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Notorious
A literary mystery, a love story, a book of poetry and violation, faith and chaos, redemption and destruction, Notorious is a masterpiece of imagination and evocation. It will take your breath away.
She came walking out of the desert, just as the famous poet had centuries before. Impossible for them both to have survived that relentless furnace, that destroyer of all life.
Now the nameless woman lies horribly scarred and close to death in an Asylum deep in the North African desert. An Australian official, a man code-named John Devlin, has come to question her, despite the protests of her carers. It is clear that the woman and Devlin share some kind of past, and all kinds of secrets - but the greatest secret is the one she will die to protect.
As the wind calls up a deadly sandstorm, the inhabitants of the Asylum discover they are linked by a diary written by the poet Rimbaud, who in 1890 also confronted the implacable power of the desert. Over the next one hundred and twenty years, everyone who sees the diary will want it. Most will do anything to possess it.
For some, like ruthless Polish aristocrat Aleksander Walenska, the diary holds secrets that will bring him riches and power. For his troubled and religious son Czeslaw, it is a book of death, a penance to be fulfilled by sacrifice. For Czeslaw's sister, it is a book of the desert which, if returned to its rightful home, will redeem her family's name. For Devlin, broken by his own ghosts, and with one final chance to make amends, the diary is worthless; the desert not a place of revelation, but the birthplace of modern terrorism.
Only the woman, whose dark past is entwined with those who would possess the diary at any cost, sees the true worth of the book. As she surrenders to the transformative power of the desert, only she understands how it exalts the secrets mapped on the diary's precious pages.
She came walking out of the desert, just as the famous poet had centuries before. Impossible for them both to have survived that relentless furnace, that destroyer of all life.
Now the nameless woman lies horribly scarred and close to death in an Asylum deep in the North African desert. An Australian official, a man code-named John Devlin, has come to question her, despite the protests of her carers. It is clear that the woman and Devlin share some kind of past, and all kinds of secrets - but the greatest secret is the one she will die to protect.
As the wind calls up a deadly sandstorm, the inhabitants of the Asylum discover they are linked by a diary written by the poet Rimbaud, who in 1890 also confronted the implacable power of the desert. Over the next one hundred and twenty years, everyone who sees the diary will want it. Most will do anything to possess it.
For some, like ruthless Polish aristocrat Aleksander Walenska, the diary holds secrets that will bring him riches and power. For his troubled and religious son Czeslaw, it is a book of death, a penance to be fulfilled by sacrifice. For Czeslaw's sister, it is a book of the desert which, if returned to its rightful home, will redeem her family's name. For Devlin, broken by his own ghosts, and with one final chance to make amends, the diary is worthless; the desert not a place of revelation, but the birthplace of modern terrorism.
Only the woman, whose dark past is entwined with those who would possess the diary at any cost, sees the true worth of the book. As she surrenders to the transformative power of the desert, only she understands how it exalts the secrets mapped on the diary's precious pages.
504 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
4 people are currently reading
59 people want to read
About the author
Roberta Lowing
3 books1 followerRoberta Lowing was Fairfax Media/The Sun-Herald's film and video critic for twenty-three years and covered the Cannes and Venice Film Festivals for ten years, interviewing directors and actors and writing travel stories. In the late 1990s, she produced and directed 80 episodes of the environmental show Green Seen, which she co-founded, for the community television station Channel 31. From 2006 until 2010, she ran the PoetryUnLimitedPress Readings in Sydney. Roberta completed her Master of Letters at the University of Sydney. Her poetry has appeared in literary journals such as Meanjin, Blue Dog and Overland. Roberta's first collection of poetry, Ruin, was published in 2010 by Interactive Press. Fairfax Books has also published a collection of Roberta's reviews from the The Sun-Herald and The Sunday Age.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
February 12, 2014
‘You need to bring her to life with words.’
Several voices tell the story of Notorious: in fragments, related but not always clearly connected. From Arthur Rimbaud's desert wanderings in the late 19th century, to the wars in the 21st century, the desert has its mysteries, guards its secrets and relentlessly destroys life. A nameless woman walks out of the desert: her survival without water or maps is seen as impossible. She lies dying in an asylum near Casablanca, cared for by René Laforche, a Frenchman in exile, and Sister Antony, an enigmatic nun. An Australian official, known as John Devlin, is sent to interrogate her. What does she know, and why is it important? And what is the connection between her and John Devlin?
`The words don't matter. It's the maps which are important. Maps are what save your life.'
The seven central characters of this novel are haunted by the past and linked by a book. The diary that Arthur Rimbaud wrote while in the desert in 1890 is full of powerful secrets. Many will do anything to possess this book. Two families have become wealthy as a consequence. For members of one of those families - the aristocratic Polish Walenzskas - the book brings both power and pain. Can returning it make a difference?
`Why do you think I need answers and definitions? You Westerners are in love with endings.'
Notorious is gripping and convoluted: part thriller, part romance, it's also about family, about inheritance, revenge and making amends. The desert is central to the story - both as a geographic entity and as a source of knowledge and redemption. Ms Lowing's use of language makes it a delight to read, but the twists and turns in the story mean that the reader needs to pay careful attention to the story in order to make sense of the connections between the different characters and the book. Or is it books? The people are real enough, but the landscapes provide depth. From the desert and the streets of Casablanca to the mountains of Sicily and the jungle of Borneo, there's a restless and sometimes malign energy in these beautiful but brutal landscapes. As the story unfolds, answers become mutable new questions. Shifting like sand in the desert. There's more than one story in Notorious.
`But mapmakers are storytellers. They only include what they think is important. Sometimes the blank spaces tell you more.'
I enjoyed this novel although I occasionally mislaid my own map through the narrative and became confused about some of the detail. Published in 2010, this is Ms Lowing's first novel. I hope there will be more.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Several voices tell the story of Notorious: in fragments, related but not always clearly connected. From Arthur Rimbaud's desert wanderings in the late 19th century, to the wars in the 21st century, the desert has its mysteries, guards its secrets and relentlessly destroys life. A nameless woman walks out of the desert: her survival without water or maps is seen as impossible. She lies dying in an asylum near Casablanca, cared for by René Laforche, a Frenchman in exile, and Sister Antony, an enigmatic nun. An Australian official, known as John Devlin, is sent to interrogate her. What does she know, and why is it important? And what is the connection between her and John Devlin?
`The words don't matter. It's the maps which are important. Maps are what save your life.'
The seven central characters of this novel are haunted by the past and linked by a book. The diary that Arthur Rimbaud wrote while in the desert in 1890 is full of powerful secrets. Many will do anything to possess this book. Two families have become wealthy as a consequence. For members of one of those families - the aristocratic Polish Walenzskas - the book brings both power and pain. Can returning it make a difference?
`Why do you think I need answers and definitions? You Westerners are in love with endings.'
Notorious is gripping and convoluted: part thriller, part romance, it's also about family, about inheritance, revenge and making amends. The desert is central to the story - both as a geographic entity and as a source of knowledge and redemption. Ms Lowing's use of language makes it a delight to read, but the twists and turns in the story mean that the reader needs to pay careful attention to the story in order to make sense of the connections between the different characters and the book. Or is it books? The people are real enough, but the landscapes provide depth. From the desert and the streets of Casablanca to the mountains of Sicily and the jungle of Borneo, there's a restless and sometimes malign energy in these beautiful but brutal landscapes. As the story unfolds, answers become mutable new questions. Shifting like sand in the desert. There's more than one story in Notorious.
`But mapmakers are storytellers. They only include what they think is important. Sometimes the blank spaces tell you more.'
I enjoyed this novel although I occasionally mislaid my own map through the narrative and became confused about some of the detail. Published in 2010, this is Ms Lowing's first novel. I hope there will be more.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
August 8, 2011
The best thing about this book is the cover. If you like the tastiest cliched scenes from Hollywood's most predictable movies, cobbled together into a labrynthine plot that even my book club members couldn't fathom over the course of a couple of hours long book club session, then this is the book for you. Think of the silliest scenes from James Bond, Girl Interrupted, The Gift, and The Bourne Identity, starring Angelina Jolie as the unhinged, tattooed seductress and Nicholas Cage as the confused, alcoholic spy agent. Chuck in a scorpion, a nun, a blonde wig, some handcuffs, an impossibly long tunnel allowing characters to traverse a blood boilingly hot sand storm desert, and a car crash in a lake featuring a ghost in the back passenger carseat.
August 16, 2014
If you like your prose heavy on beauty and aren't concerned with the conventions we expect as readers (that often aren't necessary to just enjoy language spun well), then this is perfect. I loved it.
April 24, 2020
A very peculiar book. Lowing's prose is luxurious - as a fan of poetry, the read was worth it for her wording alone - and her themes are strong: the meaning of family; the drive to escape pain; the importance of art; the search for purpose; the connections between the past, and the choices that people make in the present; and the list could go on...
The characters in Notorious are enigmatic, with complex motives and rich inner lives. Sometimes too rich, in my opinion, and too coloured by the author's distinctive poetic voice - unless that too is deliberate, meant to indicate links between them? Like most of the novel, it's difficult to say for sure.
The storyline is opaque, with a great deal of room left for your own conclusions or interpretations. On the whole, very few of the characters are relatable, but aspects of each hit really hard, feel true to the deepest levels of human experience - and while they almost universally make a lot of terrible choices over the course of the story, nearly every decision rings true (whether presently or retrospectively) given their backgrounds and experiences of life.
This is not a feel-good book. It explores some dark themes, and takes the reader to some brutal places. At times hard to wade through, I'm glad I finished it; by the end, there is a visceral understanding of the characters, and reflecting on (/trying to figure out all of what was going on with) the themes has been a high point of the COVID-19 lockdown for me. Maybe this was the perfect time to read this book: crisis.
One major issue with Notorious is that Lowing frequently jumps around in time, ofteA very peculiar book. Lowing's prose is luxurious - as a fan of poetry, the read was worth it for her wording alone - and her themes are strong: the meaning of family; the drive to escape pain; the importance of art; the search for purpose; the connections between the past, and the choices that people make in the present; and the list could go on...
The characters in Notorious are enigmatic, with complex motives and rich inner lives. Sometimes too rich, in my opinion, and too coloured by the author's distinctive poetic voice - unless that too is deliberate, meant to indicate links between them? Like most of the novel, it's difficult to say for sure.
The storyline is opaque, with a great deal of room left for your own conclusions or interpretations. On the whole, very few of the characters are relatable, but aspects of each hit really hard, feel true to the deepest levels of human experience - and while they almost universally make a lot of terrible choices over the course of the story, nearly every decision rings true (whether presently or retrospectively) given their backgrounds and experiences of life.
This is not a feel-good book. It explores some dark themes, and takes the reader to some brutal places. At times hard to wade through, I'm glad I finished it; by the end, there is a visceral understanding of the characters, and reflecting on (/trying to figure out all of what was going on with) the themes has been a high point of the COVID-19 lockdown for me. Maybe this was the perfect time to read Notorious: crisis.
One major issue with the book is that Lowing frequently jumps around in time, often without more than a new paragraph to delineate the change, which can be disorienting to the reader. At times the floral prose is distracting, and I didn't really like any of the characters by the end, though I did feel a powerful empathy for most.
Regardless of these gripes, this book was well worth the read. For its potent themes, its unique style, and its irresistible call to reflection and slow digestion, I rate Notorious a strong four stars - at least, for anyone who enjoys poetry.
The characters in Notorious are enigmatic, with complex motives and rich inner lives. Sometimes too rich, in my opinion, and too coloured by the author's distinctive poetic voice - unless that too is deliberate, meant to indicate links between them? Like most of the novel, it's difficult to say for sure.
The storyline is opaque, with a great deal of room left for your own conclusions or interpretations. On the whole, very few of the characters are relatable, but aspects of each hit really hard, feel true to the deepest levels of human experience - and while they almost universally make a lot of terrible choices over the course of the story, nearly every decision rings true (whether presently or retrospectively) given their backgrounds and experiences of life.
This is not a feel-good book. It explores some dark themes, and takes the reader to some brutal places. At times hard to wade through, I'm glad I finished it; by the end, there is a visceral understanding of the characters, and reflecting on (/trying to figure out all of what was going on with) the themes has been a high point of the COVID-19 lockdown for me. Maybe this was the perfect time to read this book: crisis.
One major issue with Notorious is that Lowing frequently jumps around in time, ofteA very peculiar book. Lowing's prose is luxurious - as a fan of poetry, the read was worth it for her wording alone - and her themes are strong: the meaning of family; the drive to escape pain; the importance of art; the search for purpose; the connections between the past, and the choices that people make in the present; and the list could go on...
The characters in Notorious are enigmatic, with complex motives and rich inner lives. Sometimes too rich, in my opinion, and too coloured by the author's distinctive poetic voice - unless that too is deliberate, meant to indicate links between them? Like most of the novel, it's difficult to say for sure.
The storyline is opaque, with a great deal of room left for your own conclusions or interpretations. On the whole, very few of the characters are relatable, but aspects of each hit really hard, feel true to the deepest levels of human experience - and while they almost universally make a lot of terrible choices over the course of the story, nearly every decision rings true (whether presently or retrospectively) given their backgrounds and experiences of life.
This is not a feel-good book. It explores some dark themes, and takes the reader to some brutal places. At times hard to wade through, I'm glad I finished it; by the end, there is a visceral understanding of the characters, and reflecting on (/trying to figure out all of what was going on with) the themes has been a high point of the COVID-19 lockdown for me. Maybe this was the perfect time to read Notorious: crisis.
One major issue with the book is that Lowing frequently jumps around in time, often without more than a new paragraph to delineate the change, which can be disorienting to the reader. At times the floral prose is distracting, and I didn't really like any of the characters by the end, though I did feel a powerful empathy for most.
Regardless of these gripes, this book was well worth the read. For its potent themes, its unique style, and its irresistible call to reflection and slow digestion, I rate Notorious a strong four stars - at least, for anyone who enjoys poetry.
November 1, 2017
At times a difficult read, it's reward is peeling back the layers hidden in spectacularly beautiful prose to reveal the hard, dark heart of the plot.
January 26, 2011
I'm not sure!! I think I need to read it again to really get it. the way it is written, starting at a place where you are expected to know the characters, going backward in time, but the back into the present was confusing and annoying at times. I was contemplating not finishing it, gave it one more go and then read it the last three quarters in one sitting. it is about families, intersecting, all characters apparently hating their fathers; a love story without trust; murders, torture etc. Not sure I could say I liked any of the characters, felt like slapping them!! Again, not sure about this one, Maybe you need to read it in one sitting so you don,t lose the threads.
May 23, 2011
An interesting story burried in an overly verbose attempt at mistique and prose.
Far to much overly detailed and often irrelevant description repeated far to often. This story starts near the end and proceedes to the past. This device would have been effective if the story or the characters were plainly described. As it is the charatcters, the story line and the time line of this novel are about as confused as the author could make them. It is one thing to have a bit of mystery and intrigue but this has ended up a confused and self indulgent piece that I struggled to finish.
Too many words with too little meaning.
Far to much overly detailed and often irrelevant description repeated far to often. This story starts near the end and proceedes to the past. This device would have been effective if the story or the characters were plainly described. As it is the charatcters, the story line and the time line of this novel are about as confused as the author could make them. It is one thing to have a bit of mystery and intrigue but this has ended up a confused and self indulgent piece that I struggled to finish.
Too many words with too little meaning.
July 10, 2012
I don't like giving up on books - I will always give them a 'fair trial', so to say, but this is an odd book. I can't put my finger on what I don't really like about it; I like the author's writing style, and the premise is interesting (what I know of the plot so far anyway), but it just seems a bit confusing, or lacking in something.....mmmm, don't know, but is going to be added to my 'Bollocks' shelf until I try to give it another go someday.
June 1, 2012
I just couldn't finish it, I just didn't care about the characters as much as I wanted to. I think it had the potential to be a great read, but I guess I wasn't in the right mood for it. I would like to see how it ends, maybe I will finish it some other time, right now I need a book I can't put down to read.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews