The Cupboard Under the Stairs
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The Cupboard Under the Stairs is a Miles Franklin Award-winning novel by Australian author George Turner.[1] This novel shared the award with The Well Dressed Explorer by Thea Astley.[2]
It is the second novel in the author's "Treelake" series.[3]
Synopsis
The novel tells the story of Harry White, who attempts to rebuild his life after spending six years in a mental institution.
Critical reception
A writer in The Canberra Times noted: "In this, his third novel, George Turner tells an absorbing and often frightening story, technically mature an psychologically satisfying. and his concern for the human condition is both perceptive and compasionate."[4]
Lisa Hill on the ANZLitLovers Litblog concluded: "The evangelical tone goes into overdrive with the characterisation of Jimmy, whose stoic championing of Harry leads even to the break-up of his relationship because he won’t tolerate prejudice against mental illness. He makes a huge social and financial investment in Harry, which would be questionable in any circumstances with a near-stranger. But Turner was trying to make the point that a man ought to be able to make a fresh start without having all his attempts sabotaged by ignorance and fear. Back in the 1960s, that was an idea that had a long way to go before gaining any kind of acceptance."[5]
Notes
The novel carries the following dedication: "To Betty and Lindsay Bloomfield for one reason and another".
The author added the following note: "Kilkalla is not modelled on any existing branch of the Department of Mental Hygiene. To eliminate such confusion I have employed only generalized statements as to the detailed nature of the work carried on there, emphasizing only that it is experimental."
References
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