The Boys Who Stole the Funeral
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 | |
| Author | Les Murray |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Verse novel |
| Publisher | Angus and Robertson |
Publication date | 1980 |
| Publication place | Australia |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 71 pp. |
| Awards | Grace Leven Prize for Poetry winner 1980 |
| ISBN | 0207141053 |
| Preceded by | Ethnic Radio |
| Followed by | Equanimities |
The Boys Who Stole the Funeral (1980) is a verse novel by Australian writer Les Murray. It was originally published by Angus and Robertson in Australia in 1980.[1]
The novel consists of a sequence of 140 sonnets, many of which had been previously published in newspapers, literary journals, and poetry anthologies.[2]
The novel tells the story of how two young men steal the body of an old friend from a city undertaker in order to give their friend the rural burial he so desired.
Publishing history
After its initial publication in Australia by Angus and Robertson in 1980,[3] the novel was reprinted by Angus and Robertson in 1982 and then published as follows:
- Carcanet, UK, 1989[4]
- Farrar Straus and Giroux, US, 1991[1]
- Minerva, Australia, 1993[2]
A sound recording of the novel was created in 1985 by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.[5]
Critical reception
The Judges' Report for the National Book Council Award noted: "Here we have an original and daring work — a novel sequence in poetry — poetry indeed and not verse, and poetry which seeks to articulate a mythology about rural Australia. The lines are chiselled with care, the book sculptured with grace; narrative and dialogue fuse into a poetic whole, the poetic sensibility informs all: the darting phrase, the naked insight."[6]