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Travel, sex, death and love - a most surprising collection of stories.'I love airports. I love the opera of airports... Families with high-gloss airport emotion, a linkage of smiles, tears and touching. A moratorium on malice, air-conditioned goodwill. When the airport sanctuary is left, the automatic doors open into the sweaty heat and blown litter, and they also re-open the wounds of the family and the dust blows into the lacerations.'In an odyssey which moves across a world stage, Tales of Mystery and Romance touches high comedy and low farce - the non-event of the Jack Kerouac Wake, the dispute over the exact form of secular penetration achieved by Milton, an argument with an ex-wife over 'motel sex' - and much tender and perceptive observation. You will come away from this book at least knowing something about belly dancers, the intricacies of homosexual sex, and even life after death
This collection of short stories explores the intersections of travel, intimacy, and mortality through a series of vignettes that span a global stage. The protagonist—often a stand-in for the author—navigates the complexities of modern relationships, cultural encounters, and the absurdity of social rituals. Facing the friction between personal desire and societal expectations, the characters move through environments ranging from sterile airport terminals to intimate domestic spaces. The narrative framework utilizes a sharp, observational style that shifts between high comedy and poignant reflection to dissect the human condition.
This collection is characterized by its cynical yet observant tone, reflecting the mid-century Australian literary tradition of social critique. The stories suggest a preoccupation with the displacement of the individual in an increasingly globalized world. Readers likely encounter a prose style that prioritizes intellectual wit and precise, often uncomfortable, psychological detail. The work functions as a mirror to the shifting moral landscapes of the era, offering a fragmented but cohesive view of human behavior under the pressures of travel and change.
Page Count:
108
Publication Date:
1977-01-01
Publisher:
Angus & Robertson
ISBN-10:
0207957002
ISBN-13:
9780207957000
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