y separately published work icon A Dream More Luminous Than Love : The Yandilli Trilogy selected work   novel   historical fiction  
Alternative title: The Yandilli Trilogy
  • Author:agent Rodney Hall http://www.poetrylibrary.edu.au/poets/hall-rodney
Issue Details: First known date: 1994... 1994 A Dream More Luminous Than Love : The Yandilli Trilogy
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Notes

  • Sound recording also available.
  • Dedication: For my mother with gratitude for that irreplaceable gift, a happy childhood, and for taking the courageous step in 1949 - as a widow with three children and neither money nor prospects - of returning to Australia

Contents

* Contents derived from the Sydney, New South Wales,:Picador , 1994 version. Please note that other versions/publications may contain different contents. See the Publication Details.
The Second Bridegroom, Rodney Hall , single work novel historical fiction

'A young 19th-century English printer forges a document attributed to 15th-century William Caxton. Known only as FJ--the initials embedded in his forgery--the young printer is arrested and sent in fetters to New South Wales, shackled to an abusive fellow prisoner, Gabriel Dean. En route, Gabriel Dean subjects the young Englishman to unceasing abuse until FJ finally murders his tormentor. On arrival in New South Wales, FJ escapes from his master, Atholl, and disappears into the cover of surrounding jungle. Taken under the protective care of a group of aborigines, FJ recovers his health and witnesses the murder of Atholl. Further improbabilities result in the reappearance of Gabriel Dean--not dead after all--who drags FJ back to Atholl's camp, and FJ's final escape from the authorities. An old-fashioned adventure tale, in short, decked out in lyrical prose and brought up to date with a sensitive view of aboriginal culture.'

Source: Kirkus Reviews 1991

(p. 1-214)
The Grisly Wife, Rodney Hall , single work novel historical fiction

'A timely, haunting drama of utopian dreams confronted with baleful reality, Hall's new novel captures the bizarre appeal of religious cults. Catherine Byrne marries self-proclaimed prophet Muley Moloch and leaves 19th-century England with him and his eight female disciples to search for paradise on earth in the wilds of Australia. But life as a prophet's wife is not all that Catherine had expected; her first-person narration recounts a shipwreck, illness, death and outbursts of jealousy among the disciples. Muley's visionary charisma leads the group ever farther from civilization but does not draw them together, nor do the shared hardships of settling the wilderness, building two houses (one for Muley, one for the nine women, called the Household of Hidden Stars) and coping with apparitions that stare at them from the edges of the forests. After Muley disappears on a mysterious voyage, Catherine begins to see the apparitions more clearly; she alternates between enchantment and fear, wondering what is real and what is imagined. When the police arrive to investigate a brutal murder, Catherine vents her anger and frustration in a high-pitched, almost inchoate account of deception, betrayal, holy and unholy mysteries (including purported virgin births), and, finally, redemption.'

Source: Publishers Weekly https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-374-16704-2

(p. 215-475)
Captivity Captive, Rodney Hall , single work novel historical fiction

'A worthy successor to the prize-winning Just Relations, Hall's second novel to appear in this country is shorter and tighter, with the same mythical, almost mystical quality of an Australian legend, here distilled to the rambling memories of apparently senile Patrick Murphy. Patrick is outraged by the deathbed confession, in 1956, of Barney Barnett, a contemporary who was once betrothed to Patrick's sister Ellen. Barney says that 58 years ago he committed the brutal murders of three of Patrick's siblings: Norah, 27, Ellen, 18, and Michael, 29. (Hall uses an actual, unsolved murder case of 1898 and the real victims' names; no culprit was ever found.) Barnett's confession, a final try for some kind of fame or glory, is exposed as a hoax; he makes a grave error of fact and the Sydney police inspector grunts in disgust. Patrick's inner monologue does not at first reveal what he knows about the murders, although it's plain he knows a lot. As he ranges through his memories, describing childhood events from 70 years before, we are caught up in an extraordinary family of 10 children who lived with their tall, silent parents on a farm called Paradise, far away in the Australian farmlands...'

Source: Publishers Weekly https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-374-11889-1

(p. 477-689)

Includes

y separately published work icon Captivity Captive Rodney Hall , New York (City) : Farrar Straus and Giroux , 1988 Z346024 1988 single work novel historical fiction

'A worthy successor to the prize-winning Just Relations, Hall's second novel to appear in this country is shorter and tighter, with the same mythical, almost mystical quality of an Australian legend, here distilled to the rambling memories of apparently senile Patrick Murphy. Patrick is outraged by the deathbed confession, in 1956, of Barney Barnett, a contemporary who was once betrothed to Patrick's sister Ellen. Barney says that 58 years ago he committed the brutal murders of three of Patrick's siblings: Norah, 27, Ellen, 18, and Michael, 29. (Hall uses an actual, unsolved murder case of 1898 and the real victims' names; no culprit was ever found.) Barnett's confession, a final try for some kind of fame or glory, is exposed as a hoax; he makes a grave error of fact and the Sydney police inspector grunts in disgust. Patrick's inner monologue does not at first reveal what he knows about the murders, although it's plain he knows a lot. As he ranges through his memories, describing childhood events from 70 years before, we are caught up in an extraordinary family of 10 children who lived with their tall, silent parents on a farm called Paradise, far away in the Australian farmlands...'

Source: Publishers Weekly https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-374-11889-1

y separately published work icon The Grisly Wife Rodney Hall , Chippendale : Macmillan , 1993 Z545864 1993 single work novel historical fiction

'A timely, haunting drama of utopian dreams confronted with baleful reality, Hall's new novel captures the bizarre appeal of religious cults. Catherine Byrne marries self-proclaimed prophet Muley Moloch and leaves 19th-century England with him and his eight female disciples to search for paradise on earth in the wilds of Australia. But life as a prophet's wife is not all that Catherine had expected; her first-person narration recounts a shipwreck, illness, death and outbursts of jealousy among the disciples. Muley's visionary charisma leads the group ever farther from civilization but does not draw them together, nor do the shared hardships of settling the wilderness, building two houses (one for Muley, one for the nine women, called the Household of Hidden Stars) and coping with apparitions that stare at them from the edges of the forests. After Muley disappears on a mysterious voyage, Catherine begins to see the apparitions more clearly; she alternates between enchantment and fear, wondering what is real and what is imagined. When the police arrive to investigate a brutal murder, Catherine vents her anger and frustration in a high-pitched, almost inchoate account of deception, betrayal, holy and unholy mysteries (including purported virgin births), and, finally, redemption.'

Source: Publishers Weekly https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-374-16704-2

1
y separately published work icon The Second Bridegroom Rodney Hall , Ringwood : McPhee Gribble , 1991 Z533249 1991 single work novel historical fiction

'A young 19th-century English printer forges a document attributed to 15th-century William Caxton. Known only as FJ--the initials embedded in his forgery--the young printer is arrested and sent in fetters to New South Wales, shackled to an abusive fellow prisoner, Gabriel Dean. En route, Gabriel Dean subjects the young Englishman to unceasing abuse until FJ finally murders his tormentor. On arrival in New South Wales, FJ escapes from his master, Atholl, and disappears into the cover of surrounding jungle. Taken under the protective care of a group of aborigines, FJ recovers his health and witnesses the murder of Atholl. Further improbabilities result in the reappearance of Gabriel Dean--not dead after all--who drags FJ back to Atholl's camp, and FJ's final escape from the authorities. An old-fashioned adventure tale, in short, decked out in lyrical prose and brought up to date with a sensitive view of aboriginal culture.'

Source: Kirkus Reviews 1991

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

    • London,
      c
      England,
      c
      c
      United Kingdom (UK),
      c
      Western Europe, Europe,
      :
      Faber ,
      1994 .
      Alternative title: The Yandilli Trilogy
      Extent: 493p.
      ISBN: 0571174167 (pbk)
    • New York (City), New York (State),
      c
      United States of America (USA),
      c
      Americas,
      :
      Noonday Press ,
      1995 .
      Alternative title: The Yandilli Trilogy
      Extent: 493p.
      Edition info: 1st Noonday Press ed.
      ISBN: 0330274910 (pbk)

Works about this Work

Rearranging the Dead Cat Bruce Pascoe , 2011 single work essay
— Appears in: Southerly , vol. 71 no. 2 2011; (p. 14-23)
History and the Novel : Refusing to Be Silent Jo Jones , 2010 single work essay
— Appears in: Westerly , November vol. 55 no. 2 2010; (p. 36-52)
Argues that Australian historical fiction is important in considering the progress of Aboriginal-white relations.
The Postcolonial Screen : Elaborate Forgeries in Rodney Hall’s The Second Bridegroom Peter Mathews , 2010 single work criticism
— Appears in: Postcolonial Issues in Australian Literature 2010; (p. 237-253)
Six Weeks Off School Rodney Hall , 2006 single work autobiography
— Appears in: School Days 2006; (p. 38-42)
y separately published work icon Witnessing the Past : History and Post-Colonialism in Australian Historical Novels Sigrun Meinig , Tubingen : Gunter Narr , 2004 Z1239368 2004 single work criticism
New & Noteworthy Paperbacks Laurel Graeber , 1995 single work review
— Appears in: The New York Times Book Review , 3 September 1995; (p. 20)

— Review of Daisy Bates in the Desert Julia Blackburn , 1994 single work biography ; A Dream More Luminous Than Love : The Yandilli Trilogy Rodney Hall , 1994 selected work novel
Murder, Guilt and Persecution Jo Kinnane , 1995 single work review
— Appears in: Overland , Autumn no. 138 1995; (p. 70-71)

— Review of Remembering Babylon David Malouf , 1993 single work novel ; A Dream More Luminous Than Love : The Yandilli Trilogy Rodney Hall , 1994 selected work novel
Paperbacks Asa Wahlquist , 1994 single work review
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 25 June 1994; (p. 10A)

— Review of A Dream More Luminous Than Love : The Yandilli Trilogy Rodney Hall , 1994 selected work novel
Civilisation and its Discontents Brian Matthews , 1994 single work review
— Appears in: The Age , 16 July 1994; (p. 8)

— Review of A Dream More Luminous Than Love : The Yandilli Trilogy Rodney Hall , 1994 selected work novel
Three's Company Michael McGirr , 1994 single work review
— Appears in: Eureka Street , October vol. 4 no. 8 1994; (p. 41-42)

— Review of A Dream More Luminous Than Love : The Yandilli Trilogy Rodney Hall , 1994 selected work novel ; Drift Brian Castro , 1994 single work novel
y separately published work icon Witnessing the Past : History and Post-Colonialism in Australian Historical Novels Sigrun Meinig , Tubingen : Gunter Narr , 2004 Z1239368 2004 single work criticism
Six Weeks Off School Rodney Hall , 2006 single work autobiography
— Appears in: School Days 2006; (p. 38-42)
The Postcolonial Screen : Elaborate Forgeries in Rodney Hall’s The Second Bridegroom Peter Mathews , 2010 single work criticism
— Appears in: Postcolonial Issues in Australian Literature 2010; (p. 237-253)
History and the Novel : Refusing to Be Silent Jo Jones , 2010 single work essay
— Appears in: Westerly , November vol. 55 no. 2 2010; (p. 36-52)
Argues that Australian historical fiction is important in considering the progress of Aboriginal-white relations.
Rearranging the Dead Cat Bruce Pascoe , 2011 single work essay
— Appears in: Southerly , vol. 71 no. 2 2011; (p. 14-23)
Last amended 27 Jan 2010 08:36:37
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