The principal narrative of grand days goes on for 500 or so pages, and is followed by some thirty pages of notes and explanations which form another narrative. It charts the rite of passage of edith berry, from wilfulness and. The most interesting narrative of all, to me, however, is the story of where this book fits into the life and work of frank moorhouse. In 1993s grand days, we met 26yearold australian edith, on her way. In the new novel it is 1931, and the league is already beginning. His work has been published in the united kingdom, france and the united states and also translated into german, spanish. Search for library items search for lists search for contacts search for a library. Frank moorhouse has come to the end of his relationship with edith campbell berry, the young australian he plunged into the heady world of the league of nations in grand days that was the novel. He worked as an editor of smalltown newspapers and as an administrator and in 1970s became a fulltime writer. Though grand days won the south australian festival award, it was judged insufficiently australian to be considered for the important miles franklin prize, a decision hotly debated in the literary community and the newspapers. The three books of frank moorhouse s edith trilogy grand days, dark palace and cold light follow the adult life of the ambitious, and somewhat eccentric, edith campbell berry.
Book club reading for april may grand days, by frank moorhouse seemed to me to be a huge task and having not read any frank moorhouse books before i approached the task with some trepidation 718 pages. The three books of frank moorhouses edith trilogy grand days, dark palace and cold light follow the adult life of the ambitious, and somewhat eccentric. I bought the the first one grand days about fifteen years ago. Set in geneva in the interwar period, this book conveys all the high idealism of that benighted period in european history. Grand days by frank moorhouse penguin books australia. I read grand days when i should have been studying, or when i should have been restocking chocolate bars or fuses, or feigning as i. Frank moorhouse, author of grand days, on librarything. The edith trilogy by frank moorhouse grand days, dark. He has won national prizes for his fiction, nonfiction, and essays. G rand days is volume one of frank moorhouses palais des nations novels, and is connected to the authors previous works fortyseventeen and the electrical experience by the characters of edith campbell berry and george mcdowell. The three novels, grand days 1993, dark palace 2000 and the recently published cold light 2011. T he faded but still brave word grand in the title of frank moorhouses new novel gives a signal from another age, the 1920s, when after the wartoendallwars there were grand ideals and grand hotels. Grand days won the adelaide festival national prize for fiction. The story of one young australian womans moral and sexual.
He worked as an editor of smalltown newspapers and as an. Grand days, the first novel in the edith trilogy, won the sa premiers award for fiction. Frank moorhouse biography frank moorhouse comments. Mar 19, 2018 grand days by frank moorhouse, 9780143790907, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. It is also fitting that the league of nations, the setting for the book, should in the 1920s have had its headquarters in geneva in a former luxury hotel, while its own rather.
Peter porter admires dark palace, frank moorhouses saga of. Frank moorhouse, author of the edith trilogy grand days, dark palace and now, cold light, answers ten terrifying questions. Frank moorhouses trilogy of novels about edith campbell berry is surely one of australian literatures finest achievements. Frank moorhouse, author of the edith trilogy grand days, dark. He has written fiction, nonfiction, screenplays and essays and edited many collections of writing. It shows frank moorhouse passing from days of wine and rage to his own grand days. Nicola walker, times literary supplement, 24 september 1993 this is a big, luminous, affectionate and beautifully managed novel. The final effect of the book is intoxicating and unplaceably original. Jan 31, 20 for those not familiar with frank moorhouses edith trilogy, a little summation.
Frank moorhouse set in geneva in the interwar period, this book conveys all the high idealism of that benighted period in european history. It is also fitting that the league of nations, the setting for the book, should in the 1920s have had its headquarters in geneva in a. A contemporary romantic australian masterpiece, grand days tells of the moral and sexual awakening of an idealistic young australian woman working in the. Author biography frank moorhouse was born in the coastal town of nowra, nsw. His work has been published in the united kingdom, france and the united states and also translated into german, spanish, chinese, japanese, serbian, and swedish. Her adventures are the substance of grand days, dark palace s predecessor. Author of grand days, dark palace, futility and other animals, tales of mystery and romance, the electrical experience, fortyseventeen, satanic killings, conferenceville frank moorhouse. The edith trilogy by frank moorhouse grand days, dark palace. Moorhouse is perhaps best known for winning the 2001 miles franklin literary award for his novel, dark palace.
About the author frank moorhouse has written fiction, nonfiction, screenplays and essays and edited many collections of writing. She is young, idealistic and approaches life and all its challenges big and small with a feeling of empowerment and her own brand of objective and. He has won major australian national prizes for the short story, the novel, the essay, and for script writing. The original book was 1st published in 1993 and this edition 2011.
Frank moorhouse is one of our finest writers, and hes probably most well known for his duet of historical fiction, grand days and dark palace, two works that describe the establishment and the. The three novels, grand days 1993, dark palace 2000 and the. He worked as an editor of smalltown newspapers and as an administrator and in the 1970s became a fulltime writer. Reading grand days is a rare experience it is vivid and wise, full of shocks of recognition and revelation. A contemporary romantic australian masterpiece, grand days. For nearly 20 years, frank moorhouses edith trilogy has occupied a. Grand days by frank moorhouse, 9780143790907, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. The first book, grand days 1993 sees edith campbell berry join the league of nations as an enthusiastic, idealistic ingenue. As a young woman in the 1920s, edith travelled from australia to geneva to join the league of nations, and stayed there through ww2 until the collapse of the league in 1950. One title appearing highly recommended on several reliable lists was a new frank moorhouse the third in his series on the league of nations. Frank moorhouse has opted for the blend of historical and fictional characters which turns the novel into an epic docudrama.
A novel by frank moorhouse and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Frank moorhouse books list of books by author frank moorhouse. Edith is not just the storys central character, she is the story. In any case, frank moorhouse has won many of the countrys most prestigious literary prizes, and his contribution to. Grand days is the first book in the muchacclaimed edith trilogy by awardwinning australian author frank moorhouse. On a train from paris to geneva, edith campbell berry meets major ambrose westwood in the dining car, makes his acquaintance over a lunch of six courses, and allows him to kiss her passionately. Frank moorhouse on researching the novel books and. Grand days frank moorhouse book buy now at mighty ape. Frank has won major awards for the two previous novels in the series. Frank moorehouse reading from cold light tkc april 11. The three books of frank moorhouses edith trilogy grand days, dark palace and cold light follow the adult life of the ambitious, and somewhat eccentric, edith campbell berry. Frank moorhouse was born in the coastal town of nowra, nsw. Moorhouses most recent major fictional works, the huge novels grand days and dark palace, set mainly in geneva between 1920 and 1946, deal with the worlds greatest experiment in search of universal good intentions ethical behaviour, and world citizenshipthe league of nations.
As a young woman in the 1920s, edith travelled from australia to geneva to join the league of nations, and stayed there through ww2 until the collapse of the league. This site uses cookies to deliver our services, improve performance, for analytics, and if not signed in for advertising. For those not familiar with frank moorhouses edith trilogy, a little summation. Grand days by frank moorhouse overdrive rakuten overdrive. Frank moorhouse am born 21 december 1938 is an australian writer. Frank has undertaken numerous fellowships and his work has been. Grand days won the sa premiers award for fiction and dark palace won the miles franklin literary award. Dark palace won the miles franklin literary award and was shortlisted for the nsw premiers literary award, the victorian premiers literary award and the age book of the year award. A theoretically neat idea for a sweeping series more are planned from australian writer moorhouse fortyseventeen, 1989, etc.