Breath, Tim Winton
Not my cup of tea. This was my first Winton novel, and I enjoyed the beautiful, masterful writing. But coming-of-age stories and the macho environment of surfing in the 70s don’t appeal to me.
The twist (not really a twist, I guess, just a revelation about a character) that some reviewers dislike so much was interesting. I felt that it punched through the main character’s blithe assumption that his thrill-seeking behaviour made him tougher and more special than other people. Winton uses it to show what’s really messed up about what they do, without judging or sentimentalising. But I felt that the effect it had on the main character’s adult life wasn’t really justified by the events in the book - it seemed mismatched, somehow, and the remainder of the story felt rushed.
That said, I can see why people rave about Winton. If all his other books are so blokey I’m not sure I’ll seek them out, but if they come my way I’d be happy to give them a chance.
