Summary of "True History of the Kelly Gang"

Warning! This book contains grammatical errors, and lots of them. Those of you who like an easy read with good language can hit the back button now and look for another book. I must admit that I did not myself manage to get through this one. I will here give you an excerpt to give an idea of what I mean.

"Many more times would death be pronounced over me but on this 1st occasion I were least prepared I could hear some boys playing cricket in the yard across the road also the regular chink chink chink of a nearby blacksmith at his forge. My legs must of give way beneath me but I didnt realise I were sitting down till I felt the crib's cold hard cleats behind my knees."

Ned Kelly writes down the story of his life so that his young daughter will one day know the truth about him and his life. Ned Kelly lived during the 19th century in Australia as an outlaw, growing up in a very poor family and had no alternative but to break the law to survive. He learns the trade from the notorious bushranger Harry Power who robs people for a living, and then Ned moves on to robbing banks and becoming a police-killer.

The author Peter Carey presents this story in a way to give you the impression that it is Ned Kelly himself speaking from the grave. The language is like that of an illiterate. There is no fluency in the monotone voice of Ned Kelly which makes it extremely difficult to read. I would not recommend this book to anyone.

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Fiction
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Awards

Book Awards

Man Booker Prize
Nobel Prize
Pulitzer Prize