Oscar and Lucinda by Peter Carey, Australia, 1988
An unusual and beautiful book about life and love and the things that spur us on to do the things we do; it is also a book about the part that chance plays in our lives. In mid-nineteenth century England, Oscar, acting on his own interpretation of signs, presents himself at the cold, inhospitable home of the Anglican minister, seeking a new life, which he feels is the life God has ordained for him. Later, as a minister, he travels to Australia in spite of his paralysing fear of water. By this time, however, he has been caught up in other games of chance – horses and cards – and fate throws him together with Lucinda, a young Australian heiress, who loves a game of cards and who is on her way back to Australia after unsuccessfully looking for a husband in England.
Their paths in the new, bustling, rough, dirty, loud colony keep crossing, neither of them fully aware of their attraction one for the other. Certain misfortunes befall Oscar, which inadvertently push him closer to Lucinda, and he becomes enamoured of the glassworks she bought with part of her fortune. He also becomes complicit in a wonderful scheme to build a church – not just any church but a church that will surpass all others in the colony. A scheme that leads to the climax of the story and to its inevitable and tragic end.
Photo of Peter Carey from The Guardian
Like the main characters, the writing is colourful and it moves along at such a breakneck pace that the reader needs occasionally to rest up before the next onslaught. Grey, cold paintings of England and vibrant, hot paintings from Sydney and NSW form the backdrop against which Oscar and Lucinda become more and more entangled with each other and with their own obsessions.
A story about the different doors that open when nothing is said or when too much is relegated to chance. Definitely a book worth reading.
Oscar and Lucinda was made into a film in 1997, and you can watch the trailer here.
2 Replies to “Oscar and Lucinda by Peter Carey, Australia, 1988”
I saw the film ages ago and it would be nice to watch it again – though I definitely want to read the book first after reading your exciting review – thank you! 🙂
I'm sure you would love the book – it is beautifully written. The film is also great (fantastic actors).