From its first release in 1983, The Bodysurfers has been widely acclaimed as a wonderful example both of Australian writing and of the short story form. With recurrent themes and characters across the collection, and familiar beach side settings in many of the stories, these are tales which Australian readers can relate to.
Now The Bodysurfers has been rereleased in budget paperback format as part of the Popular Penguin series. The format makes the title both affordable and portable, and the stories themselves blend character development with absorbing scenarios. Whilst each tale is different, all leave the reader pondering, with deliberately loose ends to be considered. Themes of marital breakup, fidelity, identity and, of course, the beach, recur as the stories span three generations of one family.
A classic.
The Bodysurfers , by Robert Drewe
Penguin, first published 1983, this edition 2009
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