Título: Only Killers and Thieves: A Novel
Autor: Paul Howarth
Sinopse: "Powerful. . . . Paul Howarth brings early Australia to life, bloody warts and all, in an epic tale of murder, revenge, and colonial oppression, with very little room for redemption. The story and his words will stay with you, long after you have finished the book.” — New York Review of Books
Two brothers are exposed to the brutal realities of life and the seductive cruelty of power in this riveting debut novel—a story of savagery and race, injustice and honor, set in the untamed frontier of 1880s Australia—reminiscent of Philipp Meyer’s The Son and the novels of Cormac McCarthy.
It is 1885, and a crippling drought threatens to ruin the McBride family. Their land is parched, their cattle starving. When the rain finally comes, it is a miracle that renews their hope for survival. But returning home from an afternoon swimming at a remote waterhole filled by the downpour, fourteen-year-old Tommy and sixteen-year-old Billy meet with a shocking tragedy.
Thirsting for vengeance against the man they believe has wronged them—their former Aboriginal stockman—the distraught brothers turn to the ruthless and cunning John Sullivan, the wealthiest landowner in the region and their father’s former employer. Sullivan gathers a posse led by the dangerous and fascinating Inspector Edmund Noone and his Queensland Native Police, an infamous arm of British colonial power charged with the "dispersal" of indigenous Australians to "protect" white settler rights. As they ride across the barren outback in pursuit, their harsh and horrifying journey will have a devastating impact on Tommy, tormenting him for the rest of his life—and will hold enduring consequences for a young country struggling to come into its own.
An epic tale of revenge and survival, Only Killers and Thieves is a gripping and utterly transporting debut, bringing to vivid life a colonial Australia that bears a striking resemblance to the American Wild West in its formative years.
Contexto da obra
Como livro em inglês, esta obra costuma ganhar também uma camada própria de interesse editorial e linguístico. “Only Killers and Thieves: A Novel”, de Paul Howarth, publicado pela editora Harper Perennial, em 2018 e com 336 páginas, integra a categoria Livros em Inglês. Por isso, o interesse da obra tende a se ampliar quando o leitor considera também a relação com a língua em que ela circula.
Editora: Harper Perennial
Páginas: 336
Ano: 2018-12-04
Edição: Reprint
Linguagem: en
ISBN: 0062690981
ISBN13: 9780062690982
Sobre a editora
Os livros da editora Harper Perennial costumam oferecer uma experiência de leitura que combina narrativas densas e envolventes com uma diversidade temática que vai da história medieval detalhada a retratos contemporâneos intensos. As sinopses sugerem um catálogo que privilegia histórias humanas complexas, muitas vezes ambientadas em contextos históricos ou sociais marcantes, como guerras, conflitos culturais e transformações pessoais. O tom varia entre o suspense investigativo, a crônica social e a ficção literária, com ritmo que pode ser tanto introspectivo quanto tenso, dependendo do foco narrativo. O material de apresentação indica ainda uma atenção especial a personagens multifacetados, cujas trajetórias exploram dilemas morais, relações familiares e questões identitárias.
