Author Anderson Takes Readers Into A Fantastical Australia
by Sarah Hayes of the Forum
"Is
this the place?"
The
wombat looked at the pieces of desert being blown around them and
took the pipe out of his mouth. "I hope not."
"What
I meant was, is this the place where things haven't changed and
Australia is liked it used to be?"
The
wombat thought for a long time before he answered. "If you mean
somewhere animals run around without any clothes on while being
chased by people with spears and boomerangs, the answer is no. It's
not bloody likely that you'd find old Jack in a place like that.
(Albert of Adelaide, page 12, paperback ed.)
Albert
of Adelaide is what would happen if someone took the writing
quirks of Lord of the Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien, dropped
them into the harsh terrain of the Australian Outback, made all the
characters talking animals who cuss up a storm, and added copious
amounts of booze, bar fights and shotguns. This is the world author
Howard Anderson has crafted for his readers, and it is unlike what
most students will probably read this year.
The
story of Albert of Adelaide follows the title character,
Albert, a platypus with only an empty soda bottle to his name. Having
recently broken out of the Adelaide Zoo, he is searching for the
fabled "Old Australia", where animals still act like
animals and can find freedom for themselves. Like any good journey,
Albert doesn't find what he's looking for without running into a few
speed bumps, such as a pyromaniac wombat named Jack and a
chain-swinging "demon" from San Francisco named TJ. Off the
bat, this is not your typical fellowship.
Unlike
most well-known stories featuring talking animals as the main cast,
the animals in Albert are not virtuous or even agreeable. They
fight, get into vicious turf wars, and do a lot of hard drinking.
Anderson does not shy away from showing readers the after effects of
the various groups' gunfights, describing the bodies of the animals
on the desert floor in such a way that it's difficult not to feel
something for the fallen creatures.
One
of the strengths of Albert is Anderson's writing style. It's
hard and sparse but still packs an emotional punch when necessary,
such as battle scenes and moments of great upheaval for poor Albert.
Anderson also describes, in detail, the landscape of the Outback
which Albert and his associates are walking through. Even if readers
have never seen a photograph of what Australia looks like, Anderson
effectively paints a picture of the land and the kinds of animals and
plant life one would come across if they were following Albert's
webbed footsteps.
The
story of Albert is a hard one, and Albert the platypus'
journey is no easy trip. He often has to rely upon his wits and the
poisoned spurs on his back feet in order to defend himself against
the Outback's more antagonistic four limbed residents. It's a violent
and dirty world Albert finds himself in, much different from the zoo
cage he ran out of, but through everything he still finds hope that
somewhere out there is the “Old Australia” he dreams of. Readers
of Albert will soon find themselves cheering on the titular
platypus and hoping to find this mythical place alongside him.
Students
can order paperback or hardcover copies of Albert of Adelaide
from the Florissant Valley Community College book store or at their
local book store. The Flo Valley book store is open Monday through
Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
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