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Booker Prize

Oscar and Lucinda – Peter Carey

‘Oscar and Lucinda’ won the Booker prize in 1988. It is the story of the undeclared love between clergyman Oscar Hopkins and the heiress Lucinda Leplastrier. It is based in southern England and then Australia in the mid-1800s, and follows the lives of these two characters, as they struggle with gambling and their relationship with each other. 

This book started off really well. The characters were well drawn, and I felt an emotional attachment to them from the beginning. The plot flowed smoothly until about Oscar’s arrival in Australia, when I found it lost it’s pace and grip on me. I think that without the tension between Oscar and Lucinda this part of the book was lacking that magic spark. I ploughed on through these lifeless, boring pages and was grateful when it improved in the last 50 pages – I loved the shocking ending. Overall it was very good, but could do with being a slightly shorter.
Rated: 3.5 out of 5

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