Summary
A striking, lyrical work of autofiction that follows a struggling artist living on the margins in 1990s Melbourne.
‘When he asks what kind of work I do, I tell him I am a poet.’ ‘Poetry will break your heart,’ he says. ‘Or, perhaps it is the only thing that won’t,’ I say.
In this startling work of autofiction the unnamed narrator plunges us headlong into 1990s Melbourne bohemia—a whirlwind of friends and strangers, decadence and despair, sex and drugs—through the places she sl…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781922458629 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 1922458627 |
| Author: | Libby Angel |
| Publisher: | Text Publishing |
| Imprint: | The Text Publishing Company |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Number of Pages: | 304 |
| Release Date: | 30 May 2023 |
| Weight: | 438g |
| Dimensions: | 232mm x 155mm x 24mm |
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What They're Saying
Critics Review
‘A kicker of a novel, full of beauty and grit.’ * Mandy Beaumont, author of The Furies *
‘An unsparing, unflinching and exquisitely precise rendering of 1990s Melbourne counter-culture.’ * Edwina Preston, author of Bad Art Mother *
‘Sharp and sobering…Angel’s work shares the grittiness of Helen Garner’s writing…and the dry, black humour of Meg Mason.’ * Books+Publishing *
‘The book, like the art of Warhol and his contemporaries, is presented in jagged, crafted sections…In a sense, Where I Slept is a ‘90s version of Helen Garner’s Monkey Grip…But it’s something far stranger and darker…Garner’s narrators are finding a new normal; Angel’s narrator rejects normal altogether.’ * InDaily *
‘Angel has created an intense period piece in this book, beautifully written, full of surprisingly funny detail and scenes that live beyond the page, with crisp dialogue that draws the reader (back) into this time now long past. Where I Slept really got to me, and I’m still thinking about it.’ * Readings Monthly *
‘Eschewing adornment and cliche, Angel writes with a poet’s precision and she evokes no character as viscerally as they places they rest their heads…Angel’s work is an immersive, elevated chronicle of her own suffering and exhilaration, offering an engaging protagonist through whom unsentimental truths are revealed about a life lived on the margins.’ * Guardian *
‘[Libby Angel] does a brilliant job of bringing to life her protagonist’s squalid surrounds…Where I Slept will solidify Angel’s reputation as a literary force to be reckoned with. The book’s gritty urbanity and feminist sensibility make it a Monkey Grip of the Y2K era.’ * Australian Book Review *
‘Laced with biting humour and a poetic quality…Angel’s visceral depictions of cramped, unsanitary, unfettered living conditions go to the heart of her intentions to deconstruct the perceived romanticism of the freewheeling, bohemian lifestyle.’ * Age *
‘Where I Slept paints a rich and immersive picture of the artistic Bohemia of 1990s urban Melbourne…The novel is, in the end, a sort of ode to exploration and personal growth.’ * Ramona Magazine *
‘This novel is as much a portrait of vanished Melbourne as it is of the narrator’s artistic journey.’ * Good Reading (4 stars) *
‘Reminiscent of Helen Garner’s Monkey Grip, but for the grunge generation.’ * Advertiser *
About The Author
Libby Angel
Libby Angel is an Australian poet and novelist. She won the 2018 Barbara Jefferis Award for her debut novel, The Trapeze Act. Her poetry has appeared in multiple Australian journals.
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