The Idea of Perfection [Hardcover]

Kate Grenville (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 28, 2002

Published to great acclaim in Britain, Kate Grenville's fifth novel, The Idea of Perfection, recently won the Orange Prize, Britain's most valuable literary award. Set in the eccentric little backwater of Karakarook, New South Wales, pop. 1374, it tells the story of Douglas Cheesman, a shy, gawky engineer with jug-handle ears, and Harley Savage, a large, rawboned, plain woman who is a part-time museum curator. Harley has come to Karakarook to help the town build a heritage museum; Douglas is there to pull down the quaint old Bent Bridge, and from day one, they're on a collision course. Both characters carry a hidden cargo of guilt along with the memories of failed marriages, but out of this unpromising conjunction of opposites, something unexpected happens: something even better than perfection.

Elegantly and compassionately told, The Idea of Perfection is reminiscent of the work of Carol Shields, Peter Carey, and J.M. Coetzee and shows Kate Grenville as "a writer of extraordinary talent" (The New York Times Book Review).

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The fifth novel by Australian author Grenville (Lilian's Story, Joan Makes History) won Britain's prestigious Orange Prize last year and, at its best, it's easy to see why. It is an oddly uneven book, however, sometimes dazzlingly lyrical, compassionate and smart, but occasionally arch and rather clumsy. In the tiny backwater town of Karakarook, New South Wales, where everyone knows everyone else's business, two improbable outsiders fall very tentatively in love. Douglas Cheeseman is an engineer, sent to replace a historic bridge some townsfolk believe could be made into a tourist attraction. Museum curator Harley Savage has come from Sydney to create an exhibit of rural applied arts. The atmosphere of the town and the sunbaked, somnolent countryside is brilliantly rendered, and so, usually, are the prickly, deeply self-doubting lead characters; the use of a wonderfully observed dog as Harley's companion throughout is masterly. At other times, however, Grenville seems to be mocking her protagonists, as when Douglas is backed up to a fence by some cows, and the climactic scene, where he does something unwontedly brave, is forced. The subplot about a banker's self-regarding wife who allows herself to be seduced by a Chinese-born butcher is too coy by half. These elements are only disappointing because the book, when on target, is so remarkably clear-sighted about, yet fond of, its quirky characters. (Apr. 1)Forecast: The prize, noted on the cover, should certainly help to draw attention, and the book is readable and likable enough to earn good word of mouth. Admirers of Grenville's previous work are likely to be more critical.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

This fifth novel by renowned Australian author Grenville (Lilian's Story), winner of the Orange Prize, presents the story of two people, both divorced, who for differing reasons are residing temporarily in a small town in the Australian bush. How Douglas, an awkward engineer, and Harley, a plain, big-boned museum curator, meet up as well as connect with the townspeople they are to work with is described with a compassionate eye for human frailty. While unfolding the lives of Douglas and Harley, Grenville depicts the life of the town and some of its eccentric inhabitants, using an effective blend of humor, sensuality, and pathos. She nicely contrasts urban and rural living and shows how even those who work to preserve the historical past may themselves remain haunted by their own personal histories. Both Grenville's description of small-town life in a harsh and rugged environment and her endearing portrayal of the minds and hearts of two people make for a satisfying and memorable read. Recommended for most fiction collections. Maureen Neville, Trenton P.L., NJ
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 415 pages
• Publisher: Viking Adult (March 28, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670030805
• ISBN-13: 978-0670030804
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.9 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,505,684 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Kate Grenville (kategrenville.com) was born in Sydney, Australia. She's published eight books of fiction, including the multiple prize-winners 'The Secret River', 'The Lieutenant', 'The Idea of Perfection', and 'Lilian's Story'. She's also published three books about the writing process that are classic texts for Creative Writing classes, and a memoir about the research and writing of 'The Secret River'.

Grenville writes about Australia, but her themes are universal: love, violence, and survival. Her characters are often inspired by real historical characters: her own nineteenth century convict ancestor, an early Australian settler; a bag-lady on the streets of 1950s Sydney who quotes Shakespeare for a living; a soldier in the Sydney of 1788 who shares an extraordinary friendship of tenderness and respect with a young Aboriginal girl.

Grenville's international prizes include the Orange Award, the Commonwealth Writers' Prize, and a shortlisting for the Man Booker Prize. Her books have been published all over the world and translated into many languages, and two have been made into feature films.

Learn more about Kate Grenville, her books, and how to get hold of them, at kategrenville.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Haunting and Sensitive, January 13, 2005

By 

Wendy Kaplan (Houston) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Idea of Perfection (Paperback)

"The Idea of Perfection" won the Orange Prize for Fiction in 2001 (a British literary award of distinction) and I can see why. It is very different, very moving, and is the type of book that doesn't allow the reader to forget its haunting atmosphere.

Although the flyleaf on the hardback version calls it a "funny and touching romance..." I found nothing funny about it whatsoever, and what romance there is, is largely in the torturedly shy minds of two of the two awkward protagonists: big-boned, plain and shy Harley Savage, and equally shy and plain Douglas Cheeseman. Harley has come to the tiny Australian Bush village of Karakarook to set up a "heritage museum" of local crafts (she is a renowned craftsperson in her own right and lives in Sydney); Douglas, an engineer, has come to demolish and rebuild a Karakarook icon: the "twisted bridge." These two unlikely people meet and are attracted to one another, but are so terribly awkward and shy that they cannot possibly express anything other than "wrong" smiles and comments.

A subplot involves the wife of the banker, whose inner self is focused solely on keeping herself young with various beauty products, certainly NOT on the Chinese butcher to whom she is powerfully attracted. Certain reviews found this subplot specious and/or funny; I did not. It had a hysterical edge to it that exactly matched the inner terrible turmoil of the wife, whose empty existence in Karakarook has obviously driven her to the edge of madness.

A truly outstanding book; a work of art. I'm glad I read it.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A realistic portrayal of small town life, October 9, 2003

By 

Megami (Darwin, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Idea of Perfection (Paperback)

This is ostensibly a love story, with two professionals from the city forming an unlikely bond when they are thrown together in a small country town. However, the relationship between the two is only one of many in this well written book. The chapters alternate between the viewpoints of the main characters to develop a well-rounded portrait of all concerned.

Karakarook, like many small Australian country towns, has been left behind - they highway doesn't run through town anymore, the bank will soon close its branch, and any industries that supported the town have long gone. Many in the town are pinning their hopes on 'Heritage', which gives a reason for one half of the city partnership, Harley, to be there. She has come from Sydney to organise a museum. She also becomes involved in the fight over another heritage flash point - the old Bent Bridge.

Bent Bridge is the reason for the other city person to be in town. Douglas is the engineer tasked with organising the replacement of the bridge. Harley and Douglas have their stories told alternately with that of a third - Felicity, the flighty wife of the bank manager. All three are outsiders - not just in the sense that they have arrived in Karakarook from elsewhere, but they also don't quite belong in the society in which they live. Also, all three have been deeply marked by their backgrounds - Harley forever trying to live up to the expectations of her famous creative family; Douglas living in the shadow of a war hero father he never met; and Felicity trying to forget her humble background while clinging to youthful beauty. Grenville is a skilful enough writer to allude to the importance of these details, while not overburdening the reader with too much character history. Like the other aspects of the book, the author credits the reader with enough intelligence to see the points she is making with being too strident. This is a delight.

The fourth main character in the story is the town itself - its history, the lives lived there day-by-day, its physical characteristics. Having lived in more than one small Australian country town, this really rang true for me, and Grenville manages to reign in the 'big town' superiority in her depiction. I was also happily surprised to see the inclusion of a lot of Australian words that the author didn't bother to explain - this is interesting to see in a book that was probably written with an international audience in mind.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars More than "romance", September 11, 2002

By 

Laughingrat (Columbus, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Idea of Perfection (Hardcover)

Although romance is part of the book's plot, _The Idea of Perfection_ is far from being a jumped-up romance novel. The book's focus is primarily on how human beings balance their own needs with those of society, and what happens when a person is either too public or too private. Ms. Grenville takes plenty of time to allow development of character and setting, but once she's underway, the reader is treated not only to a fascinating story of what makes three characters "tick," but also a discussion of what constitutes "value," especially aesthetic value. Her portrayals of creative process are spot-on and underlie the book's theme perfectly. Although a little slow in the beginning, perseverance on the part of the reader will make it clear that this is a beautiful book and well worth taking the time to read.