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Book review
Mar. 4th, 2015 10:04 pmMy Brilliant Career
By Miles Franklin
This early 20th century Australian novel follows the early life of Sybylla Melvyn, a very smart and headstrong young woman who yearns for independence and a life filled with intellectual and artistic activity. However, her family's slide into poverty frustrates her ambitions until she is sent to live with her grandmother for a short time. There, Sybylla gets a taste of the kind of life she desires and has a brief and ambivalent romance with the wealthy and charming Harold Beecham. Sybylla's committee not to her independence and sense of integrity lead her to hard decisions and a lot of uncertainty, and the book does not give the reader the comfort of knowing whether or not she will ultimately prevail.
I found Sybylla very interesting, and I definitely identified with her striving and her bitterness in e face of parental indifference and her family's misfortunes. But I was never quite sure I agreed with some of her choices and approaches to her situation. Franklin's writing style was Attractively conversational and made for a good reading experience. I also really liked the way she evoked Australia both as a place and as a society.
By Miles Franklin
This early 20th century Australian novel follows the early life of Sybylla Melvyn, a very smart and headstrong young woman who yearns for independence and a life filled with intellectual and artistic activity. However, her family's slide into poverty frustrates her ambitions until she is sent to live with her grandmother for a short time. There, Sybylla gets a taste of the kind of life she desires and has a brief and ambivalent romance with the wealthy and charming Harold Beecham. Sybylla's committee not to her independence and sense of integrity lead her to hard decisions and a lot of uncertainty, and the book does not give the reader the comfort of knowing whether or not she will ultimately prevail.
I found Sybylla very interesting, and I definitely identified with her striving and her bitterness in e face of parental indifference and her family's misfortunes. But I was never quite sure I agreed with some of her choices and approaches to her situation. Franklin's writing style was Attractively conversational and made for a good reading experience. I also really liked the way she evoked Australia both as a place and as a society.
