Based on the true story of William Buckley, Strandloper begins in the rural Cheshire of the 1790s. Where young William and Het are preparing for the annual festival known as Shick-Shack Day. William has been chosen as the village's Shick-Shack, an ancient fertility figure. Het is to be his "Teaser". When the local landowner discovers the celebration in the church, William is arrested and transported to New Holland. Arriving in the strange continent, he escapes and walks for more than a year in the intense heat. He collapses and is discovered by Aborigines, who believe him to be Murrangurk, the great hero, lawgiver, and heater of their people, returned from the dead. William then becomes Murrangurk in reality, and Het is a forgotten memory. When he finally does return it is neither as William nor Murrangurk, but as "Strandloper". And in a magnificent climax, the Dreaming of the Aborigines and the ancient green magic of England are fused as one.

Customer Reviews:

Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0

Haunting and beautiful:

This book is both haunting and beautiful... it hung around and is staying with me far longer than most books do when I've finished them. I first read Elidor when I was 14 years old, and that book made such an impression that I still remember it 35 years later. I probably won't be around in another 35 years, but Strandloper will stay with me until then. This book is a treasure.
As other reviewers have stated, this book requires, nay, demands your full attention, but once you have passed through the... more info

Buckley's Chance or None:

This is as brave an attempt as Garner has made to effect voices from other eras. It's achieved with consistently brilliant time and place shifts, and one can't conclude other than, in choosing the Buckley legend, his many years of mining in this direction has hit paydirt. Particularly powerful is the sense of Buckley's rural upbringing, which assists his passage into indigineous understandings of the world, and the mental state he confronts when re-entering 'civilisation'. In potent brief passages, Garner... more info

A remarkable novel, but not for all readers ...:

I loved this book, like most of the other reviewers here. And I'll leave it to their reviews to try to convey the nature of the novel in a nutshell, so much as that is possible. It is remarkable, and difficult, and it doesn't do the reader any favors -- exposition? bah! -- but if you take the time to work at penetrating this seemingly impenetrable novel, the rewards are well worth that effort.
HOWEVER, the simple truth of the matter is this: Strandloper is not for everybody. If you are looking for... more info

Difficult read:

A book you know merits better understanding, if only it could be understood. Garner's language is very choppy and difficult to follow, but the catch-22 of the situation is that it must be in order for the story to come alive. After a few reads you become accustomed to the writing and can focus more on the thematic value.

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