Cloudstreet - Tim Winton

This novel is amazing. Written in a highly symbolic style, it is grounded in Australian culture, with vibrant, utterly indentifiable characters with many foibles, tainted by sorrow and disappointment. It is beautifully created. It has historical, cultural and social sifnificance- must read!

I thought cloudstreet was extremely good. it portrayed aspects of Australian life both past and present with surprising realism. I found that cloudstreet made some important points about community and unity and i found that it communicated to the responder on a number of levels.

To sarah, re ur question.

The aboriginal man is a symbol for family and coming together. Everytime a character is contemplating who they are or where their place is in the world the aboriginal man appears. For eg when Quick is travelling away from Lucy Wentworth he gives the aboriginal man a lift. as a consequence the aboriginal man and quick travel to cloudstreet without intending to. This alludes to the concept of interleaving times and planes. also alludes to the need for spiritual reconciliation

Cloudstreet is definitely a one-of-a-kind type of book. I'm currently studying it for my year 11 independent study. Can anyone help me with further understanding this book? If so, pls contact me. Thanx :)

Haha, yup, keep on dreamin gal!

can anyone tell me where faith is explored in the book????????? Also, any type of spiritualism is also useful!!

hey guys...im studying Cloudstreet for my yr 12 indp Study...i have till this Friday to hand in an essay and creative peice...i have only read the first few chapters..any hints tips...explanations PLEASE im desperate

a great book, im doing a speech on it and its hard cause its so good
i love it it has very real issues its great

it was a wonderfully written book, its great to gather insights into the Western Australian lifestyle of the 1960's. With its unique symbolism and its appealing colloquial language, it was a joy to read and study in yr 12. Cheers timmy!

I found Cloudstreet to be an extremely emotional book, based on the self-exploration of the various characters. It was a change from what I usually read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I appreciated the descriptive talent showed by Tim Winton and wish that there where a page that helped with the analysis of the book for high school essays, it would make life easier.
It seems that alot of people use this as there independent study, and any help would be appreciated :D

im currently studying the play for drama, not the book. I am the character of Fish, so for anyone who knows this character will understand my difficulty in portraying him in a convincing and real way. He is a very complex character whom i have grown to love. now i just have to be him and make the audience believe me.

I think Cloudstreet is a horrible pile of shite that should be burnt in a raging fire! I don't think I have ever read anything that can go on for so very long and get absloutly no where. Tim Winton should be shot for writing such a terrible pile of crap!!!!

i think its sooooo boring and now i have 2 do a play for it and ive never had so much sleeep lol jks its good and very clever

i didnt want to read this piece originally but my teacher swore that it would connect so well with the movie i am watching. and it does, its a beautiful piece once you get into it. i didnt like That Eye the SKy which also put me off of reading it, but i most enjoyed it. from Yet another year 12 using this book for an Indepenent Study

ANYONE WHO HATES THIS BOOK JUST DOESNT UNDERSTAND IT. those who are struggling really need to re-read everything carefully, bringing their own context to the book and follow the very subtle clues. i'm only in year 12 and i didn't appreciate (or even enjoy) the book at first but after analysing it properly in class, i felt like i've read a completely book. it is an amazing read and you see how it would've taken 4 years to write. its a favourite.

To tell you the truth i didnt finish this book, it just went for sooo long. But after reading many overviews and class noted i pretty much get the gist and now i have an essay due in. At first i had nothing to write about, and thought i'd never get 2000 words, but as i work deeper into the symbolism and the alternate meanings and level of the novel, i have come to find that there is now just too much to write about, and i don't know what to write and what to leave out. A very confusing text, hard to enjoy when it was dragged on for so long, but i guess it's better than some other texts we could have got stuck with. Help with values would be fantastic, thanks...manda xoxo

hey, has any1 got any examples from the text of environment, reality, communication?

this doesn't make sense

Cloudstreet was an amazing book, adapted as a wonderful, convincing and emotional play. It was an extremely worthwhile read, and I am so happy that I have been able to study it for drama.
Anyone who thinks it is stupid, or boring, should find something else to read.

hey. I am doing year 12 english studies and i need to hand up a essay about this book but i also have to connect it with "That Eye, the Sky" also by Tim Winton. Could i have some desperate help

Any insight on how this text relates to searching for community?

i thought this book was soo boring to begin with but when i finally understood what was going on i liked it but it is not a story i would read over agian

I loved this saga as it not only perfectly depictes post war Australia, making it a novel of its time, but it's intricate characters,their relationchips and all the values of humanity, community, family, spirituality and importance of place which are priveledged in the novel make this a timeless peice. There is no targeted audience it is a book in which any human can relate to.

can anyone help me on the following question "in cloudstreet there are no obvious heroes or villians..is this true? does it matter"? need help with my english essay intro!

one of the worst books ive ever written.

the symbolism used in book is irrelevent, uncoherhent and just plain rubbish..

Tim winton is an extraordinarily exceptional author.For english this year we had to read it and so many people thought it was a load of crap as it never went anywhere.But thats why i loved it, it was so realistic and understandable.you were able to follow the characters on there own seperate journeys through life.The house is full of its own memories and creaks and emotions but it is able to unite the familys even though they are so different.The aboriginal man is an angel and he is a symbol of the right choice. He appears whenever a character is in need of emotional support.Oh and the structure of the novel.WOW. ...just incredible.

Cloudstreet is AMAZING!
absolutly fan-bloody-tastic. i frikken loved this book. im doing it for yr 12 literature and just adore it. its so clever and powerful.

no other book could ever come close!!!!!

how could anyone not get something out fo it?

FANTASTIC!!!!!

christ this book is the biggest load of nothing ever
for starts it was way too long, and it was just like a boring list of event: we sold our cake, etc
and for everyone that says i just need to read it again
WELL I HAV 3 BLOODY TIMES
and it is getting any better!!
ps in an interview old timmy said that the pig was just a random bit to stop writter block and he finds it amusing how much symbolism people put behind it

christ this book is the biggest load of nothing ever
for starts it was way too long, and it was just like a boring list of event: we sold our cake, etc
and for everyone that says i just need to read it again
WELL I HAV 3 BLOODY TIMES
and it is getting any better!!
ps in an interview old timmy said that the pig was just a random bit to stop writter block and he finds it amusing how much symbolism people put behind it

good book

Good Book, im interested in it alot.
Does anybody know why Fish glows?
And whats the role of beryl Lee?