The Art of the Engine Driver by Steven Carroll

Steven Carroll

ISBN 10: 073227057X / ISBN 13: 9780732270575

Published by HarperCollins Publishers, Sydney NSW, 2001

About this Item

Very good condition. Minor wear to book corners and edges.The Art of the Engine Driveris the story of one evening in the lives of the residents of a new outer Melbourne suburb.As a mighty steam train leaves Spencer Street Station on its haul to Sydney, a family of three - Vic, Rita and their son Michael are walking down their street to an engagement party. George Bedser, a shipbuilder from Liverpool, is celebrating the engagement of his daughter, Patsy. He has no family here and has invited the whole street to the party.Vic is an engine driver, looking to be like his hero Paddy Ryan and become the master of the smooth ride.As the neighbours walk to the party using a mixture of description and internal monologue, we hear their stories and are drawn into the lives of a bully, a drunk, a restless young girl and a happy family man.On this hot summer's night, the old and the new, diesel and steam, town and country all collide, and nobody is left unaffected. This is a distinctly Australian novel in the spirit of Tim Winton and Robert Drewe, a luminous and evocative tale of ordinary suburban lives with extraordinary power and depth. (back cover).

Seller Inventory # 005169

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Art of the Engine Driver by Steven Carroll
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers, Sydney NSW
• Publication Date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 073227057X
• ISBN 13: 9780732270575
• Binding: Soft cover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: Very Good
• Dimensions: 20W x 13H x 3D centimeters 20 centimeters width by 13 centimeters height by 3 centimeters depth
• Weight: 0.5 kilograms
• Seller catalogs:
  • Secondhand Books
  • Subjects - Australian Literature - Australian F...

About this title

Synopsis

This is an elegant and resonant story of change and the loss of innocence set in post-war Melbourne. This is the story of one evening in the lives of the residents of a new outer suburb. As a mighty steam train leaves Spencer Street Station, a group of neighbours gather to celebrate a young girl's engagement...

About the Author

Steven Carroll was born in Melbourne. His first novel, Remember Me, Jimmy James, was published in 1992. The Art of the Engine Driver and The Gift of Speed were short-listed for the Miles Franklin Award, which the final book in the trilogy, The Time We Have Taken, won in 2008. Steven Carroll lives in Melbourne with his partner and son.