What does Peter Hosking bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book? I was sad when the book finished because I felt that I had gotten to know the characters so well that I knew them and will miss them terribly. This is definitely the book for those who love books about people. I didn't really have a favourite character because the whole book is full of interesting and wonderful characters. Yes, I will listen to the whole thing again one day because I think it is one of those books where it's not just the story that is wonderful to listen to, it's revisiting 'old friends' that will be fun. Would you listen to Cloudstreet again? Why?Īs soon as I finished I had to go back and listen to the very first scene again.with tears running down my cheeks. I found this kind of corny, but I guess it had to be drawn into a book about Australian life. The inherent wisdom of Aboriginal beliefs comes to the fore through spooky premonitions. The conflict between the Aboriginal people and other Australians is portrayed to a lesser extent, but it is hinted at. There are lots of dialogs, and the characters are reinforced by the narrator’s ability to distinguish between each.

Yeah, she was also kind of my hero all through the story. Through his clever intonations you can more easily guess the meaning of expressions and words foreign to those of us who are not Australian. For this reason I must wholeheartedly recommend the audiobook narrated by Peter Hosking. It is so, so, so Australian - full of colloquialisms and expressions foreign to me. It is definitely a total immersion course in Australian life, at least those of the working class after WW2.

For me a three star book is one I liked it is one I am glad I read! This book is considered an Australian classic. So the book isn’t depressing, and there is humor, albeit sad humor. There is moreover another theme to the book – the strength of families. Even the losers have some good qualities. Maybe they are total losers, but some of them are trying their best. Nevertheless, by the end of the novel you care for the characters.

It sounds pretty depressing, doesn’t it? Sometimes, too, the language is downright crude. Booze, gambling, promiscuity, adultery, child abuse, anorexia and children with mental retardation - all play a central role in this novel. The time period is 1944-1964, so the end of the war and the hard times that followed determine the setting. Both families are of the working class in fact they are lucky if they even have a job. This house and these families become the center attraction of the entire neighborhood. There are two families living in one house on Cloudstreet near Perth, Australia. Dysfunctional Families Australian Style Those words are the best I can come up with to depict this book.

Cloudstreet winton