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The Tilted Cross
''The Tilted Cross'' (1961) is a novel by Australian author Hal Porter. Plot outline The novel is set in Hobart, Tasmania, in 1845-46. It follows the last few months in the life of Judas Griffin Vaneleigh, a transported forger and suspected poisoner. Critical reception A reviewer in ''The Canberra Times'' was not as enthusiastic as some of his colleagues: "Porter's baroque style gives his wordage full play. He spins his words like a thick spider's web and in the depths of the web he sets an evil collection of characters . . . They move dimly and poisonously in the mess of words like red-back spiders stirring in a thick web in a dark corner." See also * 1961 in Australian literature Notes * Dedication: With loving gratitude to my sister and brother-in-law, Ida and Alan Rendell * ''The Oxford Companion to Australian Literature'' notes that the lead character is based on Thomas Griffiths Wainewright, although the author has changed some of the historical facts to fit his story. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hal Porter
Harold Edward "Hal" Porter (16 February 1911 – 29 September 1984) was an Australian novelist, playwright, poet and short story writer. Biography Porter was born in Albert Park, Victoria, grew up in Bairnsdale, and worked as a journalist, teacher and librarian. A car accident just before the outbreak of World War II prevented him from serving in the armed forces. His first stories were published in 1942 and by the 1960s he was writing full-time. His 1963 memoir, ''The Watcher on the Cast Iron Balcony'', is regarded as an Australian masterpiece. His other works were less successful. The literary critic Laurie Clancy said: "Porter's novels are, with one exception, less successful than his stories, not least because his scorn for most of his characters becomes wearying over the length of a novel." The exception, Clancy thought, was ''The Tilted Cross'', a historical novel set in Hobart in the 1840s. On 24 July 1983 he was knocked down by a hit-and-run driver in Ballarat and rec ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |