Breath has been on my ‘to read’ list ever since it won the Miles Franklin Literary Award in 2009. However, after painstakingly working my way through its 200+ pages, I must admit I am disappointed with Winton’s first novel in seven years.
Set in the fictional town of Angelus, Sawyer in Western Australia, Breath follows the life of twelve-year-old Bruce Pike. “Pikelet”, as he is nicknamed, battles with the transition of boy to man, and many questions are raised about addiction, risk-taking, youth, and long-term consequences.
Surfing is used to explore the battles faced by “Pikelet” and his best mate Loonie. Both outsiders in their own social scenes, the boys become attracted to surfing because of its risks and adrenaline-pumping thrills. They then meet an old surfer called Sando, and his wife Eva, which results in unexpected consequences.
Breath was written so that it did not include any punctuation (speech) marks. While I think this was to portray a ‘gasping for breath’ aspect to the novel, I found it extremely difficult to concentrate on the story (I am a spelling and punctuation freak). I was constantly rereading parts of the book, so I could work out who actually said them!
Disappointed with myself for struggling to read and not really liking the book, I went online to see how other people felt about it. Alas, most people thoroughly enjoyed it. Maybe I did not like it because I do not surf? Because I cannot relate to risk-taking? Because I’m not a male? Or perhaps it’s just because I am, above all, a grammatical freak?
1 ½ out of 5 stars
