Hunting the Wild Pineapple

Hunting the Wild Pineapple
AuthorThea Astley
LanguageEnglish
PublisherNelson
Publication date
1979
Publication placeAustralia
Media typePrint (Paperback)
Pages175 pp
ISBN0170054055
Preceded byA Kindness Cup 
Followed byAn Item from the Late News 

Hunting the Wild Pineapple (1979) is a collection of short stories by Australian writer Thea Astley. It was published in paperback by Nelson Publishers in Sydney in 1979.[1]

The collection includes 8 original stories by the author.[1]

Contents

  • "North: Some Compass Readings: Eden"
  • "The Curate Breaker"
  • "Hunting the Wild Pineapple"
  • "A Northern Belle"
  • "Petals from Blown Roses..."
  • "Ladies Only Ned Apply"
  • "Write Me, Son, Write Me"
  • "A Man Who is Tired of Swiper's Creek is Tired of Life"

Synopsis

The 8 stories in this collection are all narrated by Leverson who has been seduced by North Queensland's beauty and strangeness. He observed both southern imports, as well as long-term Queensland residents, equally.

Critical reception

Lyn Frost, writing in The Canberra Times noted that the collection "gives an award-winning Australian author full rein. Astley, a Queenslander, has returned there to write and discovered a whole new population...Astley conveys 'a lot of sad poetry' and humour about the place which is 'a kind of carpet-bagger's paradise'."[2]

Publication history

The collection was also published as follows:

Awards

The collection won the Colin Roderick Award in 1979.[5]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Hunting the Wild Pineapple by Thea Astley". Austlit. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  2. ^ ""Harvest of good writing"". The Canberra Times, 12 July 1981, p8. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  3. ^ "Hunting the Wild Pineapple (Penguin)". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  4. ^ "Hunting the Wild Pineapple (Putnam's)". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  5. ^ "Other Winners". www.jcu.edu.au. 15 November 2017. Archived from the original on 20 April 2019. Retrieved 11 October 2023.