Garner's first new work in a decade is a tender portrayal of the relationship between grandmother and grandson, and of that moment on the cusp of adulthood when a boy is both child and man.
It's footy season in Melbourne, and Helen Garner is following her grandson's under-16s team. She not only goes to every game (give or take), but to every training session too, shivering on the sidelines at dusk, fascinated by the spectacle.
She's a passionate Western Bulldogs fan (with an imperfect grasp of the rules) who loves the epic theatre of AFL football. But her devotion to the under-16s offers her something else. This is her chance to connect with her youngest grandchild, to be close to him before he rushes headlong into manhood. To witness his triumphs and defeats, to fear for his safety in battle, to gasp and to cheer for his team as it fights for a place in the finals.
With her sharp eye, her generous wit and her warm humour, Garner documents this pivotal moment, both as part of the story and as silent witness. The Season is an unexpected and exuberant book- a celebration of the nobility, grace and grit of team spirit, a reflection on the nature of masculinity, and a tribute to the game's power to thrill us.
PRAISE-
'One of Australia's foremost authors, admired by writers as different as Raymond Carver and Elizabeth Jolley.' Independent
'Not long ago I read Helen Garner for the first time and was so stunned that I wanted to run around the block; how strange, how wonderful, that a book can still make me feel that way.' Rumaan Alam
'There are very few writers that I admire more than Helen Garner.' David Nicholls
'A voice of great honesty and energy.' Anne Enright
'I understand zip about football or any sport, but I cried. Glorious.' Charlotte Wood
'A strong, beautiful book...The Garner of The Season is the Garner her readers know, with her exceptional control over language, her exceptional skill at observing and describing.' Saturday Paper
'The sentences are precise and they sing. She turns from philosophical reverie on mortality, or violence, or masculine shame, to capturing the looseness and love with which a family talks footy...It's a book of gentle pleasures and deep meanings...As ever, when you put a Helen Garner book down and look up at the world again, you do so with newly sharpened eyes.' The Monthly
'Over one footy season, Garner observes her youngest grandson's U16 team at training and games, but of course, brings her vivid attention to masculinity, family, weather, ageing, our bodies, and much more.' Matilda Bookshop
'a deeply talented and intelligent writer...In this book performed in a minor key, Garner the grandmother is on song, displaying the very qualities she exalts in athletes- candour, discipline, vigilance and valour.' Kevin Brophy, The Conversation
'Is there anything more thrilling than reading Helen Garner on everyday things such as haircuts, the Melbourne skyline, ageing, AFL tactics, friendship and half-time oranges? A book for all seasons-not just the footy one!' Gleaner
'Her perfect prose and sharp observations are a joy.' Sun Herald
