Ice (Nowra novel)
.jpg) First edition | |
| Author | Louis Nowra |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Allen & Unwin |
Publication date | 2008 |
| Publication place | Australia |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| Pages | 322 |
| ISBN | 9781741754834 |
| Preceded by | Abaza |
| Followed by | Into That Forest |
Ice is a 2008 novel by Australian novelist Louis Nowra.[1]
Plot summary
A pair of ambitious young British entrepreneurs, Malcolm McEacharn and Andrew McIlwraith, charter a steamer with the aim of towing an iceberg from Antarctica to Sydney. The success of the venture transforms Sydney, and McEacharn who later becomes lord mayor of Melbourne.
Notes
- Dedication: For Mandy
Reviews
Writing in The Australian Book Review Tim Howard noted that "Structuring a novel around one all-encompassing conceit is risky", before commenting that "Nowra is too canny a writer" to just go looking for any ice "metaphorical derivatives." He concluded "Ice is a strange and skilful novel, and, contra its title, so warm, so alive." [2]
Cassandra Golds in Eureka Street found the book to be "a mesmeric proliferation of intense images" with "a plot that pushes over into the Gothic". The novel, she notes: "death, the fanatical resistance to change, the futility of attempts at preservation and, perhaps, the emptiness at the heart of Australian life."[3]
Awards and nominations
- 2009 shortlisted Miles Franklin Literary Award[4]
- 2009 Prime Minister's Literary Awards — Highly Commended[5]
References
- ^ "Ice by Louis Nowra". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
- ^ ""Ice by Louis Nowra"". The Australian Book Review, November 2008. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
- ^ ""Chipping away at Australia's frozen heart"" (PDF). Eureka Street, December 2008, pp30-31. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
- ^ Steger, Jason (16 April 2009). "Melbourne novelist Tsiolkas on Miles Franklin shortlist". The Age. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
- ^ "Ice by Louis Nowra – Awards". Austlit. Retrieved 6 August 2025.