[KAX]⇒ [PDF] Barracuda Christos Tsiolkas 9781743317310 Books

Barracuda Christos Tsiolkas 9781743317310 Books

Download As PDF : Barracuda Christos Tsiolkas 9781743317310 Books

Barracuda Christos Tsiolkas 9781743317310 Books

Let me start off by saying that picking up Barracuda wasn’t a choice. I didn’t choose to read this novel, it was a case of I had too. I won’t explain why, but please just know that it was a case of had too not want too.

I have never heard of this author, so I was literally going in blind. All I had was the synopsis and not much else.

As I sit here reflecting on what I’ve read the first thought that comes to mind is that I did enjoy this novel. Although at times I found it a little repetitive and going from present to past tense was at times somewhat confusing, I still enjoyed Barracuda.

We meet Danny Kelly and this is his story from childhood right through to adulthood.

We meet a boy who is driven.
We meet a man who is defeated.
We meet a boy who’s bullied.
We meet a man who’s scarred.
We meet a teenager who falls from grace.
We meet a man who constantly lives with regret.
We meet a teenager who thinks he has failed everyone.
We meet a man who thinks he has failed everyone.
We meet a teenager who changes his own course for all the wrong reasons.
We meet a man who wants forgiveness.

A detailed, in-depth read that had me completely immersed. What I loved most about this novel was the exploration of Danny’s life growing up wanting and needing to be a champion, the need to succeed, the failures, the mistakes, the hurt, the distrust, the need for perfection, the abuse, the uncertainty, the bullying, the triumphs. It explored every facet of life which most of us can relate too.

The only fault I found which is just a personal opinion is (as stated earlier) I had a slight struggle with the going back and forth from young boy to man (past and present). I guess I would have loved to have seen Danny’s story from a young boy and followed it through to adolescence and then into adulthood.

An enjoyable read.

3 stars


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Barracuda Christos Tsiolkas 9781743317310 Books Reviews

I don't have the writing skills to properly express how I feel, and the other reviews have hit the nail on the head.
There is no 'shock value' that the writer was going for. Sex and the things people do are wide and varied, if you have not come across that before it does not mean that you are the majority.

Yes the novel has heavy themes, but the insight into 'Danny Kellys'" brain is brilliant. I agree that he perceives things towards him as consistently negative, but that's just how he is. If that frustrates you, then good! The book is there to put you in his mindset for the journey.

Well worth the read, I have friends from foreign lands who echo the sentiments of one of the scottish characters, which I found very interesting. (Almost verbatim!). Buy it.
I really enjoyed The author's previous book 'The Slap' and was looking forward to reading this book. It has left my hair standing on end! The writing pushes the boundaries with its descriptions of homosexual sex and excessive use of the worst kind of profanity. Some readers may find this daring and realistic but I was really put off.
This novel seems less than the sum of its parts. The structure alternating between the past and the present is unnecessarily confusing. Danny's swimming and his rough sexuality don't mesh. Both are interesting, but it feels as if we are reading two different books. The long chapter which results in an extremely violent act is the high point, but again the novel would have benefited from a more straightforward narrative. A fascinating if flawed read.
I just couldn't get past the middle of this book. In the early going the author does a fine job of describing working class Danny's entry into a prestigious school because of his swimming ability, and how difficult the environment is for the boy. He is also spot on describing what it's like to be a really good swimmer - how the water feels and how one's body feels in relation to the water. But once things start to go south for Danny, the book begins to drag. Danny has the same thoughts over and over (which may happen in "real" life but doesn't make for scintillating reading), and the author just doesn't seem to be able to get past this stage. I stuck with it as long as I could, but as they say, too many books too little time, so I had to put this one down.
As a lifelong swimmer, I greatly appreciated and can identify with the author's ethereal, dreamy, aquatic renderings of the art of swimming. Christos crafts sensually beautiful passages on the flow of water against one's skin while swimming, the hypnotic cycle of stroke following stroke, the sensation of being in the water and of the water. In many respects, I was reminded of the sensual and tactile aspects of Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass poetry, the interplay and interconnections of human and nature, our collective connection to the physical world around us.

The novel explores the coming to terms of a young man as he explores the world around him. The exploration involves same-sex attraction, and the narrator's own personal challenges as he aims to discover, uncover, define elements of his place in the world. I was drawn to the narrator's challenges and connections with other characters in the book, but I felt the conclusion of the novel gave short shrift to his journey. Whereas I believed the narrator was close to reaching a peaceful understanding and embrace of his nature, the author nevertheless crafts a more traditional and in my eyes inauthentic ending to the novel. Absent the conclusion, this is a well-drawn, thoughtful novel. Perhaps other readers will have a different take on the ending, and for the reason of the excellent quality of writing, I can recommend Barracuda noting my own dissatisfaction with the conclusion.

Rob.
Let me start off by saying that picking up Barracuda wasn’t a choice. I didn’t choose to read this novel, it was a case of I had too. I won’t explain why, but please just know that it was a case of had too not want too.

I have never heard of this author, so I was literally going in blind. All I had was the synopsis and not much else.

As I sit here reflecting on what I’ve read the first thought that comes to mind is that I did enjoy this novel. Although at times I found it a little repetitive and going from present to past tense was at times somewhat confusing, I still enjoyed Barracuda.

We meet Danny Kelly and this is his story from childhood right through to adulthood.

We meet a boy who is driven.
We meet a man who is defeated.
We meet a boy who’s bullied.
We meet a man who’s scarred.
We meet a teenager who falls from grace.
We meet a man who constantly lives with regret.
We meet a teenager who thinks he has failed everyone.
We meet a man who thinks he has failed everyone.
We meet a teenager who changes his own course for all the wrong reasons.
We meet a man who wants forgiveness.

A detailed, in-depth read that had me completely immersed. What I loved most about this novel was the exploration of Danny’s life growing up wanting and needing to be a champion, the need to succeed, the failures, the mistakes, the hurt, the distrust, the need for perfection, the abuse, the uncertainty, the bullying, the triumphs. It explored every facet of life which most of us can relate too.

The only fault I found which is just a personal opinion is (as stated earlier) I had a slight struggle with the going back and forth from young boy to man (past and present). I guess I would have loved to have seen Danny’s story from a young boy and followed it through to adolescence and then into adulthood.

An enjoyable read.

3 stars