Reviews

A life quickly flames out in Flanagan's firebrand follow-up to 2002's acclaimed Gould's Book of Fish. Gina Davies, a 26-year-old nightclub pole dancer (referred to throughout as "the Doll"), leads a provincial life in Sydney, Australia, spends $2,000 a month on clothes and is given to the occasional racist rant. But after a one-night stand with a man named Tariq, she turns on the TV and learns she's been pegged as the accomplice in an attempted terrorist attack on Sydney's Olympic stadium. She's instantly the most-wanted woman in Australia and the source of a raging tabloid media feeding frenzy led by sleazy TV journalist Richard Cody. The fast-paced narrative builds to a fittingly bloody crescendo, and Flanagan drops astutely cynical observations along the way (the Doll, for instance, "realized that her life was no longer what she made of it, but what others said it was"). A true page-turner as well as a timely, pithy critique of celebrity culture and the politics of fearmongering. (May) Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.

Having spent the night with an enticing stranger, Gina is on the run; her paramour, who's disappeared, seems to be connected to a bungled terrorist attack. Flanagan's Gould's Book of Fish was a big prize winner. With an eight-city tour; reading group guide. Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.

A few years back, in a lecture organised by the Australian Society of Authors, David Marr pleaded for Australian fiction writers to 'start focusing on what is happening in this country, looking Australia in the face'-to come to grips with the regressive social and political atmosphere and confront it. Now, Howard's Australia is a hot topic. Richard Flanagan's new novel, The Unknown Terrorist, is a much-anticipated release that will inevitably be compared with that of another leading Australian author, Andrew McGahan, his recent novel Underground (Allen & Unwin). Without a doubt these authors draw their inspiration from their shared disgust with Howard's Australia, however their writing styles are quite different. The concern is that the inevitable comparisons will degenerate into whose depiction of the Howard quagmire works best, rather than analysing the timely observations made by both writers. Richard Flanagan's loathing of current Australian society is no secret, especially his revulsion for what he refers to as the heartless, 'world-class' city of Sydney, the setting for his latest book. Flanagan has succeeded where so many have failed; he has managed to protect the sanctity of the story while delivering shrewd interpretations of society. The Unknown Terrorist is no irrational and verbose socio-political polemic. It is a masterful story, with apt social commentary woven into it that strengthens and deepens it rather than tears it apart. The often intimate relationship between the media and government is embodied by Richard Cody, a man who is desperate to get back into the TV limelight, and who won't let a little truth get in the way. Cody's spin on the involvement of the central character-a stripper known as 'the Doll'-in recent events fuels the authorities' speculation. It causes accusations to balloon into a massive conspiracy involving drug running, murder and terrorism, all in the name of Allah. This book is a bit of a thriller and will be enjoyed by readers who like piecing together a mystery. It also caters for those who like a thought-provoking read that challenges them to look below the surface of things. Flanagan followers should not expect florid descriptions of beautiful landscapes and fragile humanity. This is a commentary on the shallowness of a society, where the sacrificial lamb is gleefully slaughtered so that people can feel 'safe' while being in a constant state of fear, so that governments can justify draconian legislation and so that media personalities can soar to unparalleled heights. An important book in dark times. Tony O'Loughlin is a bookseller at the Avenue Bookstore in Albert Park, Melbourne