The Erratics
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The Erratics
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Narrated by:
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Vicki Laveau-Harvie
About this listen
Dark, sharp, blackly funny and powerful, this is memoir, wielded as weapon, with the tightly compressed energy of an explosive device.
"She has a poet's gift for language, a playwright's sense of drama and a stand-up comic's talent for timing. But perhaps most remarkable is the generosity of spirit with which she writes about family trauma. The book flows with kinetic energy, wit and wisdom. Upon reaching the last page, I found myself turning to the beginning and starting again, not wanting it to end." (New York Times)
This is a memoir about a dysfunctional family, about a mother and her daughters. But make no mistake. This is like no mother-daughter relationship you know.
When Vicki Laveau-Harvie's elderly mother is hospitalised unexpectedly, Vicki and her sister travel to their parents' isolated ranch home in Alberta, Canada, to help their father. Estranged from their parents for many years, Vicki and her sister are horrified by what they discover on their arrival. For years, Vicki's mother has camouflaged her manic delusions and savage unpredictability, and over the decades she has managed to shut herself and her husband away from the outside world, systematically starving him and making him a virtual prisoner in his own home. Vicki and her sister have a lot to do, in very little time, to save their father. And at every step they have to contend with their mother, whose favourite phrase during their childhood was "I'll get you and you won't even know I'm doing it".
A ferocious, sharp, darkly funny, and wholly compelling memoir of families, the pain they can inflict and the legacy they leave, The Erratics has the tightly coiled, compressed energy of an explosive device—it will take your breath away.
Winner of the 2019 Stella Prize, winner of the 2018 Finch Memoir Prize, shortlisted for the 2019 NSW Premier's Literary Awards.
"If someone had told me this manuscript was by a young Margaret Attwood or Alice Munro, I wouldn't have been surprised. The bleak beauty of the Canadian landscape set against this wry memoir of a daughter's journey with her sister through their parents' decline into ill-health and dementia is an extraordinary read." (Candida Baker)
"The Erratics grabbed me by the throat and never let go. Its sharp vinegary tone added a thrilling and bracing note to this portrayal of an extreme dysfunctional family. The writing has a visceral quality as well as a terrific sense of timing, irony and place—an unfamiliar and remote location far removed from Australia, but the author's tug back to Australia from this cold, inhospitable setting adds another dimension of contrast. There is a universality to the story, of ageing parents and conflicted children grappling with uncomfortable responsibilities. I loved it." (Caroline Baum, author, Only)
©2017 Vicki Laveau-Harvie (P)2019 HarperAudioWhat listeners say about The Erratics
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Bill McPherson
- 03-12-2023
Beyond a memoir, it is highest level prose
Expecting a memoir I was transported to the cold winters of Canada and felt the physical and mental discomfort of all the characters.
No one is happy but Vicki's strength of character saves her.
Hard times create hard people but Vicki is a steel hand in a velvet glove, a triumph of humanity.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- A. O'Neill
- 07-08-2019
Wickedly funny story about a difficult family.
The author of this memoir is Canadian Aussie, but I found the humour oh so very Australian. The story was a delicate balance of respecting family with all its blemishes, demonstrating the bounds that tie are more love than duty. But told with dry wit and a touch of sarcasm. However, I would have preferred a different narrator. A delightful surprise none the less.
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5 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- steve
- 29-04-2023
paints pictures and feelings without having to spe
Great book that is subtle, funny and full of feelings. The author is outstanding at communicating what's happening without the need of providing laborious, extraneous context. Feels very 'in the moment' and sincere.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Bernie from Oz
- 21-05-2023
The reason us Baby Boomers have head noise🥶 Therapy in an audible book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you Vicki
For sharing your memoirs which ignited my memoirs also .Feeling comforted in company that our Mothers should not really have taken on a role that they hadn’t been the best at at . So relatable your stories of feeling unwanted and unloved navigated me the opposite way to being a milk and cookies Mum after school and trying my best but often failing as a parent but taking ownership . Your book taught me a great lesson to realise my five sons and one daughter although in their twenties to forties now can still be affected by their parents negativity , absence and sadness. Thank you for teaching me to pull up my ‘happy socks’ and appreciate every moment with them and their families . Your narration was calm and beautifully read 🇨🇦🍁🇦🇺🦘
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Alex
- 11-08-2019
Like a good friend telling a tale
Beautiful story telling, poetic imagery I was sighing at the grace of this writer & the subject matter underrepresented in our society. The realistic narration was like the author telling me the tale in person. Can see why it one this prize well deserved!
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 21-10-2020
exceptional yarn!
Beautifully crafted and read. A wonderful storyline reflecting the reality of life's challenges and joys.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ness.Y.
- 14-02-2021
Memoir masterpiece
Funny, poignant and a beautifully written memoir. Highly recommended. And hearing her tone and emphasis really brings the pace, humour and tragedy to life in a way that I would not have got from reading on the page
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 22-09-2019
Narrator was awful
The story was good and I wanted to like it , but was total unlistenable because of the narrator. Will buy print copy
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jill Fulton
- 07-02-2020
Heartbreaking and humorous in equal parts
I love that it is the author who is reading her own memoir. Her distinctive voice (which some have not liked) gives conviction and warmth to the sometimes devastating details of her life amidst the madness of the memories she is sharing with us. Her story is written (and narrated) with love and a clear-eyed, at times brutal, honesty. You will not be disappointed.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Mundayk
- 12-02-2020
An enticing tale like your grandparents would tell
First of, I had no problem with the voice of the narrator as some had mentioned. I found, however that the narrator would read the book slower than I am used to but found that if you increased the speed (mine was 1.35x) it made the story smoother and more enjoyable.
For the story itself, I enjoyed listening to her telling her story. I found her voice reminding me of when my grandparents would recount their stories listening to all these great tales of things that had happened before I was around. There were times, when the story would suddendly jump to different points in her life, back and forth and it confused me but not enough to take from the story. Not to spoil but I found the last chapter somewhat disappointing, confusing and maybe unnecessary.
Overall I would recommend this book, as it tells the honest, heartbreaking story of the hardships of a dysfunctional family. I would suggest using the "sample" feature if you're concerned about the reviews regarding the narrator as this would help in your deciding whether to buy the audiobook or a printed copy to read yourself.
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1 person found this helpful