Illywhacker

Illywhacker

infobox Book |
name = Illywhacker
title_orig =
translator =


image_caption =
author = Peter Carey
illustrator =
cover_artist =
country = Australia
language = English
series =
genre = literary
publisher = University of Queensland Press
release_date = 1985
english_release_date =
media_type = Print (Hardback and Paperback)
pages = 600
isbn = 0702220000
preceded_by = Bliss
followed_by = Oscar and Lucinda

"Illywhacker" is a novel by Australian writer Peter Carey. It was published in 1985, short-listed for the 1985 Booker Prize, and won the Victorian Premier's Literary Award and The Age Book of the Year Award. It was also short-listed for the 1986 World Fantasy Award.

The novel tells the story of Herbert Badgery, self-admitted liar, trickster, and confidence man, the "Illywhacker" of the title (though "illywhacker" is also supposed to be Australian slang for "a stick for smacking a child with, (not allowed any more)").

Considered metafiction or magical realism by some, the novel is divided into three books of eighty-six, sixty-one, and sixty-six short chapters respectively, with chapters often shorter than a single page. It covers Herbert's life and marriage and that of his son, Charles, in a rambunctious and meandering style.

External links

* [http://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=4539 Review in "Literary Encyclopedia"]


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • illywhacker — In Australian English an illywhacker (or illywacker) is a small time confidence trickster. The origin of the term is unknown. Sidney Baker in The Australian Language (1945) suggested that the first part of the word may be a corruption of spieler …   Australian idioms

  • Illywhacker — 1. stick for smacking a child with (not allowed to do anymore); 2. con merchant; 3. con artist; trickster …   Dictionary of Australian slang

  • illywhacker — Australian Slang 1. stick for smacking a child with (not allowed to do anymore); 2. con merchant; 3. con artist; trickster …   English dialects glossary

  • illywhacker — n. (Slang) con artist; small time trickster …   English contemporary dictionary

  • illywhacker — [ ɪlɪˌwakə] noun Austral. informal, dated a confidence trickster. Origin 1940s: of unknown origin …   English new terms dictionary

  • illywhacker — /ˈɪliwækə / (say ileewakuh) noun a confidence man; trickster. Also, illywacker. {obsolete British thieves slang whack the illy to perform a confidence trick; ? from eelie, from eelerspee, back slang from spieler} …  

  • illywhacker — n. Austral. sl. a professional trickster. Etymology: 20th c.: orig. unkn …   Useful english dictionary

  • Кэри, Питер — Питер Кэри Peter Carey Дата рождения: 7 мая 1943(1943 05 07) (69 лет) Место рождения: Бакшус Марш, Австралия Гражданство …   Википедия

  • The Age Book of the Year — Awards are annual literary awards presented by Melbourne s The Age newspaper. The awards were first presented in 1974. Since 1998 they have been presented as part of the Melbourne Writers Festival. Initially, two awards were given, one for… …   Wikipedia

  • Peter Carey — (als Peter Philip Carey; * 7. Februar 1943 in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria) ist ein australischer Schriftsteller. Er begann seine Karriere mit Werbetexten, veröffentlichte 1974 erste Erzählungen und 1981 seinen ersten Roman. Inzwischen gilt er als… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

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