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Minimum of Two
Tim Winton's characters are ordinary people who battle to maintain loyalty against all odds; women, children, men whose relationships strain under pressure and leave them bewildered, hoping, sometimes fleeing, but often finding strength in forgotten parts of themselves.
160 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1987
31 people are currently reading
554 people want to read
About the author
Tim Winton
75 books2,304 followersTim Winton was born in Perth, Western Australia, but moved at a young age to the small country town of Albany.
While a student at Curtin University of Technology, Winton wrote his first novel, An Open Swimmer. It went on to win The Australian/Vogel Literary Award in 1981, and launched his writing career. In fact, he wrote "the best part of three books while at university". His second book, Shallows, won the Miles Franklin Award in 1984. It wasn't until Cloudstreet was published in 1991, however, that his career and economic future were cemented.
In 1995 Winton’s novel, The Riders, was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, as was his 2002 book, Dirt Music. Both are currently being adapted for film. He has won many other prizes, including the Miles Franklin Award three times: for Shallows (1984), Cloudstreet (1992) and Dirt Music (2002). Cloudstreet is arguably his best-known work, regularly appearing in lists of Australia’s best-loved novels. His latest novel, released in 2013, is called Eyrie.
He is now one of Australia's most esteemed novelists, writing for both adults and children. All his books are still in print and have been published in eighteen different languages. His work has also been successfully adapted for stage, screen and radio. On the publication of his novel, Dirt Music, he collaborated with broadcaster, Lucky Oceans, to produce a compilation CD, Dirt Music – Music for a Novel.
He has lived in Italy, France, Ireland and Greece but currently lives in Western Australia with his wife and three children.
While a student at Curtin University of Technology, Winton wrote his first novel, An Open Swimmer. It went on to win The Australian/Vogel Literary Award in 1981, and launched his writing career. In fact, he wrote "the best part of three books while at university". His second book, Shallows, won the Miles Franklin Award in 1984. It wasn't until Cloudstreet was published in 1991, however, that his career and economic future were cemented.
In 1995 Winton’s novel, The Riders, was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, as was his 2002 book, Dirt Music. Both are currently being adapted for film. He has won many other prizes, including the Miles Franklin Award three times: for Shallows (1984), Cloudstreet (1992) and Dirt Music (2002). Cloudstreet is arguably his best-known work, regularly appearing in lists of Australia’s best-loved novels. His latest novel, released in 2013, is called Eyrie.
He is now one of Australia's most esteemed novelists, writing for both adults and children. All his books are still in print and have been published in eighteen different languages. His work has also been successfully adapted for stage, screen and radio. On the publication of his novel, Dirt Music, he collaborated with broadcaster, Lucky Oceans, to produce a compilation CD, Dirt Music – Music for a Novel.
He has lived in Italy, France, Ireland and Greece but currently lives in Western Australia with his wife and three children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews
April 28, 2024
A collection of short stories from Western Australia's premier fiction writer, Tim Winton. Often held up as an example for aspiring writers and high school children (in Australia), I have previously read two of his novels and enjoyed them a lot.
This collection of short stories, however, was strangely unsatisfying. Around half of the stories feature recurring characters of Jerra and Rachel, although oddly they are not in chronological order - they may be in reverse order, I am not too sure. The other half of the stories feature other, unrelated characters.
Most of the stories seem to examine pride, loneliness, longing and losing. To me the best description is still unsatisfying. None of the stories seemed to have enough in them to have set up a situation, then resolved that situation - completion of a story.
This book, published in 1987 is near the start of Winton's career as a writer (three novels and another short story collection before this one),so perhaps he was still finding his way.
Three stars
This collection of short stories, however, was strangely unsatisfying. Around half of the stories feature recurring characters of Jerra and Rachel, although oddly they are not in chronological order - they may be in reverse order, I am not too sure. The other half of the stories feature other, unrelated characters.
Most of the stories seem to examine pride, loneliness, longing and losing. To me the best description is still unsatisfying. None of the stories seemed to have enough in them to have set up a situation, then resolved that situation - completion of a story.
This book, published in 1987 is near the start of Winton's career as a writer (three novels and another short story collection before this one),so perhaps he was still finding his way.
Three stars
August 9, 2023
4★
“He found his wife on the mattress on the floor with the child beside her. When he turned the light on he saw her on her back, mouth wide, struggling to breathe. Her eyes were so big in her face they frightened him. He scrabbled around in the bedclothes. The baby shrieked.
‘Where’s your Ventolin? Your inhaler, where’s your inhaler?’”
West Australian Tim Winton is an Australian National Living Treasure (yes, there really is such a thing) who has been publishing stories, novels, children’s books and plays since he was, what, twelve? No, I exaggerate. He began his first novel, An Open Swimmer, at nineteen while still at university, and it was published in 1982, when he was still only twenty-one. Oh, so old!
Seriously, I’m a fan, and while this was a mixed bag for me, I still enjoyed seeing his characters and their stories. Many are completely individual, but a few have the same characters – not in chronological order – so that the mother suffering the asthma attack in the opening quotation reappears in later stories pregnant, having the baby, visiting the grandparents.
The title story Minimum of Two refers to the prison sentence given to her boss for the crime of raping Greta, leaving her a sobbing ghost of herself. Eventually, she allows intimacy with her husband again, and they have twins. This sends her back into deep depression. Her husband has been caring and sensitive – again - but he is feeling starved of affection.
“The night I was desperate and pitiful enough to try to make love with my wife while she was asleep, the night that made her look at me as though I was diseased, that was the night I decided to kill Fred Blakey.”
Blakey, Greta’s previous boss, has stolen the lives of this couple, and when we see what his selfish, entitled action did to an entire young family, we’d like to wipe him out, too.
Winton shows how people feel in their worst and best moments. It can make for uncomfortable reading when you realise you can see yourself doing and saying some of these things.
He is well known for his descriptive prose. This is the first paragraph of a man telling a story about his troubled friend and hoping to help him.
“I sat with him by the river. The big, sad peppermints gave us shade and the breezy scent of their litter. Across the rumpled water, on the opposite bank, freeway traffic glittered in miniature and city towers took the white sun on their flanks. Full-bellied yachts were passing; they floated by like light and music. There were children near us, and gulls. It was beautiful to see. But I knew my friend saw nothing. There are times when all you can do is feel, when there’s nothing but alarms ringing and you can’t even see yourself in the mirror.”
This collection was published in 1987, only five years after that first novel, but of course some of the stories had appeared earlier in other publications. They aren’t all examples of his best writing, but my goodness, he certainly started off with a bang.
“He found his wife on the mattress on the floor with the child beside her. When he turned the light on he saw her on her back, mouth wide, struggling to breathe. Her eyes were so big in her face they frightened him. He scrabbled around in the bedclothes. The baby shrieked.
‘Where’s your Ventolin? Your inhaler, where’s your inhaler?’”
West Australian Tim Winton is an Australian National Living Treasure (yes, there really is such a thing) who has been publishing stories, novels, children’s books and plays since he was, what, twelve? No, I exaggerate. He began his first novel, An Open Swimmer, at nineteen while still at university, and it was published in 1982, when he was still only twenty-one. Oh, so old!
Seriously, I’m a fan, and while this was a mixed bag for me, I still enjoyed seeing his characters and their stories. Many are completely individual, but a few have the same characters – not in chronological order – so that the mother suffering the asthma attack in the opening quotation reappears in later stories pregnant, having the baby, visiting the grandparents.
The title story Minimum of Two refers to the prison sentence given to her boss for the crime of raping Greta, leaving her a sobbing ghost of herself. Eventually, she allows intimacy with her husband again, and they have twins. This sends her back into deep depression. Her husband has been caring and sensitive – again - but he is feeling starved of affection.
“The night I was desperate and pitiful enough to try to make love with my wife while she was asleep, the night that made her look at me as though I was diseased, that was the night I decided to kill Fred Blakey.”
Blakey, Greta’s previous boss, has stolen the lives of this couple, and when we see what his selfish, entitled action did to an entire young family, we’d like to wipe him out, too.
Winton shows how people feel in their worst and best moments. It can make for uncomfortable reading when you realise you can see yourself doing and saying some of these things.
He is well known for his descriptive prose. This is the first paragraph of a man telling a story about his troubled friend and hoping to help him.
“I sat with him by the river. The big, sad peppermints gave us shade and the breezy scent of their litter. Across the rumpled water, on the opposite bank, freeway traffic glittered in miniature and city towers took the white sun on their flanks. Full-bellied yachts were passing; they floated by like light and music. There were children near us, and gulls. It was beautiful to see. But I knew my friend saw nothing. There are times when all you can do is feel, when there’s nothing but alarms ringing and you can’t even see yourself in the mirror.”
This collection was published in 1987, only five years after that first novel, but of course some of the stories had appeared earlier in other publications. They aren’t all examples of his best writing, but my goodness, he certainly started off with a bang.
October 7, 2010
I absolutly hated this book, i had to read it for VCE english and i disliked every minute i spent with these characters. turning each page was a challenge becuase of how much i despised these people and the situations they are in. Terribly disapointing.
April 15, 2012
Imagine if you could take a glance at a moment in your life. Would it be a dramatic life changing event of a simple string of occurrences that lead you down the beaten path? This is exactly what Tim Winton has tried to explore in his book Minimum of Two. This anthology of short stories produces many windows into brief moments in time and life. Chronology is a powerful element of these stories and whilst each story is unique there are two recurring characters interwoven throughout the book. It is mesmerising to bear witness to so many lives in these stories and empowering to see Jerra and Rachel fight for their own lives.
Change is one of the most powerful elements of Minimum of Two for many reasons. The book takes the reader on a journey into the lives of many characters. The book only shows one experience for each of the characters and as such introduces a new dimension for the reader to be immersed in. Winton create moments in a person’s life that may not always be dramatically life changing but are in no way insignificant. This is clear in the story of Distant Lands which depicts a young girl trying to find her place in the world. The events in this story are by no means dramatic and yet are overflowing with underlying drama. It is a story about the unfortunately nicknamed ‘Fat Maz’ . The young girl spends her days taking care of her parent’s newsagency and wondering what she is doing with her life. Everything changes when a mysterious dark man enters and begins reading, but never purchasing, Distant Lands. It is this simple but beautiful change in her daily life that empowers her to find great purpose in her life and leave the tired confines of her family. It is breathtaking to see just how small a change is needed to affect the rest of our lives.
The only characters in the book to be featured in more than one story are Jerra and Rachel. Winton has created a disjoined and purposeful view into the experiences this married couple face throughout their lives. This element of time is an interesting factor for the Jerra and Rachel stories. You become a helpless observer to their lives as you watch them grow and change. One of the biggest transformations witnessed through the book comes from Rachel, as Jerra explains, ‘she’d had the life torn from her as well as the child’ . She has become placid and withdraws after the birth of her baby and as such is portrayed as quite a weak character which is supported by Keane (2006), “Rachel struggles with ill-health and depression but finds her way through to the future” . The gradual transition she makes is empowering to observe as she comes back to the strong individual she once was, ‘After twenty years of confirming her own ineptitude, Rachel found she was strong’ . Bearing witness to time passing by and characters developing deeper with every moment is what makes this book so engaging. The nature of the short stories is that they do require some reflection before moving onto the next. In life we need to stop and think about what we have just experienced and it is no different from Minimum of Two.
Water appears as one of the most defining qualities about many of Tim Winton’s works including Breath, Cloudstreet and the Lockie Leonard trilogy. In Minimum of Two this element is highlighted and embraced on several levels in the text. It appears as a form of renewal and cleansing in many of the short stories. It is particularly notable in Blood and Water where the reader witnesses the birth of young Sam. In this story water appears as the very catalyst of birth and life within the first sentence, “Rachel laughed and there was water down her leg. ‘It’s coming’ she said” . Whilst this is a particularly profound use of water as the sign of life it also makes very notable statements in other stories such as Laps. An editorial in The Age stated that, “As in others of these stories, water, specifically the ocean, operates as a powerful symbol of renewal, of life urges, of cleansing” . This has particular significance to understanding the function of not only the stories in Minimum of Two but also in understanding Tim Winton himself.
There are multitudes of ways to explore and enjoy Tim Winton’s Minimum of Two, but it is in the elegance of simplicity that it truly shines. It is the way in which Winton has crafted stories of change, growth and the deceptively mundane that makes it such a powerful book to read. It is not often that a book will come along and make you reassess the experiences of your life. How we acknowledge and observe the fundamentals of life determines where it will take us in the future as well as appreciating the here and now.
Change is one of the most powerful elements of Minimum of Two for many reasons. The book takes the reader on a journey into the lives of many characters. The book only shows one experience for each of the characters and as such introduces a new dimension for the reader to be immersed in. Winton create moments in a person’s life that may not always be dramatically life changing but are in no way insignificant. This is clear in the story of Distant Lands which depicts a young girl trying to find her place in the world. The events in this story are by no means dramatic and yet are overflowing with underlying drama. It is a story about the unfortunately nicknamed ‘Fat Maz’ . The young girl spends her days taking care of her parent’s newsagency and wondering what she is doing with her life. Everything changes when a mysterious dark man enters and begins reading, but never purchasing, Distant Lands. It is this simple but beautiful change in her daily life that empowers her to find great purpose in her life and leave the tired confines of her family. It is breathtaking to see just how small a change is needed to affect the rest of our lives.
The only characters in the book to be featured in more than one story are Jerra and Rachel. Winton has created a disjoined and purposeful view into the experiences this married couple face throughout their lives. This element of time is an interesting factor for the Jerra and Rachel stories. You become a helpless observer to their lives as you watch them grow and change. One of the biggest transformations witnessed through the book comes from Rachel, as Jerra explains, ‘she’d had the life torn from her as well as the child’ . She has become placid and withdraws after the birth of her baby and as such is portrayed as quite a weak character which is supported by Keane (2006), “Rachel struggles with ill-health and depression but finds her way through to the future” . The gradual transition she makes is empowering to observe as she comes back to the strong individual she once was, ‘After twenty years of confirming her own ineptitude, Rachel found she was strong’ . Bearing witness to time passing by and characters developing deeper with every moment is what makes this book so engaging. The nature of the short stories is that they do require some reflection before moving onto the next. In life we need to stop and think about what we have just experienced and it is no different from Minimum of Two.
Water appears as one of the most defining qualities about many of Tim Winton’s works including Breath, Cloudstreet and the Lockie Leonard trilogy. In Minimum of Two this element is highlighted and embraced on several levels in the text. It appears as a form of renewal and cleansing in many of the short stories. It is particularly notable in Blood and Water where the reader witnesses the birth of young Sam. In this story water appears as the very catalyst of birth and life within the first sentence, “Rachel laughed and there was water down her leg. ‘It’s coming’ she said” . Whilst this is a particularly profound use of water as the sign of life it also makes very notable statements in other stories such as Laps. An editorial in The Age stated that, “As in others of these stories, water, specifically the ocean, operates as a powerful symbol of renewal, of life urges, of cleansing” . This has particular significance to understanding the function of not only the stories in Minimum of Two but also in understanding Tim Winton himself.
There are multitudes of ways to explore and enjoy Tim Winton’s Minimum of Two, but it is in the elegance of simplicity that it truly shines. It is the way in which Winton has crafted stories of change, growth and the deceptively mundane that makes it such a powerful book to read. It is not often that a book will come along and make you reassess the experiences of your life. How we acknowledge and observe the fundamentals of life determines where it will take us in the future as well as appreciating the here and now.
March 8, 2016
The prose in this book is relatively effective, but its portrayal of gender relations definitely caused me to raise an eyebrow. Most of the men in this book are portrayed as childish, callous, or perverted, while the women are generally presented as helpless victims, or resentful nannies who have to supervise their idiot husbands. The one exception would be Queenie's story, which portrays quite a healthy partnership.
I think I'm being a bit over-sensitive here anyways. This is a decent selection of short stories, and though more character-driven than plot-driven, it's a decent read; but if you need an incredibly interesting plot to get you through this, the everyday trials of this characters may prove a little drab.
I think I'm being a bit over-sensitive here anyways. This is a decent selection of short stories, and though more character-driven than plot-driven, it's a decent read; but if you need an incredibly interesting plot to get you through this, the everyday trials of this characters may prove a little drab.
February 15, 2017
Seriously the most bone-dry, soul-sucking book I've ever read. I would give it a 0 star if it was possible. 144 pages of pointless nonsense that drags on and on. The only story that is passable is 'No memory comes,' which is about a boy who is not even relevant to the overall main cast. (Jerra and Rachel.) Even still, 0/10 would not recommend.
February 27, 2021
A feminist english teacher’s wet dream
January 30, 2021
3.5 stars
Honestly the writing is actually pretty good, wistful and poignant. The stories themselves provide, as said in an interview, a little bit of magic in such a normal setting. They delve into the daily lives of normal people and explore their desperation, loneliness, grasp on life and emotions during the highs and lows of life. Though, it is at times a little vague.
The problem is that pretty much anything you have to read for school and take millions of notes on is instantly ruined because you are unable to enjoy the simplicity of a good book. I mean seriously why do they do this to us, I think I sighed like 20 times writing notes while reading this, why can’t I just READ it.
Honestly the writing is actually pretty good, wistful and poignant. The stories themselves provide, as said in an interview, a little bit of magic in such a normal setting. They delve into the daily lives of normal people and explore their desperation, loneliness, grasp on life and emotions during the highs and lows of life. Though, it is at times a little vague.
The problem is that pretty much anything you have to read for school and take millions of notes on is instantly ruined because you are unable to enjoy the simplicity of a good book. I mean seriously why do they do this to us, I think I sighed like 20 times writing notes while reading this, why can’t I just READ it.
October 12, 2018
Tim Winton is a phenomenon. Like 'The Thing Around Your Neck', 'Minimum of Two' thrilled me. Short stories may just be my new fetish, and I can't wait to read Tsiolkas' 'Merciless Gods'.
Winton was young when he wrote this, and I cannot believe the confidence with which he writes. Each word is precise. His prose is balanced: a masterclass in creating suspense through description. The final story, 'Blood and Water', is particularly haunting.
This should be compulsory reading for any Winton fan and is an early, subtle deliberation on masculinity.
Winton was young when he wrote this, and I cannot believe the confidence with which he writes. Each word is precise. His prose is balanced: a masterclass in creating suspense through description. The final story, 'Blood and Water', is particularly haunting.
This should be compulsory reading for any Winton fan and is an early, subtle deliberation on masculinity.
February 18, 2024
I enjoyed most of these stories -I wasn't triggered like lots of the poor delicate school students forced to read this collection of stories. These stories written in 1987 before Winton established himself as a novelist, contain some of the ingredients that would appear much later in his novels. Here there are just some hints of the great writer he would become. Add half a star.
March 20, 2022
It is so bad, I wanna give you a zero. But that’s not possible��so I give you, a one.
- Tyra Banks about this book (real, not clickbait)
- Tyra Banks about this book (real, not clickbait)
January 25, 2024
tim winton is the murakami of australia [derogatory]
November 20, 2023
Tim Winton has a way of writing that captures emotions. This book had some great short stories.
August 10, 2010
I write this review the night before I intend to walk into my Literature assessment exam for this book, at first I was reluctant to read it, I've never been one for short stories. However, it was the life my teacher so easily gave these characters, these people in a book that amazed me and brought me to appreciate this book more than I would have four weeks ago. The truth is I really dislike short stories, I love writing, I hate writing short stories and by extension I dislike reading them. However, I may have to reconsider this view, Tim Winton has entirely changed my view on short stories and potentially even Australian authors. As usual, with any collection of short stories I comment upon a certain number of the stories, so here we go:
Forest Winter:
I really enjoyed the ties to the Australian outback, the very nature of the landscape which is captured so brilliantly in this story. I also really connected with Jerra as a character, I admired his courage and continuing strength as he struggled to provide for his family.
The Water Was Dark And It Went Forever Down:
This was perhaps one of my favorites from the text, it was very different in some aspects contrasted strength and weakness. In this story we see a young girl struggling to live with her mother who is struggling following her husband leaving her. We catch a very interesting glimpse into this relationship and how such an even has changed it, in particular we see how the girl strives for freedom from this. I really found it rather creepy, perhaps is the word to use in order to describe it. The language is also very descriptive.
Death Belongs To The Dead, His Father Told Him, And Sadness To The Sad:
This was another of my favorites and I recommend if you are to read this book do not give up before this story, it will remain with you long after you read it. I have barely anything else to say about this story other than: Read it.
All in all, after finally carefully unpicking the aspects of these short stories that makes them as they are I have come to appreciate them more than I could have imagined possible, it has also lifted what would have been a two star rating to at the very least a four star rating as I very much enjoyed the time we spent reading this collection of stories.
4 Stars.
Forest Winter:
I really enjoyed the ties to the Australian outback, the very nature of the landscape which is captured so brilliantly in this story. I also really connected with Jerra as a character, I admired his courage and continuing strength as he struggled to provide for his family.
The Water Was Dark And It Went Forever Down:
This was perhaps one of my favorites from the text, it was very different in some aspects contrasted strength and weakness. In this story we see a young girl struggling to live with her mother who is struggling following her husband leaving her. We catch a very interesting glimpse into this relationship and how such an even has changed it, in particular we see how the girl strives for freedom from this. I really found it rather creepy, perhaps is the word to use in order to describe it. The language is also very descriptive.
Death Belongs To The Dead, His Father Told Him, And Sadness To The Sad:
This was another of my favorites and I recommend if you are to read this book do not give up before this story, it will remain with you long after you read it. I have barely anything else to say about this story other than: Read it.
All in all, after finally carefully unpicking the aspects of these short stories that makes them as they are I have come to appreciate them more than I could have imagined possible, it has also lifted what would have been a two star rating to at the very least a four star rating as I very much enjoyed the time we spent reading this collection of stories.
4 Stars.
January 28, 2023
What a disgusting book. Had to read this for vce and I am mortified that this is even an option to read. There’s so much that I could unpack about this book, but the biggest issue, which is seen in almost every story, is the portrayal of women. First off, every single (and I’m talking every. single. story.) either mentions breasts or sex or both. Even when it is not necessary, it is mentioned. It is unnecessary, but yet the author (who is a MAN) feels the need to constantly make mention to womens’ breasts.
One key example of the inappropriateness of the use of breasts is in The Water Was Deep and it Went Forever Down where Winton uses her “tiny breasts” as a picture of her perfection. The girl in this story is a young teenager, 14 if you add up the years ago when she was six years old. FOURTEEN. And if you read this and argue “well that is needed to highlight the girls perfection.” No, it is not needed. He could have referenced her face, her hair, her eyes, literally so many other things. But her breasts? That is highly unnecessary.
There is much more I could get into about this book, but my final, overall message is that Tim Winton should NOT have written women like he did in this book, especially that of young children. It is so inappropriate. I am horrified this book, and has turned me away from any other Tim Winton works in fear I will come across the same inappropriateness.
One key example of the inappropriateness of the use of breasts is in The Water Was Deep and it Went Forever Down where Winton uses her “tiny breasts” as a picture of her perfection. The girl in this story is a young teenager, 14 if you add up the years ago when she was six years old. FOURTEEN. And if you read this and argue “well that is needed to highlight the girls perfection.” No, it is not needed. He could have referenced her face, her hair, her eyes, literally so many other things. But her breasts? That is highly unnecessary.
There is much more I could get into about this book, but my final, overall message is that Tim Winton should NOT have written women like he did in this book, especially that of young children. It is so inappropriate. I am horrified this book, and has turned me away from any other Tim Winton works in fear I will come across the same inappropriateness.
August 10, 2011
Tim Winton has published to date three collections of short stories. A “Minimum of Two”, published in 1987, is the second of that list. It follows chronologically his first three novels. There are a total of 14 stories, one of which (“Laps”) centers on Queenie Cookson, catching us up to her life after Winton’s second novel, “Shallows” where she is one of the primary characters. And seven of the 14 pick up Jarra Nilsan (the protagonist of his first published novel, “An Open Swimmer”) in his adult years.
The stories are well constructed and, as always for a Winton work, engaging. Uniquely, however, the environment, so central in his other writings, is muted in this volume. And as a collection, the stories do not hold together as a unit as effectively as those of his “The Turning” do. But all that said, Winton’s voice instructs and satisfies. As noted on the back cover of the 2003 Picador edition, the “collection explores the complexity of human relationships through the themes of futility and hope, revenge and redemption, birth and death….” That is not bad for a thin volume of short stories.
The stories are well constructed and, as always for a Winton work, engaging. Uniquely, however, the environment, so central in his other writings, is muted in this volume. And as a collection, the stories do not hold together as a unit as effectively as those of his “The Turning” do. But all that said, Winton’s voice instructs and satisfies. As noted on the back cover of the 2003 Picador edition, the “collection explores the complexity of human relationships through the themes of futility and hope, revenge and redemption, birth and death….” That is not bad for a thin volume of short stories.
December 5, 2009
Although I love his depictions of Western Australia this is not the best of Winton's books. Given it was first published in the late 80s perhaps it shows how quickly he matured to write something like Cloudstreet a mere four years later. However being a collection of short stories it can be easily digested.
The other thing that struck me while reading the book was how quickly mobile technology has taken over our lives, the despair of Jerra racing to get to the nearest small town in 'Forest Winter' to get asthma medication for his wife, without a mobile phone on hand to call ahead, comes across as almost quaint. Whether this is a good or bad thing is up to the individual's opinion.
I thought the story 'Death belongs to the dead, his father told him, and sadness to the sad' was a beautiful and lyric tale, and to my mind the jewel of this collection. It has certainly stayed with me the longest.
The other thing that struck me while reading the book was how quickly mobile technology has taken over our lives, the despair of Jerra racing to get to the nearest small town in 'Forest Winter' to get asthma medication for his wife, without a mobile phone on hand to call ahead, comes across as almost quaint. Whether this is a good or bad thing is up to the individual's opinion.
I thought the story 'Death belongs to the dead, his father told him, and sadness to the sad' was a beautiful and lyric tale, and to my mind the jewel of this collection. It has certainly stayed with me the longest.
June 12, 2017
My actual rating would be 3.5
It's well written and highly descriptive in an unusual way that reminds me of the work of Markus Zusack in The Book Thief
The brashness of vulgar descriptions was something I was both somewhat embarrassed to read and valued the honesty in what was written, how it was hardly self-censored
I found it very hard to maintain focus on the story with the heavy amount of ambience description, but when I was able to focus reading often felt like just experiencing a stream of consciousness
The book was also a very heavy read for me, often the depressing subject matter felt a bit too much, not that it was very traumatising really, there just wasn't a break it felt from the somber atmosphere driven throughout the book; this made reading it all in one go a bit of a struggle mentally
It's well written and highly descriptive in an unusual way that reminds me of the work of Markus Zusack in The Book Thief
The brashness of vulgar descriptions was something I was both somewhat embarrassed to read and valued the honesty in what was written, how it was hardly self-censored
I found it very hard to maintain focus on the story with the heavy amount of ambience description, but when I was able to focus reading often felt like just experiencing a stream of consciousness
The book was also a very heavy read for me, often the depressing subject matter felt a bit too much, not that it was very traumatising really, there just wasn't a break it felt from the somber atmosphere driven throughout the book; this made reading it all in one go a bit of a struggle mentally
July 1, 2022
Didn't know it was possible to turn such a beautiful landscape into something so mundane and dreary. Probably the most depressing book I've ever read and I suffered every minute. If I didn't have to rad this book for school I would have ripped every page out individually and set them on fire. If an overcast day was a book this would be it. I don't think there was a single character in this story that had any life purpose or even wanted to live. There were maybe two stories in the whole collection I wouldn't give 0 stars. Tim Winton even turned birth into a grotesque experience. This book made me want to not read again.
March 6, 2019
You can really see Winton polishing his prose and fashioning it into a formidable weapon. In terms of quality this set of stories sits somewhere between Scission and The Turning. Jerra and Rachel's stories have the same links that The Turning has. There's also a Queenie follow-up story from The Shallows. The whole book has a weird effect though because it feels like Winton has butchered a discarded novel and then stuffed it with other odds and ends. The stories are still strong but you're left wanting more from Jerra and Rachel.
April 25, 2021
1 star
God, sometimes I just have a deep hatred for short stories. Bad short stories, specifically. And these ones are pretty bad. I've never read Winton before and while I politely acknowledge this to be one of his early and generally irrelevant works, it hasn't made me keen to try out any of his other books. The sexism, the casual and unquestioned racial stereotypes, the lack of depth, the exhausting white Aussie battler energy that made turning every page an effort... please, never make me have to look at this collection again. It might actually just kill me.
God, sometimes I just have a deep hatred for short stories. Bad short stories, specifically. And these ones are pretty bad. I've never read Winton before and while I politely acknowledge this to be one of his early and generally irrelevant works, it hasn't made me keen to try out any of his other books. The sexism, the casual and unquestioned racial stereotypes, the lack of depth, the exhausting white Aussie battler energy that made turning every page an effort... please, never make me have to look at this collection again. It might actually just kill me.
September 21, 2015
Winton is an overrated writer that is pushed by the Australian education department to teach to disinterested kids to show kids that Australian writers can "do it too". This collection of short stories is trite and leaves nothing to the imagination to its readers. Thankfully, it's written well enough for it to be a quick read.
April 12, 2010
Waste of money and don't forget waste of time. The Book was "Incredibly Boring" where each turn of the page felt like being pouded constantly by blunt objects. You wouldn't need to read more than oneage to predict it. I feel sorry for those who like thi
May 24, 2013
Had to read this for school. Uhh....
August 11, 2017
Probs more of a 2.5 tbh
January 22, 2018
Suffered through these at school. All the stories just seemed unnecessarily vulgar or sad. And this is coming from someone who loves angsty stories. Not my kind of thing.
April 5, 2020
Do not read this book it is depressing and disgusting we had to read it for school and it's just awful.
July 19, 2020
3 stars as an average of all the fourteen short stories in this book.
some were more interesting than others, but they were overall very average.
my favourite short story was "no memory comes." i really liked and understood the themes explored and the message of the story, and i think it has the strongest writing.
other stories i had no idea what they were trying to say, and some were kind of weird with themes i personally did not like at all. but at least they all held my attention, which doesn't always happen with short story collections.
one thing that made this collection good was the wide variation of story lengths. some were 3–5 pages, others were 10–15. it made it much easier to get through the book, especially because this is for school.
overall, the consistent exploration of characters of various ages, genders, background, place in life, was pretty strong and made for a more captivating collection. i particularly enjoyed the overarching theme of sadness, loneliness, pain, and the general feeling of being lost. but it's still a very meh book..
some were more interesting than others, but they were overall very average.
my favourite short story was "no memory comes." i really liked and understood the themes explored and the message of the story, and i think it has the strongest writing.
other stories i had no idea what they were trying to say, and some were kind of weird with themes i personally did not like at all. but at least they all held my attention, which doesn't always happen with short story collections.
one thing that made this collection good was the wide variation of story lengths. some were 3–5 pages, others were 10–15. it made it much easier to get through the book, especially because this is for school.
overall, the consistent exploration of characters of various ages, genders, background, place in life, was pretty strong and made for a more captivating collection. i particularly enjoyed the overarching theme of sadness, loneliness, pain, and the general feeling of being lost. but it's still a very meh book..
December 29, 2021
This is another of the author’s collection of short stories and reads much in the same vein as The Turning, which I read and reviewed last month. Wistful, nostalgic moments in time about a cast of characters that are Aussie battler types for the most part. Jerra and Rachel are characters who appear in many of the stories and are snapshots in time of moments in their life.
Other stories involve different characters and Queenie from the author’s book Shallows makes an appearance in one of the stories. Ángelus, the coastal town that Tim Winton often sets his books in also appears in this collection.
As I’ve come to expect with Tim Winton’s writing, you can feel the heat, you can see the West Australian landscape and you can really feel the restlessness of the characters in your bones, as he is so adept at painting a picture with words.
I always feel that reading a Tim Winton book is so much more than just reading a story- it’s an experience - and so much more than just words. Another solid offering in my opinion. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5.
Other stories involve different characters and Queenie from the author’s book Shallows makes an appearance in one of the stories. Ángelus, the coastal town that Tim Winton often sets his books in also appears in this collection.
As I’ve come to expect with Tim Winton’s writing, you can feel the heat, you can see the West Australian landscape and you can really feel the restlessness of the characters in your bones, as he is so adept at painting a picture with words.
I always feel that reading a Tim Winton book is so much more than just reading a story- it’s an experience - and so much more than just words. Another solid offering in my opinion. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5.
June 9, 2023
Minimum of Two is a collection of short stories (half of which are vignettes around the life of Jerra & Rachel Nilsam and their son Sam). The themes that draw these stories together is that they are all set in WA and they all deal with traumatic circumstances and how the characters in the stories deal with them.
Do we recognise things & confront them head on? Is the answer to live in denial? Can drastic action deliver the catharsis that we need? As we follow the Nilsams in particular, we see a couple who respond in different ways through different circumstances, but finally find a level of equanimity when they discover a joint purpose for their lives.
I certainly didn't dislike this book, and again, if there were a rating out of 10, I'd feel more comfortable giving it a 7, but 4 stars feels like a bit too much!
Do we recognise things & confront them head on? Is the answer to live in denial? Can drastic action deliver the catharsis that we need? As we follow the Nilsams in particular, we see a couple who respond in different ways through different circumstances, but finally find a level of equanimity when they discover a joint purpose for their lives.
I certainly didn't dislike this book, and again, if there were a rating out of 10, I'd feel more comfortable giving it a 7, but 4 stars feels like a bit too much!
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