Boy Swallows Universe: A Novel

Unbelievable!

WOW!!! and thank you Trent Dalton for writing your debut novel. It is my favourite read so far this year. Although fictional, Trent has bravely woven his personal childhood and adolescence into this story... so I guess more of a "factional" story. This is probably why the novel has a huge heart and the emotional content feels so raw and true. I loved the characters... colourful in their language and descriptions, intriguing and complex, and totally complete to the reader. Yes it has bad language, yes it has moments that seem unrealistic, but they all fit in the context of when, where, who and how. This is a story of peoples lives, it is raw and gruesome in parts, it is funny and heart-warming, it made me cry, cringe, smile and wonder. Having lived in Brisbane for a period made the “Ockerisms” in the book personally relatable … stubbies, singlets, thongs, XXXX beer, garbos, along with many places in Brisbane mentioned in the novel. Perhaps aided by his screen writing, Trent's narrative was exceptional, and it made me feel like I was a personal witness to the events in the story. It is one of the best descriptive books I have read. Here is a classic example (one of many you will find in the book) but I LOVED this.... "How can I help you?" the voice asks. It’s a woman. A tough woman who sounds like she breaks macadamia shells in her eye sockets. Gold right?!! And what about the “three word chapter titles”. It’s how newspapers capture your attention, draw you in and tell a story at the same time, as quoted in this novel: Hitler Invades Poland, Man Conquers Moon, Oswald Kills Kennedy….Boy Swallows Universe!! Ah, so much synergy in this book. A very addictive read, loved it and look forward to Trent’s next novel

What a really enjoyable read! A difficult, unglamorous life but seen through the loving, empathetic and adventurous eyes of a young boy. At times I didn’t know what was true or fanciful but that was part of the enjoyment to be honest. I loved the flawed characters, the rich 3D relationships and the love between many of them. To think it is loosely autobiographical makes me enjoy it even more. Highly recommended!

What a ride! Eli Bell, August Bell and Slim Halliday are some of the most colorful and rememberable literary characters. It’s one thing to be so absorbed in a novel that you can’t put it down (or stop listening to it), it’s an entirely different thing to love the book so much you try to drag it out because finishing it means it’s over. I loved this book a whole lot. There were so many parts I laughed out loud at, while other parts were super suspenseful. Dalton creates a great villain, but an even better protagonist. Eli Bell’s coming-of-age story is unlike that of any other. Somehow he is naive and timid, but at the same time vivacious and headstrong. He’s just trying to find out if he’s a good man.

Here’s a few quotes that really stuck with me (and or made me laugh)

“The dads in those tv shows spend a great deal of time talking to their kids in their living rooms. Steven Keaton - the dad of my dreams - seems to do nothing but sit on his couch or at his kitchen table talking to his children about their myriad teenage calamities. He listens and listens to his kids and he pours glasses of orange juice and hands them to his kids as he listens some more. He tells his kids he loves them by telling his kids he loves them. Dad tells me he loves me when he forms a pistol out of this forefinger and thumb and points it at me as he farts. He tells us he loves us by showing us the tattoo we never knew he had on the inside of his bottom lip: Fuck you.”

“Don’t fucking swear.”

“True love like this asks lovers to cast aside what is meant to be and work with what is.”

“Watch my language? Watch my language? This is what really shits me, when the clandestine heroin operation truth meets the Von Trapp family values mirage we've built for ourselves.”

“You have that cough seen to?” Dr Brennan asks. “Nah,” Slim says. “Why not?” She replies. “Because one of you bright quacks might do something silly like stop me from dying,” he says.




5 stars! Well done!

Really gritty, but some of the ending was a bit implausible.