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More Gemini on misleading Australian fiction

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Several Australian historical fiction novels are known to blur the lines between fact and fiction, often sparking debate among historians and readers. Some of the most notable examples include Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay, which is often mistaken for a true story, and Kate Grenville‘s The Secret River, which has been both praised for its historical detail and criticized for its fictionalized portrayal of colonial history. 

Examples of Australian Historical Fiction Known to Mislead: 

  • Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay:This novel, about the disappearance of schoolgirls on a Valentine’s Day picnic in 1900, is often cited as an example of a fictional work that has been mistaken for a true story. The ambiguity of the ending and the realistic setting contribute to this perception. 
  • The Secret River by Kate Grenville:This novel tells the story of a convict transported to Australia who becomes involved in the dispossession of Aboriginal people. While based on historical events and research, the novel has been criticized for its fictionalized portrayal of the past, particularly its simplification of complex historical issues. 
  • The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman:This novel, set on a remote Australian island, explores themes of love, loss, and morality. While a compelling story, it also fictionalizes a specific historical context and can be seen as misleading in its portrayal of certain aspects of life in that era. 
  • The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough:This sprawling saga of a Catholic priest and a family in the Australian outback is a popular example of historical fiction, but it has also been criticized for its romanticized and sensationalized portrayal of the historical period and social issues. 

Why these novels mislead: 

  • Historical Setting and Detail:These novels often use real historical settings and events as a backdrop, which can lead readers to assume the characters and their stories are also based on fact. 
  • Ambiguity and Open Endings:Novels like Picnic at Hanging Rock with ambiguous or open endings can create a sense of mystery and leave readers unsure whether they are reading fiction or a true account. 
  • Authorial Intent:Authors may intentionally blur the lines between fact and fiction to create a more engaging or thought-provoking reading experience. However, this can also lead to misinterpretations of the historical context. 
  • Romanticization and Sensationalism:Some historical fiction novels may romanticize or sensationalize certain aspects of the past, which can distort the reader’s understanding of the complexities and nuances of the historical period. 

In conclusion, Australian historical fiction offers a rich and engaging way to explore the past, but it’s important for readers to be aware that these novels often blend fact and fiction, and may not always present a fully accurate or nuanced picture of history, according to book reviews. 

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Gemini talks about misleading Australian fiction

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https://whisperinggums.com/2012/06/11/monday-musings-on-australian-literature-literary-hoaxes-and-identity-scandals/

Australian historical fiction, while often captivating, can sometimes present a misleading or inaccurate portrayal of the past. One prominent example is the case of Norma Khouri’s Forbidden Love, which was marketed as a non-fiction account of a murder in Jordan but later revealed to be largely fabricated. Another example involves Wanda Koolmatrie’s My Own Sweet Time, which was initially published as the work of an Indigenous author but was later discovered to be a hoax. These cases highlight how historical fiction, even when purporting to be factual, can be misused or misrepresent the truth. 

Furthermore, even when not outright fabricated, historical fiction can still subtly mislead readers through its creative license. For example, Kate Grenville’s A Room Made of Leavesdelves into the life of Elizabeth Macarthur, but it is important to remember that the novel is a fictionalized interpretation of historical events, not a definitive biography. Similarly,  Joan Lindsay‘s Picnic at Hanging Rock is a work of fiction, and while it captures the atmosphere of colonial Australia, its narrative of missing schoolgirls is not based on historical fact. 

The key takeaway is that while historical fiction can offer engaging narratives and insights into the past, it is crucial to approach such works with a critical eye, recognizing that they are interpretations of history rather than objective accounts. It is also important to be aware of instances where historical fiction is deliberately presented as factual or exploits cultural narratives for commercial gain, as demonstrated by the cases of Khouri and Koolmatrie. 

……

Let’s look at three recent Australian literary scandals. One is white male author Leon Cameron whose supposedly autobiographical novel, My own sweet time, was published in 1994 by indigenous publisher, Magabala Books. He presented himself as Wanda Koolmatrie, a Pitjantjatjara woman of the Stolen Generation, and he won the Dobbie Literary Award. The truth didn’t come out until he tried to sell his sequel and the publisher asked to meet him. And then all hell broke loose.

Another is Norma Khouri‘s Forbidden Love which was published by Random House in 2003 as a non-fiction account of the honour killing of her best friend in Jordan. It was a best-seller, but after being exposed by Sydney Morning Herald literary editor, Malcolm Knox, she admitted – eventually – that she had taken “literary licence”. For a work marketed as non-fiction, this was a bit of an understatement!

Then there’s Helen Demidenko, whom I mentioned in the opening paragraph. Her novel The hand that signed the paper won the Vogel award for unpublished manuscript in 1993 and then the prestigious Miles Franklin award in 1994. Helen Demidenko was a pseudonym for Helen Darville. On its own, that doesn’t seem like a huge crime, but the controversy came about because she presented her novel as being based on the experiences of her Ukrainian family. She said that the events that she wrote about in the book “actually happened”. Well, they may have, but not to her or her family. This book became the subject of a longstanding literary debate*.

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Breaking free from colonial representation in historical fiction

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https://alifeofprose.substack.com/p/australian-historical-fiction-breaking

The familiar ANZAC spirit is one that Australian’s hold near and dear—and rightly so, too. It’s a story which has dominated so many novels, but… we’ve failed to share the literary stage with stories addressing the denial of Indigenous treatment and the frontier wars.

Let’s explore how Australian historical fiction is breaking free from its colonial roots and embracing a more truthful, inclusive approach to our shared past, 

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Johnno by David Malouf

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https://kevinklehr.com/2023/01/08/book-review-johnno-david-malouf/

In Johnno, Malouf’s narrator Dante recounts meeting Johnno as schoolboys, seemingly from well-to-do, middle-class families. Dante describes Johnno as an outsider and prankster, intelligent and well-read in the classics. It was Johnno who gave Dante his lifelong nickname. As Johnno grew older, his wanderlust led him to Brisbane’s pubs and post-war brothels. Many of the places mentioned in the book—the street names and even a few pubs—are familiar to me. When I was an apprentice in the mid-1970s, near-retirement tradesmen often shared stories of the brothels and gambling dens that were once prolific in the city centre. The Brisbane of their youth for the most parts was isolated culturally and academically, it was very inwards looking and wary of those perceived as outsiders. For that generation, this lifestyle was as good as it got outside the dullness and sectarianism of those times. What sets this book apart is its bold depiction of a middle-class boy/young man stirring up trouble on Brisbane’s streets before deciding to get on a boat and head to Europe—a relatively novel concept in Brisbane literature at the time. Even into the mid-1970s, the idea of going ‘overseas’ carried an almost exotic allure.

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Books that made us

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https://www.abc.net.au/education/digibooks/books-that-made-us/101733054

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/171053.Books_That_Made_Us

A cultural history of Australia told through our fiction.

Australia’s novels lie at the heart of the country. Capturing everyday lives and exceptional dreams, they have held up a mirror to the nation, reflecting the good and the bad. In this companion book to the ABC TV series, Carl Reinecke looks at the history of Australian culture through the books we have read and the stories we have told.

Touching on colonial invasion, the bush myth, world wars, mass migration, the recognition of Indigenous sovereignty and the emergence of a modern global, multicultural nation, Carl examines how these pivotal events and persuasive ideas have shaped some of Australia’s most influential novels, and how these books, in turn, made us.

In a panoramic account of Australian fiction stretching from Marcus Clarke to Melissa Lucashenko, Patrick White to Peter Carey, and Henry Handel Richardson to Michelle de Kretser, this is a new history of key authors and compelling books that have kept us reading and made a difference for over 200 years.

A cultural history of Australia told through our fiction.

https://www.knowledgelost.org/literature/on-the-books-that-made-us/

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AI view of black arm band novels

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Several Australian historical novels adopt a “black armband” view of history, critically examining the impact of British colonization on Indigenous Australians and acknowledging the darker aspects of Australia’s past. Novels like Kate Grenville’s The Secret River and works by Alexis Wright, such as Carpentaria, are prime examples. These novels often focus on themes of dispossession, violence, and cultural loss, offering a counter-narrative to more celebratory accounts of Australian history. 

Here’s a more detailed look at some of the key novels and authors:

  • Kate Grenville’s The Secret River: This novel, based on historical events, tells the story of a convict transported to Australia who becomes involved in the dispossession of Aboriginal people. It confronts the brutal realities of early colonial settlement and the violence inflicted on Indigenous populations. 
  • Alexis Wright’s Carpentaria: This novel, set in the Gulf Country of Queensland, explores the complexities of Indigenous identity, the impact of resource extraction, and the ongoing struggle for land rights. 
  • Other notable works: While The Secret River and Carpentaria are particularly prominent examples, other novels also contribute to this narrative. Novels by authors like Sally Morgan (e.g., My Place) and writers exploring the Stolen Generations, such as those mentioned in a UTS ePress article, contribute to a more critical perspective on Australian history. 

The “black armband” view, a term coined by Geoffrey Blainey, is not just about a specific historical narrative but also about a particular way of approaching history that acknowledges the negative consequences of colonization and celebrates a more inclusive and critical understanding of Australia’s past. These novels, through their fictionalized accounts, contribute to this ongoing conversation about how Australia remembers and confronts its history. 

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Ai suggestions of some white sleeve view of Australian history

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  • We of the Never-Never by Jeannie Gunn:This classic novel offers a romanticized account of life on a remote cattle station in the Northern Territory at the beginning of the 20th century, focusing on the experiences of the author and her husband as they navigate the challenges of the Australian outback. While it depicts some interactions with Indigenous Australians, it does so from a perspective of white superiority and paternalism. 
  • The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough:A sweeping saga of family and romance set against the backdrop of the Australian bush, this novel, while popular and widely read, often presents a romanticized and sometimes stereotypical view of rural life, with limited engagement with Indigenous Australian experiences. 
  • A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute:This novel follows the story of a young woman who survives a brutal Japanese prisoner-of-war camp and later returns to Australia, establishing a new life and community. While it touches on themes of resilience and survival, it primarily focuses on the experiences of the European protagonist and her fellow settlers. 
  • The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman:This novel tells the story of a lighthouse keeper and his wife who find an abandoned baby and raise it as their own. While the novel explores themes of love, loss, and morality, it largely centers on the perspectives and experiences of the European couple, with limited exploration of the impact of their actions on the Indigenous community. 
  • The Secret River by Kate Grenville:While Grenville’s novel grapples with the complexities of colonial history and the brutal treatment of Indigenous Australians, it is still largely told from the perspective of the white convict protagonist, William Thornhill. The novel has been praised for its exploration of colonialism, but it also has been critiqued for its limitations in fully representing the Indigenous perspective. 
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Dreamtime Stories Australian

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https://japingkaaboriginalart.com/aboriginal-dreamtime-stories/

Why Are Dreamtime Stories Important in Aboriginal Culture?

Dreamtime is a word that has been in language use for just over 120 years. In the English language it is now well embedded and well understood to represent something about beliefs in Aboriginal culture.

Perhaps it is an inadequate word because it tries to address a complex system of ideas that varies between different Aboriginal communities, and is very hard to express in an English word.

To some extent the idea of Spirit in Country along with the Laws that go with that Country, and the connections with the people who are born into that Country, are all reflected in the concept of Dreamtime. It may be that over the decades we have come to use it most commonly to mean the Creation stories from Aboriginal Australia. However it remains a term that we reach for when we see the powerful essence expressed in some of the significant Aboriginal paintings that we view in museums and art galleries.

It is a deeply complex term that carries a deep meaning for Aboriginal people, and this needs to be duly recognised in the wider Australian community.

The Dreamtime is a term that describes unique stories and beliefs owned and held by different Australian Aboriginal groups. The history of the Dreamtime word and its meanings says something about the development of the ideas held about the Aboriginal world, and how they are expressed through art.

Jukurrpa is one traditional term used by several groups of Central Desert languages to describe what could possibly be seen as the religion and the Laws of the people, and in some ways a description of Reality.

In that sense, traditional Aboriginal people believe that the world was created by Ancestor Beings. The spirit of the Ancestor Beings remains in the country, in the animals and the places and the people of that country as an ongoing presence.