winton

Electronic Book Review: "Breath" by Tim Winton

by Marco Gustafsson on Aug 23, 2010

“Breathless” might be a more appropriate title for this very different coming-of-age tale. It’s different not because it deals with growing up in a unique way, but because it’s about much more than young boys becoming young men. One persistent theme that permeates the narrative is danger. All the main characters court it, constantly pushing themselves perilously close to the limit.

The story is set mostly around Angelus, a seaside town in Western Australia. The main character, the book’s narrator, is thirteen-year-old Bruce Pike, known as Pikelet. His best friend is fourteen-year-old Loonie. They first meet at a popular swimming spot on the river, where Loonie is enacting a scene that’s a forewarning of things to come. When Pikelet arrives, there is panic. Loonie, who was swimming, has suddenly disappeared. The panicking day-trippers and tourists all fear he has drowned. In fact, he’s sitting on the riverbed, highly amused, holding his breath and clutching...Read More >>