Brendan Ritchie, Beyond Carousel, Fremantle Press, 3 Oct 2016, 357pp., $19.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781925164039
This sequel to Carousel opens some months after Nox, Taylor and Lizzy, and the dog, Chess, have left the eponymous shopping centre and are holed up in a mansion in the hills around Perth. They have encountered aggressive pitbulls and the occasional stranger, and are avoiding the city centre. They have plenty of food, bicycles to ride, torches for light and each other’s company. Although they do not appear to be very curious, Nox meets a man who explains what has happened in terms of the Prix de Rome. If that means nothing to you, read about it in Beyond Carousel and it may make some sense. It is not very clear: perhaps a protest about how artists are treated?
The three friends wander around Perth and its suburbs, sometimes splitting up, sometimes together. The cleaner who first appeared in Carousel has another role to play. Nox has a few sexual encounters, as do the girls, and the strange time comes to an end after the trio have put out their warnings. It is a long haul, but if Carousel excited you, you will need to read this.
Teaching Notes can be found on the Fremantle Press website.
Reviewed by Stella Lees
