Customer Reviews

Eucalyptus : A Novel

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

On the surface, Eucalyptus seems to be a fairy tale about a confined "princess" who can only be freed by a "prince" that names all the trees on her property. If one stops at that level, they will probably dwell on the frequent descriptions of eucalyptus that tend to break the story's narrative flow and the characters that seem a little too sparsely defined. Yet, beyond that basic reading of the text, there is a surprising depth to this book. To put it simply, Eucalyptus is a very interesting and challenging allegory about appreciating individuality.

Bail establishes his allegory by showing how his main characters have been primarily defined through speculation and assumption. For example, he depicts how Holland is subjected to conjecture regarding both his relationships and his past. Additionally, Bail describes some assumptions that were present when Holland and his wife first met. Given the prominent role that supposition played in shaping his life, Holland decides that the only man who can have his daughter is one who proves he can see past stereotype in order to appreciate a person's individuality. Holland attempts to achieve this objective by having his naming contest act as a surrogate for determining if a person can recognize uniqueness. However, Ellen goes beyond her father's intentions when she falls in love with a man who recognizes the eucalyptus' individuality by relating a story that reflects each tree's character. This man doesn't even have a name, thereby reinforcing Ellen's ability to see beyond a person's "title" to that which truly defines them as an individual.

By having his heroine fall in love with a person who recognizes each tree's "story" and not just their name, Bail makes the point that individuality is not just a person's title. Instead, he shows that individuality is tied to the experiences and stories that make up a person's existence. The fact that Bail conveys this point with elegant language and interesting trivia just makes the book richer. These elements make Eucalyptus much deeper than a simple fairy tale. In the end, the book is a fascinating examination of what determines individuality and the true way to acknowledge it.

On many levels this story fascinated me. As a budding writer I was envious of the amazing story which unfolded as I read. As a gardener and naturalist I was fascinated by the details of Australia's trademark trees and the way they were woven into the story to explain life and people's relationships with one another. I admired the "simplicity" of the writing style and the brevity of words. However, one thing puzzled me. I couldn't really get into the heads of the characters and feel what they were feeling. I only experienced their feelings through a kind of misty gauze. Something - a vital link - was missing between reader and characters to complete our understanding, to make our experience of this wonderful story complete. To me, the characters did not fully come to life. However, I have no regrets having read the story. I'm glad I did and have recommended it to others. I am honoured to somehow share the same landscape which had inspired Murray Bail, because like the obsessed characters of this book I too love the many forms the eucalyptus takes across this huge island. And I love his writing style. In a funny way, the flatness of the characters did not spoil my reading of the story, but gave me something to ponder when my reading was complete. What really were their feelings like? How would I have felt if I had been one of them? I can only imagine....and the story will continue to haunt me for years to come. Thanks Murray!

I first read this book several years ago after my husband gave it to me. At first, I wasn't sure I liked it, but I continued to read it and ended up loving it. Yes, the story uses eucalyptus trees as a tool to wrap the story around, and no, I'm not really interested in trees, but that's not the point. Mr Bail tells a beautiful tale of a father and daughter and their relationship. Of course, this story isn't 'believable' because few of us, if any, have heard lately of a real father requiring a man to name all the trees on his property before being allowed to marry his daughter. How silly! And yet what a wonderful outline for a fairy tale. Fairy tales usually are 'unbelievable'. Who really has 'ugly step-sisters' or ever saw a frog turn into a prince after kissing the princess, or knew a girl who fell in love with a hideous beast? This is a story! The father is oblivious to his daughter's desires and doesn't even know who she is at all. Yet she is precious to him and he requires what may be an impossible task of the man who will 'take' her from him. I think that's a noble, if outdated, emotion in a father. She meets the man of her dreams, almost dies because she will be forced to marry a man she could never love, and is brought back to life by her lover. She falls under his spell because of the odd, enchanting stories he tells her. Of course the stories have no endings, but they are tales that spark her interest and imagination. I found those little pieces of stories fascinating. All women should be so fortunate that they can be made so happy with simple tales told by the man they love. So, I recommended this book to my latest book group, not sure if I or they would find it as wonderful as I remembered it. I did, but we have not yet gotten together to discuss this book. I expect some people will hate it and others, I hope, will see the beauty I found in it.

...but that's not to say I didn't thoroughly enjoy this book at least 90% of the time. Eucalyptus feels more like a painting or a poem than a novel; there's a misty, surreal, magical tone to the crafting of the story, and sometimes I got a little lost, wondering what Australian path the author was leading me along.
The setup is that Holland planted on his land at least one each of all the hundreds of different varieties of eucalyptus and then declared that only a man who could name every tree correctly would be worthy to marry Ellen, his daughter. A fairy tale? Yes, sort of, and therein lies both the charm and the problem with this small book full of beautiful, if elusive, language.
Give it a try, though. It's worth it.

This is a book worth reading. It pulls you along and the spare prose of the author works wonders to bring the whole story to life. The juxtaposition of the ordinary and the concrete with the imaginary and the abstract is mesmerizing. Read it, preferably sitting in the sparse shade of a eucalypt.

Hailed as a masterpiece of original fictional writing by literary critics worldwide, I began reading Murray Bail's "Eucalyptus" - 1999 winner of the Miles Franklin Award and the Commonwealth Writers Prize - with high expectations but regret to say that it was a major let down for me. The story of a father offering the hand of his daughter in marriage to the man able to correctly name all the eucalyptus trees in his orchard, has the makings of a fascinating premise for a fable. Bail's intimate knowledge of the Australian outbacks and well researched command of his subject is certainly impressive but to the non-native reader seems only overindulgent. Compounding the difficulty for me was the obscurity of his language and his vision. His sentences don't flow. Neither does his thought process, which makes reading the novel a jerky and uneven experience. His characters (Ellen and her father, Holland) are curiously underwritten. We don't understand what goes on in their minds and cannot empathise or like them. The fable remains ultimately an enigma. Even the wooing of Ellen by the unnamed lover with a stream of fantastic but unconnected stories as they encircle and cavort with each other from tree to tree became hard work and tedious for me. A fellow online reviewer helpfully explained that these stories all hinted at unfulfilled love but I can't say they made that connection when they tumbled into my consciousness. I realise the reviews of "Eucalyptus" from both critics and public alike have been wildly ecstatic. I only wish I felt the same but I don't. I found it a less than pleasurable read - disappointing and obscure. Sorry.

Coming at the people through trees is a compelling idea. Since reading this book, I've noticed more the trees around me, and could those on the corner really be eucalypts here in eastern France? But poor Ellen was way too passive for this reader, so I can't give it more than 3 stars. I wanted her to DO something, to ACT, to be the maker of her own destiny, instead she reacts to the men around her then nearly succumbs to her own passivity. Overall though this is a compelling read full of striking language and nice touches like the nail in the maiden tree and what the men do there... I would have liked more mention of Australia's wonderful and diverse wildlife. No koalas in those gum trees, Mr. Bail? No kookaburra cries haunting the forest? Also the Knight in Shining Armour is only metal-plated! Too bad! Rather an ephemeral specter, isn't he? And he cheated, the way he named the trees doesn't count, but I'm happy for Ellen. Who would want grim old Mr. Cave when you could listen to stories all your life?

This is the story of Holland and his daughter Ellen. Holland buys a property in the West of New South Wales, and starts to cover it with as many variations of the Eucalyptus tree that he can get his hands on. When Ellen comes of age, he decides that the man who marries her will be the man that can name every Eucalyptus on his property.

Now, this might not sound like much of a premise for a good story, but Bail manages to infuse it with a certain quality - it is almost like magical realism, but in a very Australian spirit. This lyrical story manages to encapsulate wonderful descriptions, both overt and covert, of the Australian landscape both outback and urban; and it also manages to provide descriptions of some wonderful characters that are really caricatures of Australian society. Even the Eucalyptus are given wonderfully descriptive passages that make you feel that they are almost as much characters in the story as the people. And within it all, Bail manages a tender, yet not 'gooey' love story. To the very close of the story (it did not feel like an ending at all) Bail held me captivated.

I would have thought that the very Australianness of this book would be a hurdle for foreign readers, yet reviewers around the globe have given it glowing praise. Eucalyptus is a difficult book to describe, but a very easy book to read. I think it would appeal to a wide range of readers - i suggest that if you have any desire at all to read it that you pick it up, and give it at least to half way through before judging it. I think many readers will be pleasantly surprised with this poetic story of a father, a daughter, her suitors and a lot of gum trees.

Bail may not be a prolific author, but his craftmanship in what he does produce is breathtaking. This is a wonderful, magical, lyrical tale. Storytelling with the prose a work of art. Any would-be authors would read this and weep. This is how it's done. And unlike others touted as 'the best authors of our time', Bail remains totally accessible. Thanks Murray.

Eucalyptus is the story of a man who possesses the largest collection of Eucalypt trees and a beautiful daughter, Ellen. As Ellen begins to attract the attention of the men in this tiny town in the New South Wales outback, her father Holland issues a national challenge. The man who can name all the Eucalypts on his property will be awarded Ellen's hand in marriage. And so, the prospective suitors flock, as Ellen becomes more and more apprehensive...And meanwhile within this fairytale, Ellen has met a storyteller of her own.

Eucalyptus is beautifully written novel with a twist and a lyrical style that makes it unique. It captures the essence of the Australian landscape and its quirky inhabitants. Murray Bail's Eucalyptus shows what writing, at its best, is capable of.