Hunting the Wild Pineapple (1979) is a collection of short stories by Australian writer Thea Astley. It was published in paperback by Nelson Publishers in Sydney in 1979.
The collection includes 8 original stories by the author.
Contents
"North: Some Compass Readings: Eden" "The Curate Breaker" "Hunting the Wild Pineapple" "A Northern Belle" "Petals from Blown Roses..." "Ladies Only Ned Apply" "Write Me, Son, Write Me" "A Man Who is Tired of Swiper's Creek is Tired of Life"
Synopsis The 8 stories in this collection are all narrated by Leverson who has been seduced by North Queensland's beauty and strangeness. He observed both southern imports, as well as long-term Queensland residents, equally.
Critical reception Lyn Frost, writing in The Canberra Times noted that the collection "gives an award-winning Australian author full rein. Astley, a Queenslander, has returned there to write and discovered a whole new population...Astley conveys 'a lot of sad poetry' and humour about the place which is 'a kind of carpet-bagger's paradise'."
Publication history The collection was also published as follows:
Penguin, Australia, 1981 G. P. Putnam's Sons, USA, 1991
Awards The collection won the Colin Roderick Award in 1979.
See also
1979 in Australian literature
References