Author:Patrick White

WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY ROBERT MACFARLANE
Set in nineteenth-century Australia, Voss is the story of the secret passion between an explorer and a naïve young woman. Although they have met only a few times, Voss and Laura are joined by overwhelming, obsessive feelings for each other. Voss sets out to cross the continent, and as hardships, mutiny and betrayal whittle away his power to endure and to lead, his attachment to Laura gradually increases. Laura, waiting in Sydney, moves through the months of separation as if they were a dream and Voss the only reality.
The scenery is wonderfully described by the author… There is an interesting spiritual symmetry between the decline in fate of Voss and the circumstances in which Laura finds herself
—— NudgeOne of the greatest magicians of fiction ... White's scope is vast and his invention endless
—— ObserverPatrick White is, in the finest sense, a world novelist. His themes are catholic and complex and he pursues them with a single-minded energy and vision
—— GuardianAustralia's greatest novelist
—— Geoffrey RushThe outstanding figure in Australian fiction
—— New York TimesA delightful and rather intoxicating book. Chin has a unique voice which enchants, surprises and beguiles
—— Darian LeaderSuch double happiness! Marilyn Chin in new, top form. What fun!
—— Maxine Hong KingstonEffervescent
—— iWickedly fizzing dialogue... delightful prose
—— Jonathan Gibbs , IndependentClever, well paced and structured
—— Keith Miller , Times Literary SupplementIntriguing first novel... The narrative voice floes with wit and vigour...his debut ties author and reader in engaging knots that echo the tangled webs connecting the gossipers and photographers and their privileged fodder
—— James Smart , GuardianIt's uncommonly well written, with a bountiful supply of manic energy... Would Paul Auster kill to write a book as playful, fast-paced and unashamedly populist as this? Doubtful, but somewhere there's a "Paul Auster" who might
—— Alastair Mabbott , HeraldSparky debut
—— Jonathan Barnes , Literary ReviewBenedictus takes us on a trail of the contentious highs and lows of the rich and famous in a mixture of dark humour and sharp dialogue. For Benedictus, and his valiant debut novel, more of the same please
—— Ben Bookless , Big IssueThe story of the ultimate celeb after-party, it's a knowing wink at publishing and celebrity culture - a high-concept first novel sitting just the right side of salacious
—— ElleThe Afterparty avoids smugness partly because it has more affection that vitriol for the culture that it mocks... It's very funny, but sad, too... Well-drawn characters, smart dialogue and a canny plot
—— Anthony Cummins , The Times