Gray. Joel and Greta are itinerant workers, taking whatever jobs are available wherever they happen to stop with their three young sons. But now Joel’s brother has a plan for the old family property in the Northern Territory: tourist cabins for backpackers and grey nomads.
They will live for a few months in Uncle Pavel’s one-room shack while Joel clears the rampant overgrowth, mends fences and builds a cabin, Greta establishes a garden and the boys go to school: the most settled they have ever been.
The burnt-out homestead looms over them on the hill; from the signs it’s clear the neighbour is not friendly (perhaps even dangerous?); the nearby poisonous lake breathes malice; the rock-filled ground seems determined to hamper their progress on every task; the black stones and boulders sometimes seem to be alive; and all this in the relentless, uncomfortable build-up to the wet.
Yet the boys love their new home and are fascinated with every exploratory outing. The neighbours and townspeople are friendly and welcoming. Taught by her late mother, Greta takes up photography, converting an old railway carriage to a darkroom. Her son is fascinated by the process: “It’s like a memory. Or a daydream. You can choose when to start and stop it.”
Little mysteries keep all of them curious: who is making the quirky wind chimes they keep finding? Who is the young teenaged girl sometimes glimpsed hanging around? Whose were the beautifully-crafted metal bracelets?
Greta has always accepted her husband reticence about his family’s history, his telling her that the past is the past, but now she wonders if she should have insisted on knowing more. Turns out they both have harbour long-held secrets and guilts about the consequences of youthful escapades.
Manton easily evokes her setting: the heat and humidity of the tropics is almost palpable, while the mix of laconic and quirky Territory dwellers is very much in evidence. Greta’s sons are bound to charm the reader. Greta may be viewed as a somewhat unreliable narrator, and her narrative is interspersed with scenes that gradually reveal tragic events in Joel’s youth.
Manton’s descriptive prose is marvellous, and includes gems like: “Waves curved, sighed, broke, pulled back and made themselves again.” This novel is very much a slow burn and features an element of the paranormal. Although readers anticipating a major dramatic twist may find the resolution a little anti-climactic, this is an impressive debut novel.
September 19, 2021
This is such a great debut, the setting and descriptions are just awesome, it is said to be a gothic tale and for me there are paranormal elements and secrets from the past in the story that had me turning the pages as Joel his wife Greta and their three sons Toby, Griffin and Raffy travel to The Northern Territory the place Joel grew up to sort things out so the property can be sold, this starts a journey to opening up and finding closure for both Joel and Greta.
Joel and Greta don’t put down roots they go where life takes them and this suits the family so well, they are all happy and contented when they arrive at Joel’s old home, he grew up here with five brothers a sister and his parents life wasn’t easy it was hard at times but he is a quiet man and keeps a lot to himself. When they arrive the boys settle in and are loving it, Joel gets down to working and Greta feels perturbed and troubled at times, walks the land finding things that make her feel that she needs to uncover something and the call of the curlew finds its way into her soul.
She meets a young girl often on the property and things go missing from their shack, there is the poisoned lake the dumped cars everywhere the meat works the hut but she can’t get close to the girl, she wants to, she feels that she knows something and Joel doesn’t seem to want to talk, there are a lot of questions that need answering Greta needed to get to the bottom of it all.
I thoroughly enjoyed this fabulous story so very well written, I was on the edge of my seat so many times throughout waiting to see what was going to happen, I felt very close to this family the love they shared and the life they lived so different from the normal. I loved that Greta never gave up and when Joel opened up you could almost feel the emotion flow and I just knew their next stop in life would have both Greta and Joel leave the past where it should be and move forward to the future for this family. I do highly recommend this one.
My thanks to Allen & Unwin for my copy to read and review
Joel and Greta don’t put down roots they go where life takes them and this suits the family so well, they are all happy and contented when they arrive at Joel’s old home, he grew up here with five brothers a sister and his parents life wasn’t easy it was hard at times but he is a quiet man and keeps a lot to himself. When they arrive the boys settle in and are loving it, Joel gets down to working and Greta feels perturbed and troubled at times, walks the land finding things that make her feel that she needs to uncover something and the call of the curlew finds its way into her soul.
She meets a young girl often on the property and things go missing from their shack, there is the poisoned lake the dumped cars everywhere the meat works the hut but she can’t get close to the girl, she wants to, she feels that she knows something and Joel doesn’t seem to want to talk, there are a lot of questions that need answering Greta needed to get to the bottom of it all.
I thoroughly enjoyed this fabulous story so very well written, I was on the edge of my seat so many times throughout waiting to see what was going to happen, I felt very close to this family the love they shared and the life they lived so different from the normal. I loved that Greta never gave up and when Joel opened up you could almost feel the emotion flow and I just knew their next stop in life would have both Greta and Joel leave the past where it should be and move forward to the future for this family. I do highly recommend this one.
My thanks to Allen & Unwin for my copy to read and review
October 22, 2022
The Curlew’s Eye by Aussie author Karen Manton is a fabulous book and it’s hard to believe this is her debut novel. The descriptions throughout this book are amazing and the mystery that is cleverly woven through the story keeps the reader turning the pages wanting to know what will happen next.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can’t wait to see what this author will write next. Highly recommended.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can’t wait to see what this author will write next. Highly recommended.
September 16, 2021
I've seen The Curlew's Eye by Karen Manton billed as a crime thriller or a gothic mystery. In reality it's less about a mystery to be solved or any present threat, and more about secrets and pasts that need to be faced up to.
Manton offers a strong and pervasive sense of place here. Lovers of flora, fauna and of nature in general will certainly adore her prose as she so richly describes life in outback Australia.
I'm a little torn about this book. On one hand I could recognise the beauty in Manton's writing....
But it overwhelmed me in many ways, becoming thick or heavy with detail. (For me) the story was stifled by the weight of the prose... despite its eloquence.
I should note however, I am not a visual person. I love stylistic and beautiful storytelling (am thinking Anita Brookner, Favel Parrett and Sophie Laguna for example) but am left a little untouched by descriptions of 'things'. I'm incapable - for example - of picturing or visualising people or scenery. Others however may find the poetic descriptions of this story's setting atmospheric and beguiling. Similarly I'm not a lover of nature and it took me a while to wonder who on earth was flying all of these kites in the middle of nowhere.... #spoileralert, they're apparently birds. :roll:
It meant for me this was very much about the narrative itself. And I was a little underwhelmed by the past revelations and secrets Joel and Greta are hiding from each other and (ultimately) themselves. Having said that, Manton patiently ekes out Joel's family secrets and the not-entirely-metaphorical ghosts greeting Greta from her past.
I could certainly see the beauty in this book, in its writing and haunting secrets and I'm sure it will appeal to many who appreciate the slower pace and atmospheric setting.
The Curlew's Eye by Karen Manton was published in Australia by Allen & Unwin and is now available.
I received a copy of this book from the publishers for review purposes.
Read my review here: https://www.debbish.com/books-literat...
Manton offers a strong and pervasive sense of place here. Lovers of flora, fauna and of nature in general will certainly adore her prose as she so richly describes life in outback Australia.
I'm a little torn about this book. On one hand I could recognise the beauty in Manton's writing....
Among the silhouettes of cycads and sand palms and eucalypts, the shadows of the boulders loomed. They leaned in one to the other, a communion of stone. They knew who she was and watched her pass. But she did not know them. They were the stone strangers. Her foreign breath wavered. Loose rocks rattled under the wheels, the grasses swish-swished at the car door. p 5
But it overwhelmed me in many ways, becoming thick or heavy with detail. (For me) the story was stifled by the weight of the prose... despite its eloquence.
She walked to the edge of the hill. On her right four ghost gums stood quiet. Below her was a rocky amphitheatre where cycads waited like actors cast under a spell. Their trunks were black, their hair a spill of green fronds. She stepped down among them. From there the land fell steeply to an outcrop of boulders. They were gentle shadows obscuring the world below. She could hear the creek running through the hidden valley. Above it wisps of mist trailed where cool and warm air mingled. On the other side of the valley hills rose in shadow curves lined with trees. There was a dim light between their trunks. They stood sightly apart, like people. Everything ended with the giant arm of an escarpment. Pale blue light spread up in an arc above it, pushing back the night.
The place she'd come from felt so far off it mightn't exist, with its pale dune grasses, the green-purple melt of waves, the wind's icy sting. pp 12-13
I should note however, I am not a visual person. I love stylistic and beautiful storytelling (am thinking Anita Brookner, Favel Parrett and Sophie Laguna for example) but am left a little untouched by descriptions of 'things'. I'm incapable - for example - of picturing or visualising people or scenery. Others however may find the poetic descriptions of this story's setting atmospheric and beguiling. Similarly I'm not a lover of nature and it took me a while to wonder who on earth was flying all of these kites in the middle of nowhere.... #spoileralert, they're apparently birds. :roll:
It meant for me this was very much about the narrative itself. And I was a little underwhelmed by the past revelations and secrets Joel and Greta are hiding from each other and (ultimately) themselves. Having said that, Manton patiently ekes out Joel's family secrets and the not-entirely-metaphorical ghosts greeting Greta from her past.
I could certainly see the beauty in this book, in its writing and haunting secrets and I'm sure it will appeal to many who appreciate the slower pace and atmospheric setting.
The Curlew's Eye by Karen Manton was published in Australia by Allen & Unwin and is now available.
I received a copy of this book from the publishers for review purposes.
Read my review here: https://www.debbish.com/books-literat...
October 12, 2021
Billed as a gothic mystery I don't think this quite lived up to those expectations. As I have said before, I find the overuse of the term "gothic" as a descriptor rarely lives up to my idea of true gothic in modern novels. This is a slow burn with some nice descriptions but also some overly wordy detailed ones. I really did not connect to this family and in particular the character of Greta. Readable, some enjoyable elements, but not quite there for me. 1.5 rounded up to 2 stars.
October 1, 2021
2.5★ for a book that's certainly readable, but fell short of expectations for me. It's being marketed as a gothic mystery, but really, it's neither. More like the cousin of gothic, or gothic-lite, only to acknowledge the role of the burnt-out homestead, combined with some family secrets that are all on the record somewhere, should anyone want to bring them all together. It's a slow burn that might ignite for other readers, but didn't for this one.
With thanks to Allen & Unwin for an uncorrected proof to read and review.
With thanks to Allen & Unwin for an uncorrected proof to read and review.
July 2, 2022
A worthy finalist in the NT Writers Awards 2022 for fiction.
I thoroughly enjoyed being introduced to the family members and townsfolk in this story set in the NT in the regional lands south of Darwin. The sense of place, the people and weather events particular to this area were quite captivating.
I thoroughly enjoyed being introduced to the family members and townsfolk in this story set in the NT in the regional lands south of Darwin. The sense of place, the people and weather events particular to this area were quite captivating.
October 12, 2021
Described as having Gothic elements and it certainly had an underlying mysterious feel to it. It was very well written with the slightly threatening element throughout. I especially loved the way the author wrote her children. She seemed to capture all the delightful quirks of young boys. I was totally immersed in the atmospheric surroundings, the build up of the approaching wet season, the climate and vegetation in the North of Australia. Where I am we hear and see curlews for much of the year. The Author certainly captured that really well.
December 10, 2021
Really struggled with this book and its heavy descriptive style. I couldn't follow what story there was, struggled with far too many characters who weren't really well formed or described, all buried deep in excessive and heavy descriptions of the Australian countryside, which even for someone who has lived here 20+ years were often too Australian to picture or understand. With thanks to Allen & Unwin for their copy for my honest review.
September 18, 2021
Thank you Allen & Unwin for sending us a copy to read and review.
Everything seems larger than life in the expansive Northern Territory.
Plant, animal and bird life all thriving in the tropics dictated by two seasons.
An abandoned farm house that holds the secrets and memories of the past, is awaiting a new life lease.
It’s secrets are waiting to be exposed and guilt needs to be exonerated.
Joel and partner Greta return to his family farm to clean it up.
It’s run down, dangerous and it’s past quite haunting.
Greta is excited and curious at seeing where Joel grew up and discovers first hand some of the truths.
A strange girl who knows Joel and seems to vie for his attention disturbs Greta. Suspicions abundant.
An eccentric and vengeful neighbour, keeping her and the children wary is always lingering.
Snippets from the past illuminate background and how the family interacted and cement the present day tensions.
The scream like call from the Curlew bird that dominates when shrieked acts as a beacon for the unspoken truth to be told and for Greta to confront her own demons.
Beautifully written and saturated in atmospheric description this story has a great pace and evokes suspense as well interest.
The present day and historical threads culminating in an eerie and devastating conclusion.
Can the future forge on once the past is put to bed?
Everything seems larger than life in the expansive Northern Territory.
Plant, animal and bird life all thriving in the tropics dictated by two seasons.
An abandoned farm house that holds the secrets and memories of the past, is awaiting a new life lease.
It’s secrets are waiting to be exposed and guilt needs to be exonerated.
Joel and partner Greta return to his family farm to clean it up.
It’s run down, dangerous and it’s past quite haunting.
Greta is excited and curious at seeing where Joel grew up and discovers first hand some of the truths.
A strange girl who knows Joel and seems to vie for his attention disturbs Greta. Suspicions abundant.
An eccentric and vengeful neighbour, keeping her and the children wary is always lingering.
Snippets from the past illuminate background and how the family interacted and cement the present day tensions.
The scream like call from the Curlew bird that dominates when shrieked acts as a beacon for the unspoken truth to be told and for Greta to confront her own demons.
Beautifully written and saturated in atmospheric description this story has a great pace and evokes suspense as well interest.
The present day and historical threads culminating in an eerie and devastating conclusion.
Can the future forge on once the past is put to bed?
September 18, 2021
Fresh and original, The Curlew's Eye by Karen Manton is a thoughtful and atmospheric novel of a family always on the move, trying to outrun the emotional baggage of past traumas. Seen through the eyes of a photographer, Greta narrates the story as a series of vignettes illustrating the harsh beauty of a remote station in the NT's Top End, which is as mysterious and haunting as the curlew's cry. Struggling with an uncommunicative husband, Greta takes it upon herself to uncover the secrets of a dilapidated homestead and the implosion of a family with the shockwaves still reverberating. Greta and Joel's children, with their sense of wonder and emerging personalities, are a refreshing diversion in this tense situation, and the promise of redemption and resolution makes this a rewarding read.
December 19, 2023
Greta, Joel and their 3 sons, Toby, Griffin and Raffy lead a iterate lifestyle, moving around and not staying in one place for very long but are now at the isolated NT property where Joel grew up with 5 brothers and 1 sister,to prepare it for sale. He has not really talked about his life growing up or the deaths of his mother and sister. They are living in a shack in the shadow of the old homestead that had burnt down. The boys settle in very quickly but Greta feels uneasy and is struggling with the oppressive heat and the ghosts of the past. The writing is evocative, and you can feel the heat and humidity and feel the presence of the ghosts of the dead. An interesting read.
Read
July 25, 2022DNF page115
June 9, 2022
Manton's powers of description are superb. An engaging story, a perceptive insight into human dynamics and the way we keep secrets, and a shimmering evocation of how we interact with the natural world, in this case the NT. Manton's love and respect for nature and how it shapes us suffuses this work. As the title suggests, there's an invitation into shifting perspectives. I loved it. Move into the space of The Curlew's Eye and let it cast its spell...
February 6, 2022
The Curlew’s Eye is an atmospheric, visceral and haunting novel that defies easy categorisation, or perhaps expands the possibilities of the genres by which it has been described. It begins with the return of Joel and Greta and their three boys to an isolated property in northern Australia, where Joel grew up – the site of a burnt-out homestead, a poisonous lake, and an ethereal child who comes and goes. The story is propelled along by Greta’s growing sense of unease in the face of both her findings and her husband’s silences.
Manton’s attentiveness to the detail of both place and narrative is, in each case, utterly absorbing. Skilfully, she places fragments of information, or touchstones, that build and beguile, while all the time thickening the sense of place with not only intimate knowledge and wonderful description, but a real sense of its own agency or influence on events and people, both past and present. Family mythologies, unspoken secrets and European fairytales make for multiple narratives, beautifully intertwined, and each building increment by increment, until there seems to be less and less air.
Manton’s attentiveness to the detail of both place and narrative is, in each case, utterly absorbing. Skilfully, she places fragments of information, or touchstones, that build and beguile, while all the time thickening the sense of place with not only intimate knowledge and wonderful description, but a real sense of its own agency or influence on events and people, both past and present. Family mythologies, unspoken secrets and European fairytales make for multiple narratives, beautifully intertwined, and each building increment by increment, until there seems to be less and less air.
Read
December 11, 2021This review was first published on the Underground Writers website: http://underground-writers.org/review...
The Curlew’s Eye is told through Greta’s perspective. Greta’s partner Joel grew up with five brothers and a sister in a small town in the Northern Territory. All Greta knows is that Joel has many scars from this time and he never speaks about the death of his mother and sister. Greta and Joel aren’t the kind to put down roots, so they’ve traveled around Australia with their three boys, finding work wherever they go. Now, they return to Joel’s hometown to help out his brother who wants to renovate their old property for sale. As their work progresses, Greta is drawn into the mysteries of the place. She becomes determined to make sense of Joel’s unspoken past, and in turn has to face her own.
The Curlew’s Eye is an atmospheric and unsettling tale. I was drawn to it as it was marketed as a ‘gothic mystery’ and an Australian crime fiction. It certainly has elements of the gothic genre, with sharp imagery of birds and an eerie environment that its characters are at the mercy of. But as a whole, this novel diverged from what I have come to expect from mystery books.
Manton is skilled at building imagery and atmosphere. Eyes and birds are repeatedly featured, watching over Greta’s every move and questioning her actions: ‘two black cockatoos glided past. Their wing beat was slow, and slow too their raucous screech, Why, why have you come here?’ Not only does this build a uniquely Australian environment, I also felt it created discomfort and tension.
However, though the imagery is beautiful, occasionally the descriptions were dense. At times the sun, the grass, the sky, and the animals would be described across the space of a page. As this style of prose is not something I would usually be drawn to, I found it difficult to engage with. Similarly, there are a lot of characters. Joel is one of six siblings, while he and Greta have three children. Add all the people they meet during their stay and I found it was a lot to keep track of, which sometimes impeded the flow of the story.
Something I did enjoy about this book was how it diverged from my expectations of mystery. Instead of unravelling clues to expose a murderer or villain, The Curlew’s Eye felt more about uncovering the truth about what haunts us. There is no question that something ominous had occurred in Joel and Greta’s pasts, but I found the story to be more interested in why they were haunted more than the specifics of what had happened.
I think The Curlew’s Eye would be particularly appealing to readers who have experienced the landscape and atmosphere of the northern territory because this book does such a good job of depicting it. It would also be particularly interesting for anyone who is intrigued by the supernatural elements of the outback and how loss can haunt our souls. Fans of Australian mysteries would also enjoy it.
The Curlew’s Eye is told through Greta’s perspective. Greta’s partner Joel grew up with five brothers and a sister in a small town in the Northern Territory. All Greta knows is that Joel has many scars from this time and he never speaks about the death of his mother and sister. Greta and Joel aren’t the kind to put down roots, so they’ve traveled around Australia with their three boys, finding work wherever they go. Now, they return to Joel’s hometown to help out his brother who wants to renovate their old property for sale. As their work progresses, Greta is drawn into the mysteries of the place. She becomes determined to make sense of Joel’s unspoken past, and in turn has to face her own.
The Curlew’s Eye is an atmospheric and unsettling tale. I was drawn to it as it was marketed as a ‘gothic mystery’ and an Australian crime fiction. It certainly has elements of the gothic genre, with sharp imagery of birds and an eerie environment that its characters are at the mercy of. But as a whole, this novel diverged from what I have come to expect from mystery books.
Manton is skilled at building imagery and atmosphere. Eyes and birds are repeatedly featured, watching over Greta’s every move and questioning her actions: ‘two black cockatoos glided past. Their wing beat was slow, and slow too their raucous screech, Why, why have you come here?’ Not only does this build a uniquely Australian environment, I also felt it created discomfort and tension.
However, though the imagery is beautiful, occasionally the descriptions were dense. At times the sun, the grass, the sky, and the animals would be described across the space of a page. As this style of prose is not something I would usually be drawn to, I found it difficult to engage with. Similarly, there are a lot of characters. Joel is one of six siblings, while he and Greta have three children. Add all the people they meet during their stay and I found it was a lot to keep track of, which sometimes impeded the flow of the story.
Something I did enjoy about this book was how it diverged from my expectations of mystery. Instead of unravelling clues to expose a murderer or villain, The Curlew’s Eye felt more about uncovering the truth about what haunts us. There is no question that something ominous had occurred in Joel and Greta’s pasts, but I found the story to be more interested in why they were haunted more than the specifics of what had happened.
I think The Curlew’s Eye would be particularly appealing to readers who have experienced the landscape and atmosphere of the northern territory because this book does such a good job of depicting it. It would also be particularly interesting for anyone who is intrigued by the supernatural elements of the outback and how loss can haunt our souls. Fans of Australian mysteries would also enjoy it.
February 20, 2022
There are so many things I enjoyed about this book. The story begins with Greta, Joel and their three young sons arriving at Joel’s family’s property, where events from the past resonate in the background and the landscape is pervaded with what might be an ominous sense of foreboding. I felt drawn straight into Greta’s story. There were just the right amount of hints towards mystery to keep me interested throughout. I enjoyed seeing events and people through Greta’s eyes, and having the unfolding uncertainty about how reliable a narrator she might or might not be.
The author deftly sets up the story in the first few pages – Greta, Joel and their boys’ reactions as they approach their new home are enough to introduce us clearly to their history and their respective characters. On rereading the first two sentences, I was struck by how they bring the reader straight to the sights, sounds and feeling of the world of nature in which humans are just one small part; but at another level these sentences also hint at deeper themes running through the whole story: ‘The fire burned in a wavering orange line by the road, flaring now and then as it devoured the head of a pandanus or licked its way along a dead branch. Above, kites circled through rusty clouds, waiting for a scurrying marsupial, a snake, to flee the flames.’
The author provides a lovely balance between narrative flow and immersion in the details of the moment. On the one hand she keeps the story moving along, keeping me anticipating what might happen next; on the other hand the way she lightly weaves different types of description through the story led me to linger and drink them in – especially her descriptions of the landscape, but also little details that evoke atmosphere and character. I felt completely immersed in the hot northern Australian environment in which the story takes place.
The various secondary characters were interesting and definitely added to my sense of the story taking place far from the world of the big city. Unlike a couple of other reviewers here, I thought the various characters reflected real life – we get to know some people quickly, others stay on the periphery of our lives, but they all add to our experience. I had no trouble keeping track of who was who – some of them were quite unforgettable! And the relationships between the central characters were beautifully drawn. I especially enjoyed Greta’s love for and joy in her children; I was also intrigued by the dance of connection and trust between Greta and Joel, and also Greta’s tentative friendships with some key locals.
I feel this novel should appeal to various types of reader – you can just enjoy the story as a story; but you can also watch for the unfolding of various levels of symbolism and resonance in themes such as memory, loss, love, fear, hiddenness, secrets, redemption. I look forward to reading this author’s next novel.
The author deftly sets up the story in the first few pages – Greta, Joel and their boys’ reactions as they approach their new home are enough to introduce us clearly to their history and their respective characters. On rereading the first two sentences, I was struck by how they bring the reader straight to the sights, sounds and feeling of the world of nature in which humans are just one small part; but at another level these sentences also hint at deeper themes running through the whole story: ‘The fire burned in a wavering orange line by the road, flaring now and then as it devoured the head of a pandanus or licked its way along a dead branch. Above, kites circled through rusty clouds, waiting for a scurrying marsupial, a snake, to flee the flames.’
The author provides a lovely balance between narrative flow and immersion in the details of the moment. On the one hand she keeps the story moving along, keeping me anticipating what might happen next; on the other hand the way she lightly weaves different types of description through the story led me to linger and drink them in – especially her descriptions of the landscape, but also little details that evoke atmosphere and character. I felt completely immersed in the hot northern Australian environment in which the story takes place.
The various secondary characters were interesting and definitely added to my sense of the story taking place far from the world of the big city. Unlike a couple of other reviewers here, I thought the various characters reflected real life – we get to know some people quickly, others stay on the periphery of our lives, but they all add to our experience. I had no trouble keeping track of who was who – some of them were quite unforgettable! And the relationships between the central characters were beautifully drawn. I especially enjoyed Greta’s love for and joy in her children; I was also intrigued by the dance of connection and trust between Greta and Joel, and also Greta’s tentative friendships with some key locals.
I feel this novel should appeal to various types of reader – you can just enjoy the story as a story; but you can also watch for the unfolding of various levels of symbolism and resonance in themes such as memory, loss, love, fear, hiddenness, secrets, redemption. I look forward to reading this author’s next novel.
January 1, 2022
The Northern Territory, the tough lifestyle, and the isolation are elements that Greta has never known. Like her husband Joel, Greta is an orphan, although she still has family down South. But there is so much about his past that Joel has never told her. She knows that Joel's parents came from Europe at the end of the Second World War, that they were determined to start a new life. She knows that he is from a large family of five sons and one daughter, and that they grew up on this homestead; that his sister died young in a car accident, but there is so much Joel will not talk about.
Setting up home for her 3 boys, herself and Joel at the ruined homestead is tough, as is the time when Joel goes away to work to bring in some extra money.
Greta is lucky that she makes friends with a couple of local women, mainly through her children, and they help her hold things together. She finds remnants of the past, photos and other things in the burnt out homestead which give her puzzles to solve, and gradually she is able to piece together what happened to Joel's parents and his sister.
Apart from the main narrative, the author has used to ploys to add to the story: the Gothic element of the past intruding into the present, and between chapters, small snippets of narrative in different voices which supply more clues for the reader.
An interesting read, and certainly an accomplishment for a debut novel
Setting up home for her 3 boys, herself and Joel at the ruined homestead is tough, as is the time when Joel goes away to work to bring in some extra money.
Greta is lucky that she makes friends with a couple of local women, mainly through her children, and they help her hold things together. She finds remnants of the past, photos and other things in the burnt out homestead which give her puzzles to solve, and gradually she is able to piece together what happened to Joel's parents and his sister.
Apart from the main narrative, the author has used to ploys to add to the story: the Gothic element of the past intruding into the present, and between chapters, small snippets of narrative in different voices which supply more clues for the reader.
An interesting read, and certainly an accomplishment for a debut novel
March 26, 2022
The Curlew's Eye is a striking debut novel by Karen Manton. Set in the Northern Territory, it is the story of Greta, Joel and their three young boys who visit the Top End to spend time on the property where Joel grew up. Hauntingly beautiful descriptions of the tropical landscape –its beauty and harshness – hold a pervasive sense of unease which deepens as the story unfolds. The powerful presence of the country itself is an integral part of this novel, whose many layers of meaning are skilfully woven together as the plot develops. Inter-generational trauma, painful
secrets and some of the ways our dead continue to influence us – for good and harm – are slowly revealed. While Greta awakens to these truths among the routines of family life in an unfamiliar place, Joel has a parallel awakening triggered by his return to the place he knows so well. Seeing things differently is both traumatic and freeing for them, and perhaps for the landscape itself. Greta's experience is unexpectedly deepened on their return South, where she fully realises her own trauma and its impacts. With a new maturity and lightness, Joel and Greta move their family towards its next destination, carrying the past, the present and the future with them.
secrets and some of the ways our dead continue to influence us – for good and harm – are slowly revealed. While Greta awakens to these truths among the routines of family life in an unfamiliar place, Joel has a parallel awakening triggered by his return to the place he knows so well. Seeing things differently is both traumatic and freeing for them, and perhaps for the landscape itself. Greta's experience is unexpectedly deepened on their return South, where she fully realises her own trauma and its impacts. With a new maturity and lightness, Joel and Greta move their family towards its next destination, carrying the past, the present and the future with them.
November 28, 2022
This was my ‘book with an orange cover’ read and was the only reason I chose it, although loving curlews and their eerie mournful call may have influenced me. Within the first chapters I had a feeling it was going to be the standard ‘ghosts in the abandoned house trapping innocents into accidents or death’ and wondered whether I should continue. I was very pleased to find in reading that my assumptions were mostly incorrect.
This is by no means a standard book. It is written with obvious knowledge of living in the NT and the sultry oppressive atmosphere is full throughout its pages. But also the stunning beauty of the landscape and the vast sparseness and much wildlife from wary dingoes to fire-tailed skinks all bring a beauty to the very real setting.
The only thing that seemed a bit wrong was taking photographs in the middle of the day. Surely photography after 7am would have too much light in the tropics?
I loved the characters. Joel and Greta who had painful guilty memories they tried to pretend didn’t affect them and worked to ease the burden on each other, their young adventurous boys who lived life with energy and a zest for knowledge, and particularly the youngest who came out unwittingly with the most philosophical comments, and their new-found full of life neighbours who enfolded them in community.
There were terrible memories of the past but they were dealt with in a hauntingly tender and calming way. It left questioning regrets but not horror.
There were many things to like about this book. While it wasn’t as wonderful as my other 5 star reads for this year, I do want to read it again to re-explore the touching relationships and the beautiful simmering imagery.
This is by no means a standard book. It is written with obvious knowledge of living in the NT and the sultry oppressive atmosphere is full throughout its pages. But also the stunning beauty of the landscape and the vast sparseness and much wildlife from wary dingoes to fire-tailed skinks all bring a beauty to the very real setting.
The only thing that seemed a bit wrong was taking photographs in the middle of the day. Surely photography after 7am would have too much light in the tropics?
I loved the characters. Joel and Greta who had painful guilty memories they tried to pretend didn’t affect them and worked to ease the burden on each other, their young adventurous boys who lived life with energy and a zest for knowledge, and particularly the youngest who came out unwittingly with the most philosophical comments, and their new-found full of life neighbours who enfolded them in community.
There were terrible memories of the past but they were dealt with in a hauntingly tender and calming way. It left questioning regrets but not horror.
There were many things to like about this book. While it wasn’t as wonderful as my other 5 star reads for this year, I do want to read it again to re-explore the touching relationships and the beautiful simmering imagery.
June 7, 2022
I listened to the audio version of this book, and I found the different voices of the narrator to be wonderfully entertaining. It was a truly Aussie embodiment of the characters, that was perfectly fitting.
Joel and Greta, a loving couple, found themselves to be almost strangers in some aspects of their lives. Both products of the traumatic events that shaped their younger selves, they were unknowingly on a journey of self discovery.
Despite past tragedies, they were wonderful parents, allowing their three boys to be their own, authentic selves and explore the world around them without undue fear.
We slowly discover the truths about their childhoods, revealed to us in vignettes, from the perspectives of characters both present and long gone. Whilst not really meeting the gothic mystery brief, it was intermingled with some otherworldly experiences and a beguiling sixth sense perspective. Additionally, there was some beautiful and skilful language use, making me rewind and listen to those parts over and over again.
3.5 ⭐️ for me. Definitely worth reading.
Joel and Greta, a loving couple, found themselves to be almost strangers in some aspects of their lives. Both products of the traumatic events that shaped their younger selves, they were unknowingly on a journey of self discovery.
Despite past tragedies, they were wonderful parents, allowing their three boys to be their own, authentic selves and explore the world around them without undue fear.
We slowly discover the truths about their childhoods, revealed to us in vignettes, from the perspectives of characters both present and long gone. Whilst not really meeting the gothic mystery brief, it was intermingled with some otherworldly experiences and a beguiling sixth sense perspective. Additionally, there was some beautiful and skilful language use, making me rewind and listen to those parts over and over again.
3.5 ⭐️ for me. Definitely worth reading.
January 10, 2022
We all have secrets, some harmless, some more deeply entrenched into our souls we can barely trace their source. Manton deftly weaves the narrative of this likeable family's past, present and future lives into a rich and satisfying mystery. She evokes the dripping, intense heat of the Northern Territory's wet season with suspense, anxiety and drama. I fell in love with these characters; with their lively personalities, their curiosity of the enveloping natural world, and urged them on to confront their scars both seen and unseen. Manton has a compassionate, insightful awareness of people's yearnings, and an ability to link the Australian landscape and mythologies with our personal destinies. Here is an author and a book that helps give meaning to our local and national identities; reveals our struggles to understand life's complexities and cleverly steers us through a rich landscape of mind and place.
January 10, 2022
Having lived in the landscape that Karen Manton describes, I'm gobsmacked by the vividness and truth of her description of it - its unexpected beauty, its mystery and its ever-present terror. The novel has been described as "Australian Gothic" and "Crime Fiction". It is these things but it's also much more. It's a family saga, a ghost story, a penetrating social document about an intriguing part of Australia and also about all of Australia, a subtle and sensitive acknowledgement of the contemporary Indigenous presence, and a gorgeous evocation of a mother's relationship with her children and the individuality, intelligence and perceptiveness of those children. In short, this is a deep and complex novel that defies categorisation. I find it hard to believe this is a first novel. I can't wait for the next one.
January 14, 2022
The Curlews Eye by Karen Manton is a richly atmospheric and original novel. I loved the evocative descriptions of the outback NT - having lived in Darwin for several years it transported me straight back to the heat, the bush, and the strange outback characters. Also I appreciated the clever use of the motive of the haunting cry of the curlew that I remember so distinctly. The poisoned lake reminded me of the lake at Rum Jungle outside Litchfield that is allegedly the remains of the old uranium mine. I loved the characterisation and realistic dialogue- particularly the portrayal of a relationship where so much goes unsaid. It was easy to read - in fact I found it difficult to put down. There was some exquisite prose that really brought the scenes alive. Reading this novel was a visceral experience. Highly recommended!
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