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True History of the Kelly Gang Audiobook
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Publisher Description
Crusading folk hero or murderous horse thief and bank robber? Who was the real Ned Kelly? His name resonates in Australia the same way the name Jesse James does in America. As the impoverished son of an Irish convict, Kelly was cheated, lied to, and abused by the English. Committed to fighting back against oppression, Kelly and his gang of outlaws eluded police for nearly two years. Brilliantly novelized by Peter Carey, the story of the Kelly Gang unfolds from a series of 13 compassionate letters written, while on the run, by Kelly to his infant daughter. Building from this historical legend and testing our sympathies, Carey crafts a deeply humanistic piece of historical fiction-a tale of injustice and violence.
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"Interesting true story of outlaws in Australia in the 1870s. In their final gunfight the settlers loan the outlaws their plowshares to be made into armor like the monitor and the merrimac battleships. Everyone loses like the ok corral. Format of the book is as if Ned kelly kept a diary on scraps of paper. I actually kept reading and kept reading evn though it was longer than I thought I should be."
— Jill (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Packed with incident, alive with comedy and pathos, True History of the Kelly Gang contains pretty much everything you could ask of a novel.”
— New York Times Book Review -
“Carey deserves to be lionized in his native land for this triumphant historical recreation, and he will undoubtedly win a worldwide readership for a novel that teems with energy, suspense and the true story of a memorable protagonist.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“So adroit that you never doubt it’s Kelly’s own words you’re reading in the headlong, action-packed story.”
— Newsweek -
“Carey’s pen writes with an ink that is two parts archaic and one part modern and colors a prose that rocks and cajoles the reader into a certainty that Ned Kelly is fit company not only for Jack Palance and Clint Eastwood but for Thomas Jefferson and perhaps even a bodhisattva.”
— Los Angeles Times -
“As exciting as any classic western…a thrilling novel that touches on big themes without sacrificing narrative momentum. It’s also a highly compelling portrait of a man who believed that his actions were true to himself, if not to the letter of the law.”
— The Globe and Mail -
“In a spectacular feat of literary ventriloquism, the Australian-born novelist Peter Carey…summons the rollicking, unschooled, hugely colorful voice of Australia’s best-known underdog for a bravura book-length performance.”
— The New York Times
Awards
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A 2001 Economist Best Book for Fiction
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Winner of the 2001 Man Booker Prize
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A 2001 New York Times Best Book for Fiction
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An ALA Notable Book Finalist
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A 2002 International Dublin Literary Award Finalist
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Winner of the 2001 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best Book
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A 2001 Time Magazine Top 10 Book for Fiction
True History of the Kelly Gang Listener Reviews
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" It's not, of course, a true history; rather, it's a novel told from the perspective of Ned Kelly. Carey's Kelly is a witty, sympathetic narrator (though he is also an increasingly unreliable narrator as the story approaches its tragic end). "
— Rachael, 2/18/2014 -
" Very enjoyable - it took me a while to get into (and a long time to read it) but once I did I thought it was very well written "
— Elizabeth, 2/14/2014 -
" True adventure story set in Austrailia. Written in the local dialect so reading is challenging but it adds to the feel and flavor of the book. A real cowboy story with vivid scenery and terrific characters. "
— Sue, 2/10/2014 -
" Unexpectedly moving. I feared the clever format would keep me at arms length from the characters, but they were very well drawn and Ned's voice came through so clearly that I was drawn in, found myself slowing down to savor the language as well as the story. Lines like this one: "At night every river has a secret twin, a ghost of air washing above the living water down towards the sea." "
— Lisa, 1/19/2014 -
" 2000 entry in 'Year by Year list "
— Ryan, 1/16/2014 -
" Also on my list of "top 5 books of all time". It's got Australian outlaws, crime, bootlegging, romance.... It rules. Trust me. "
— Jen, 1/13/2014 -
" I'm a big Kelly fan and was reticent to read anything other than Ian Jones A Short Life. But Carey is very respectful and never plays the historian, or pushes his story as the 'True History'. I found I easy got into the book and could enjoy the story without sweating over the history too much. "
— Bruce, 12/13/2013 -
" This was an overrated piece of literary toilet paper "
— Roslyn, 12/10/2013 -
" A great insight into the British & Irish relations during the time of the Colonial British rule. The voice is written in the venacular or the time and character, making it very authentic "
— Rebekah, 12/5/2013 -
" I loved this book so much. It took me a little bit of time to get used to the style but, once settled in, I was hopelessly hooked. Although it is one of those books that I didn't want to end, I found myself hurtling towards the finish because I simply couldn't put the damn book down. Superb. "
— Tuuli, 11/25/2013 -
" I decided rather quickly not to finish this. It's written in a sort of semi-literate 19th-century Australian vernacular that was just going to take more work to negotiate than I wanted to invest, though I've like some of Carey's earlier work, especially Oscar & Lucinda. "
— Marvin, 11/10/2013 -
" Winner of the Booker prize in 2001, the story is written in the first person voice of Ned Kelly, the iconic Australian outlaw/folk hero. Some reviewers disliked the stream of consciousness narrative and lack of puctuation, but it's a strong voice of the Wild West down under. "
— Colleen, 10/12/2013 -
" This book could have been called the true history of the Australian Jesse James or Billy the Kid or Robin Hood. I don't know much about the real Ned Kelly but Carey did a good job of making him a sympathetic character. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes reading American westerns. "
— Tlnorz, 5/27/2013 -
" Peter Carey can write owls out of trees. He is so fucking good. "
— Gideon, 3/25/2013 -
" Read this one on and off for a while - I found it quite a difficult read. "
— Melanie, 1/8/2013 -
" I was fascinated by the Australian history covered in this book, even though many of the characters were not fully formed. I couldn't help but like Ned Kelly, despite his knuckle-headed and passionate decision-making (may have recognized myself a bit, there!). "
— Justianna, 9/4/2012 -
" A bit hard to get into due to the style, but once you're into it is a really interesting book. I didn't know a lot about Ned Kelly and now I'm intrigued to find out more! "
— Helen, 3/28/2012 -
" Good read. Hard to immediately get into with regards to the book lingo/language. "
— Carly, 2/17/2012 -
" The language was written as if told by the kelly gang. I had trouble with the language. Others found it authentic. "
— Scott, 1/9/2012 -
" I loved this book. I love Westerns and historical fiction. This was very well written and heartbreaking and engaging. "
— Tara, 9/2/2011 -
" Tough to get through. Then I felt it. Good stuff. "
— corinne, 8/21/2011 -
" Basicaly- I read almost anything by Peter Carey. This is particularly interesting fictinalized history about a significant time in AU history and a gang- somewhat a cross between the US Billy the Kid and maybe Robin Hood. Compliment it with a book an Sydney Pollan's paintings series on Kelly Gang. "
— Linda, 8/13/2011 -
" I tried to read. his writing is so phenomenal. but his topics so dark. "
— Sheri, 5/19/2011 -
" I love the voice created in this novel, though I did have to read a few lines more than once (semi-literate bushranger Ned Kelly writes a lot of run-on sentences). Besides just being a well-written interesting read, the novel also raises interesting questions about history and mythology. "
— Lindsay, 4/6/2011 -
" read the jerelderie letter after this (i know i spelled that wrong), carey got his voice down to the tee, hugely entertaining and interesting description of australia at the time "
— Josey, 4/1/2011 -
" I got bored with this about mid-way through. The colloquial speech of the narrator was charming at first but then started to wear on me. "
— Judi, 3/22/2011 -
" i don't know anything about Ned Kelly before i started reading this book. this book inspired me to inquire more about his life. nice book "
— Athul, 3/11/2011 -
" Great novel on the Irish in Australia...Peter Carey in brilliant! "
— Laurel, 3/6/2011 -
" Thrilling, vivid literary look at Australia's most famous outlaw. "
— Art, 2/28/2011 -
" I loved the way Carey offered an imaginative and playful angle on Ned Kelly. It convinced me that Carey is a fine writer. "
— Daniel, 2/19/2011
About Peter Carey
Peter Carey is the author of ten previous novels and has twice received the Booker Prize. His other honors include the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize and the Miles Franklin Literary Award. Born in Australia, he has lived in New York City for twenty years.