Remembering Babylon

Occasionally you do feel writing has moved along in the last fifty years. David Malouf is a fantastic Australian writer whose real gift is his language - he writes incredibly vivid prose. This particular story is about a bush community who discovers a young European man who has been raised by an Aboriginal tribe. Malouf explores the relationships between different people in the community as well as attitudes towards the Aboriginal people surrounding them. The visitor changes the dynamic within the village, but also transforms individuals who begin to see their landscape differently.

I've read Malouf before and enjoyed his work - I far prefer his work to the more well known writers such as Tim Winton or Peter Carey. This particular work was shortlisted for the Booker prize, and won a lot of local awards. It's very powerful in its evocation of the land - the detailed descriptions ensure you not only see but smell and feel it - as well as the different types of individuals. A wonderful read.