Josh (novel)
Encyclopedia
Josh is a young adult novel by Ivan Southall
, about a clash of cultures. It was the winner of the Carnegie Medal
for 1971, the first Australian novel to win the award.
is immediately at odds with the Ryan Creek youngsters. His differences, particularly writing poetry and disliking hunting, make him a target for the local boys. Initial misunderstandings eventually explode into violence. A traditional hero might have faced and fought the bullies but Josh shows a different sort of courage and integrity by choosing to walk away with dignity.
As the Carnegie Medal winner for 1971, the novel is described on the Carnegie website as being "about overcoming difficulties and staying true to yourself. It's tense and raw with a message for today and an unexpected ending." Josh's situation is said to represent any time or place when people with different backgrounds confront one another.
A reviewer from the Australian Book Review in 1971 commented that the book was 'neurotic and hysterical' and wondered if there could be a sadist lurking within the author. A later reviewer commented: "From an adult perspective the writing is superb, the descriptions so full of feeling; but one wonders if this can be appreciated without an adult's accumulated range of experiences upon which to draw."
Ivan Southall
Ivan Francis Southall AM, DFC was an award-winning Australian writer of young-adult fiction and non-fiction. He was the first and still the only Australian to win the Carnegie Medal in Literature for children's literature. His books include Hills End, Ash Road, Josh, and Let the Balloon Go...
, about a clash of cultures. It was the winner of the Carnegie Medal
Carnegie Medal
The Carnegie Medal is a literary award established in 1936 in honour of Scottish philanthropist Andrew Carnegie and given annually to an outstanding book for children and young adults. It is awarded by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals...
for 1971, the first Australian novel to win the award.
Plot summary
14-year-old Josh Plowman arrives in a country town for a week's visit with his great-aunt, the Plowman family matriarch. The city boy from MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
is immediately at odds with the Ryan Creek youngsters. His differences, particularly writing poetry and disliking hunting, make him a target for the local boys. Initial misunderstandings eventually explode into violence. A traditional hero might have faced and fought the bullies but Josh shows a different sort of courage and integrity by choosing to walk away with dignity.
Style and reception
Southall himself said of Josh that it might not be his best book but it certainly was his most unusual. The book is written very much from Josh's point of view, the taut language effectively conveying his distress and frustration. Michele Gill cites Josh as an early example of the sensitive and vulnerable hero, a theme which became increasingly prominent in later children's literature.As the Carnegie Medal winner for 1971, the novel is described on the Carnegie website as being "about overcoming difficulties and staying true to yourself. It's tense and raw with a message for today and an unexpected ending." Josh's situation is said to represent any time or place when people with different backgrounds confront one another.
A reviewer from the Australian Book Review in 1971 commented that the book was 'neurotic and hysterical' and wondered if there could be a sadist lurking within the author. A later reviewer commented: "From an adult perspective the writing is superb, the descriptions so full of feeling; but one wonders if this can be appreciated without an adult's accumulated range of experiences upon which to draw."