Reviews of The Plains
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“A mirage of landscape, memory, love and literature itself.”

            —Murray Bail

“A teasing and singular novel, one which reverberates in the imagination.”

            —Laurie Clancy, Melbourne Age

“One of the finest writers we have produced. He is a master stylist . . . a strenuously original writer with a unique vision and a flawless style.”

            —Peter Craven, Melbourne Age

“The Plains are a vast place inhabited by wealthy landowners whose prime obsession seems to be preserving history by ‘shaping from uneventful days in a flat landscape the substance of myth.’ A film-maker arrives to record aspects of their heritage, discovering symbols, stories and parables that transcend spiritual, political or cultural purposes; even the rugged patriarchy of their world is somehow illusory. Deeply mysterious yet grounded in familiar, everyday detail, this novel is an alchemical miracle, converting vision into pure narrative. A stunning achievement . . .”

            —Debra Adelaide, Sydney Morning Herald

“The Plains is parable, fable, allegory, analogue, mythology, and vision. It is also subtly satirical and often ingeniously funny . . . Gerald Murnane is unquestionably one of the most original writers working in Australia today and The Plains is a fascinating and rewarding book.”

            —The Australian