![]() This is not a side of Australian masculinity that we often see in fiction.Īs well as using surreal and speculative elements in these stories, Marshall also plays with memoir and autobiography. He is genuinely excited about the flowers his friend has brought along, and later calls his mate out for hurting the kangaroo’s feelings. ![]() In Geoff, for instance, the man who has fallen in love with a kangaroo (named Shirl), Marshall is definitely poking fun at the archetypal bloke’s bloke-his grubby clothes, untidy house, and rough way of speaking are all portrayed in a humorous light-but at the same time, letting love back into his life has made Geoff a more tender and emotionally aware person. Wayne Marshall has a great talent for using these colourful plot devices to both criticise and flesh out his protagonists. A mermaid appears on a fishing trip lonely men receive mail-order brides from recently colonised planets the famous proprietor of a sports-themed amusement park reimagines his venue as an avant-garde object of social commentary and, as the brilliantly disturbing cover of this book depicts, one average Aussie bloke finds the love of his life to be a kangaroo. Shirl is a wild ride through Australiana. ![]() ![]() Shirl is our First Book Club pick for March-stay tuned to the KYD website and Podcast throughout the month! Shirl Wayne Marshall (Affirm Press, available now) ![]()
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