"Kangaroo" is another D H Lawrence book that I have always wanted to read. I saw the movie version many years ago and really enjoyed it. I find Australian books (or books about Australia) always have a little something extra for me in them. It can be a average book but If it has an Australian connection I will still enjoy it.

When Lawrence wrote Kangaroo (around 1920's) There were very few writers (if any) of his calibre writing about Australia. So When I started reading the book I had high expectations. Having just finished Lady Chatterley's Lover and been blown away by Lawrence's writing style and depth of his observations, I was expecting a lot. As it happened I only got through half of the book.

It did have some great observations and exchanges with the main character,who is an English tourist visiting NSW for a few months, and his Australian neighbour. But I found it had long passages of exchange with the Kangaroo character which were hard to understand exactly what he meant.

Kangaroo is the head (guru) of a secret organization of ex-diggers with "ideas" of how best to run the country similar to the New Guard which existed in Australia at that time. The passages where Kangaroo talks about his philosophy of how to make a Australia a better place is deliberately written in a vague manner. Initially I found it riveting reading. I assume that Lawrence is trying to create something that all sides of politics will find something in. He avoids cliches and creates a new kind of philosophy that is interesting. The problem with it is that it loses it basis in reality.We know the New Guard was a right wing, fascist organization. By cutting off his philosophy from it's grounding in reality, the dialogue becomes more and more nebulous and meaningless as it continues.

The main character starts talking about a second force that motivates people (love is the first) and knowing Lawrence we can assume he means sex. but he disguises what he says so much, (I guess so the book won't be banned) that it's hard to know what he is talking about. Okay so this book was never banned but it's hard to know just what he is talking about.

After reading a few chapters of this dialogue with Kangaroo and the main character and not being sure what they were talking about I gave up and returned the book to the library. After I started writing this blog I became curious as to how the book ends. I have to confess I borrowed the book again and have it next to my bed now. It's funny the effect writing a blog has on people....

Ta