Customer Reviews

STRANGE OBJECTS : A Novel

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Strange Objects takes you on a journey during the historical finding of shipwrecked items unseen for centuries, which unexpectedly begins a series of events that could change Australian history forever.

Gary Crew, author of Strange Objects, was born in 1947 and has become a highly respected writer for young adults in Australia. During his career he has earned the prestigious Children's Book of the Year Award a record four times which include the CBC Book of the Year: Older Readers for Angel's Gate and Strange Objects. Gary's talent does not only lie with novels but also with picture books and this has led to the CBC Picture Book of the Year award for First Light and The Watertower.

Strange Objects recounts the enigmatic events following Steven Messengers finding of the Iron pot, where the story takes place over two periods in time, the present and 1629. Steven is a young teenager finding it hard dealing with life's events such as being a teenager, his only friend Nigel Kratzman and living in rural Australia. On a biology field trip at the Murchison River Steven stumbles upon an iron pot containing a mummified hand with a gold ring attached, and a leather bound journal. Due to its significance various people investigate the findings and try to accurately inform the public. Everyone involved becomes captivated by the contest and the leather bound journal is seen to be the key in unlocking the mysteriousness of the items. However one of the problems is that the gold ring, previously attached to the finger, disappeared and ended up in the possession of Steven unbeknown to anyone.

The story then starts to take a turn into the mysterious and strange as the journal is translated to reveal the author as Wouter Loos, a criminal and survivor of The Batavia Shipwreck in 1629. Its publication in the newspaper share the experiences which he and his fellow cast-way Jan Pelgrom underwent during their time in the outback and their unanticipated discovery of the mysterious white girl Ela. However back in the present Steven begins to have visions while wearing the ring of events dating back to 1629 when Wouter Loos wrote the journal. Certain parallelled circumstances begin to unfold between Steven and Wouter as his diary and the Journal develop. The need for personal interpretation is essential and the connections are somewhat hidden and require an inquisitive mind.

Strange Objects by Gary Crew is Historical Fiction, which demands continuous concentration right through to the end, with a personal interpretation and perception of the underlying meaning a necessity. One of the outstanding features of this novel is Gary's descriptive writing ability; whether revealing objects or the settings, his clever use of language allows you to `jump' into every incident. Gary's use of numerous text styles adds to the impact of the narrative through his utilization of informative diary and journal entries, revealing letters, newspaper articles and historical records. His construction of characters allows you to understand and sometimes relate them to a person in your own life. The uniqueness of this style of narrative cleverly directs the `jigsaw' of situations to a climax, which leaves the reader contemplative of the true meaning and asking for more.

I strongly recommend Strange Objects to anybody with a sharp mind who likes a challenge in what they read. Are the complex characters of Steven Messenger and Wouter Loos all what they seem?

Strange Objects is a story that really demands patience and is quite confusing at times, but it deserves some praise for its creativity, with its frequent changing of genres throughout the book. This 1991, Australian award winner by Gary Crew (known for such books as `The Inner Circle' and `Angel's Gate') is a well written and very unique story.

Unlike most books `Strange Objects' is written as a collection of diary entries, news paper articles and expert documentations, which piece together the mystery surrounding a young boy, Steven Messenger and some strange objects. The diary entries are effective, in that they give the best indication of what's happening and detail the way Steven is feeling. The plot focuses mainly on the boy's discovery of strange, mysterious objects which have historical significance. The objects, which include a human hand and a ring, found in a large iron pot, open up national interest in the hope of piecing everything together. Then after the discovery of a 17th Century journal, written by a survivor of the lost Dutch ship, the Batavia, more insight is given into the history of the strange objects. As the book nears its end, the many different sources establish what is happening, and links are made to ancient history and even the Australian indigenous people.

Sadly, interest is quickly lost, because the plot is hard to follow and there is not much excitement to maintain interest. The only aspect that keeps the reader involved is the curiosity in finding out what happened to Steven Messenger. Yet, even this is let down by the frustrating, seemingly unresolved ending.

It's hard to get a real feel for the characters, as the story is told through the use of different sources; the diary entries giving the only real indication of the personas of the characters. Steven Messenger is confused at first and the further he delves into things the more he becomes troubled, and struggles with himself. However, why a teenage boy would be keeping a diary in the first place seems a little strange in itself. The setting is quite clear and has a typical Australian feel to it, with the Australian language being present and aborigines being incorporated into the story.

Personally, I found the style in which the book was written a little off-putting, however, it created a feeling that maybe the story was true - almost like the `Blair Witch Project' (but more boring). If you do however enjoy a book that's a little different and don't mind the story being jumbled up into different sections then this book may hold some interest. For those of you like me, who like a story that is written in the view of just one person, then I would recommend giving this one a miss!

Strange Objects, is totally summarised by its name. Strange is an excellent adjective to use in order to describe of a series of events that occurs in the book Strange Objects. Written by Gary Crew and first published in 1990, the Australian author has definitely written an interesting book.

I have not read any of Crews other books, but Strange Objects has given me and insight into his writing techniques. The story is based around a teenage boy named Steven Messenger, who lives in a small rural town in a roadhouse with his mother. Things are fairly normal to him, until when on a school field trip he discovers a large pot with a hand inside. On the hand is a ring, and it seems whenever Steven has this on his finger or around his neck, he seems to float away from himself unconsciously. He has unusual dreams, and interactions with his friends and Mother decline. His mate Kratzman supports him on most of his actions, however their relationship is always on a knife-edge where one can fall at anytime.

The book is set in Items. Where each item contains a different scene, or letter, or journal. There are two different stories running in parallel in the novel, one is of Messenger and the rural town, and another is of two sailors, Wouter Loos and Jan Pelgrom from a boat called the Batavia. They were accused of murder and were castaway in a small boat. Their story is shown through the Journal of Loos, it is another item, and this journal was found in the pot along with the hand.

The novel is quite hard to follow at times, it takes so many different turns and there are so many splinter stories from the two main ones that it can be very confusing. I recommend to read it that you have a high level of tolerance for strange situations and events, there needs to be a good leverage for the story to evolve before you can start criticising it. You need to think outside the square to finally understand what is happening throughout the novel. I definitely did not at first, but after some discussion with other readers it was helpful to compare solutions and finally make a theory to finish with. I would strongly recommend the novel to anyone who likes to really think about a plot, and not have it delivered to the feet. As this book, is not one that can be casually picked up and read, it needs to be thought about and different possibilities need to be consulted before a final theory is made.

Whether it is action, mystery or fantasy that you're looking for, this book has it all. With several parallel narratives going at once, "Strange Objects" has the ability to encapsulate the reader in its intricate storyline.

Based on actual historical events, this novel revolves around a Steven Messenger, a 16 year old, who discovers some ancient relics from the Batavia shipwreck on a school excursion. Among the relics where a journal and a mummified human hand which wore a golden ring. Upon returning from the excursion, Steven realises that the ring had unwillingly fallen into his possession. He puts on the ring and bizarre events begin to take place.

The book is a collection of diary entries and various documents, such as newspaper articles, that have been compiled by Steven. Four months after the discovery of the relics, Steven sends the compiled documents to Dr Hope Michaels, director of Western Australian Institute of Maritime Archaeology, before he mysteriously disappears.

"Strange Objects" requires the reader to constantly reflect on what is going on in the book and collate all the information that is presented to you. The book challenges you to make up your own mind about what is fact and fiction and also about what is really going on in the book. Since the book is historical fiction, it is sometimes hard to tell fact from fiction.

At times, the book does get a little bit boring and might even be slightly confusing. I recommend "Strange Objects" to anyone who likes historical fiction or adventure/mystery. However, it is an easy read and should appeal to most readers under the age of 18. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

I first read this book in a year nine english class and still enjoy reading it. Through his disjointed description of the obtuse Steven Messenger and his somewhat fantastic exploits, Crew captures the vastness and enigma of the Australian desert and the detachment of outback communities. What impressed me most, however, was his sensitive description of the isolation of children left to their own devices in such places, and their attempts to fulfill dreams which, like Kratz's 'Dream Machine', are made impossible by their circumstances. An excellent book, and a gift any 12-14 year old relative or friend would thank you for.

Strange Objects is written by Gary Crew and published in 1991 by Mammoth Australia.

Have you ever wondered about the past and its influences on present life? And what happens when you suddenly bring the dead back to life? These and more are the questions your head will be filled with when reading this fantastic novel by Gary Crew. Crew's other novel bestsellers include The Inner Circle and Angel's Gate, and his creative and original approach will leave the reader thinking long before the last line has been read.

Strange Objects is about a boy named Steven Messenger who lives in the remoteness of the midway on Highway One - 25 kilometres south of Hamelin. Other characters inlcude Charlie Sunrise, Jan Pelgrom, and Nigel Kratzman. One day on a school Biology trip, quite by accident, Messenger discovers a pot containing a journal of survivor Wouter Loos of the Dutch shipwreck "Batavia" that struck rocks off the Western Australian coast in 1629, and a mummified human hand with a ring. Four months later Messenger disappears. Somehow, all these characters and events are linked, but how? Readers will be left with many questions - How was Messenger linked to the found items? Where did he go? What is the importance of this missing ring?
The somewhat difficult to follow plot seems fairly easy to understand, that is, until the last few chapters where it starts to get very strange indeed.... It could be described as keeping you in suspense, and very intriguing with a touch of craziness that is found only in very few people.

In this reviewer's opinion, Strange Objects is a somewhat scrambled tale, however through its open ended plots and questions left unanswered, one can see into a whole new dimension of themes. I think this is very cleverly done by Gary Crew and feel that his supremely talented ability has made this a book to remember, and shall keep me thinking for a long time after I have finished it. I must add however, that it bothered me somewhat about the lack of a distinct conclusion to a very open plotline.

Steven Messenger a 16 year old boy has stumbled across history. A cannibal pot containing a mummified hand and a diary has been found on the West Coast inside a cave. Messenger on a Biology trip stumbled over the pot inside a cave on the beach. Nothing is certain but Steven goes missing and something feels very wrong. Strange Objects by Gary Crew was a readable book. It keeps you guessing and the tempo is okay. The only thing wrong with the book would be that it all starts to get a bit too mysterious. This book really starts to get to your head. Too much doesn't add up and at some parts of the book it feels like Crew has just thrown anything he can think of into the story. The way the book was written however was very innovative. I had never seen a book written in this style. Instead of chapters are articles of evidence. This sounds a bit weird but they are easy to read and it brings the plot along very nicely. The story is set around a small town off the West Coast of Australia in 1986. However there is a small sub plot branching off from the main story. This is set in 1629 and follows two murderers Wouter Loos and Jan Pelgrom after they were shipwrecked. With all this however I still found the book poor. It just gets to weird and unbelievable. Too many comparisons are made, which all starts to get a bit too confusing. However throughout the book there are some very interesting twists and interesting character developments, which will keep the reader interested but in the end it is all disappointing. After finishing the book you will not walk away satisfied.

This brilliant, historic novel titled "Strange Objects" begins as a tangled web of information, but as it progresses, the strengths of the book are revealed.

The novel "Strange Objects" is very strange, staged in the remote Australian Outback, it is set over two different time periods, four centuries apart. In 1629, Author `Gary Crew' depicts the tale of the stranded crew of the Batavia. When the Batavia became ship wrecked off the Australia coast in 1629, over 120 murders took place; seven people were convicted of murder. Among these seven were Jan Pelgrom, a 17 boy convicted of rape and murder, and Wouter Loos, another murderer. These two, on execution day were granted their lives, and cast away with only minimal supplies, to survive on a rickety raft off the harsh Australian coast. Gary Crew recounts their story in astounding fashion, clearly depicting the hard ship they encountered, and journey they travelled. In the same location, 1982, Steven Messenger, while on school biology trip uncovers a cannibal pot, mummified hand (complete with ring) and a leather-bound journal. Becoming the owner of the ring, quite by mistake, Steven finds himself with extraordinary powers. The link between Jan and Steven become clear, but the introduction of Ela, into Jan's life throws the story into another twist.

Gary Crews style of genre is at times confusing and difficult to follow. The superb plot and storyline has not been done justice by Gary Crews, and for this I am disappointed. Looking primarily at the storyline and characters, Gary has done a marvellous job of interweaving these, and the result: a very complex puzzle of a book, but yet a joy to read. To find out what happens to Steven, Charlie Sunrise, Nigel Kratzman, Jan Pelgrom, and Ela, well... you'll just have to read the book!

Considering the accolades this book was awarded, in receiving several awards including "Winner of the Children's Book of the Year Awards, Older Readers" "Winner of the 1991 Victorian Premier's Literary Awards" "Winner of the NSW State Literary Awards, Children's Books" "Short listed for the Edgar Allan Poe Mystery Fiction Award (Crime Writers of America)" among others, I cannot rate this book highly enough, for readers of any age above 12. A truly enthralling read.

Lachlan Griffiths, Prince Alfred College, South Australia, Australia

The novel Strange Objects written by Gary Crew was the worst, weirdest, most bizarre novel I have ever read in my life. It was so confusing and too repetitive. Crew used four different types of genres to tell the story. The genres the writer used were diary entries, letters, newspaper articles and documents. For me this didn't help because it made the novel get confusing and it lost me too much. The book switched and changes too much for my liking. Although using the different types of genre shows the reader that Gary Crew is a very experienced Author.

The novel was about a teenager called Steven Messenger who writes a journal of his travels, which reveals the story towards the end of the book. He disappears and no one knows how or where he is, still to this day no one knows.

The book starts out at a school biology camp at a beach on the West Coast of Australia. The beach has big cliffs and huge sand dunes. Steven leaves the group of school kids and goes exploring into a cave. He finds an iron pot in the cave with a mummified hand inside. Apparently the iron pot and its contents was from a shipwrecked boat from 1629 called the Batavia. The story moves on with lots of interviews about the iron pot and the hand. It was said that there was a ring missing from the hand. Steven found the ring then went heaps weird. I didn't know what was happening because it became too confusing for me.

I would not recommend this book to any one under the age of eighteen because I personally couldn't handle the whole concept because it was too far ahead of me. I know that Gray Crew is a good Author but with the book Strange Objects I think he didn't deserve the title of "Best Children's Book for Older Readers" in 1991. I can think of about a dozen of other books that could have one this prize.

I gave Strange Objects about one and half out of five stars because I just didn't enjoy reading it.

Strange Objects By Gary Crew Mammoth Australia 185 page...

Strange Objects is s mystical novel named Australia's "Best Children's Book For Older Readers" in 1991.

Through a large range of genres, Crew skillfully tells the story of sixteen year old Steven Messenger prior to his mysterious disappearance. The book is a fascinating collection of documents, letters, news articles and diary entries. These are collected before Messenger disappears following his discovery of some valuable relics from a seventeenth century shipwreck whilst on a school biology camp. The artifacts he stumbles across include: an iron pot, a leather-bound journal and a mummified human hand. They are traced back to a Dutch ship called "Batavia" which was shipwrecked off the west coast of Australia on the fourth of June 1629.

After discovering a ring that had fallen off the mummified hand, Steven's life changes forever. He begins to drift between reality and the past, and finds an alternate self who corresponds with two men cast away for murder, Jan Pelgrom and Wauter Loos.

This book, set in rural Australia, is challenging to the reader, as the author leaves you wondering whether Steven is in reality or a fantasy. The novel switches from the present to past so frequently that the reader is left dazed.

I would recommend this book to readers over the age of fifteen as the concepts can be quite difficult to grasp. Readers who enjoy a mystical, supernatural and chilling story will appreciate this challenging novel.

Strange objects is worth a read, as it will leave you pondering, doubting and imagining all the way to the very end. Gary Crew obviously did extensive research to write this captivating and strange novel. As a result, the novel has a realistic feel that leaves a lingering question in the back of the readers mind, "Is this novel a true story and if so, is Steven Messenger alive?

I would rate this novel three out of five.