Eucalyptus (novel)
Encyclopedia
Eucalyptus is a novel by Australia
n novelist Murray Bail
. The book won the 1999 Miles Franklin Award
and the 1999 Commonwealth Writers' Prize
.
town near the property where she grows up. Her protective father's obsession with collecting rare species of Eucalyptus
trees leads him to propose a contest - the man who can correctly name all the species on his property shall win her hand in marriage.
The novel begins with a discussion of Australian culture “the poetic virtues which have their origins in the bush of being belted about by droughts, bushfires, smelly sheep and so on; and lets not forget the isolation, the exhausted shapeless women, the crude language, the always wide horizon, and the flies.” But concludes that: “it really doesn’t matter.” This sets a major theme for the novel to explore. The novel could easily be interpreted as a renegotiation of Australian identity. Bail at once glorifies Australian tradition and attacks the notion of “a sun burnt country”.
Ellen’s story begins with “Once upon a time.” This fairy tale
beginning is furthered by markedly one dimensional characters. Ellen’s beauty is renowned across states and oceans, yet apart from this the reader is given little else to go by. Likewise Holland, Ellen's father, a man who likes to plant trees. Mr. Cave is a brilliant, albeit boring, older man. Likewise the unnamed lover is a storyteller. These flat characters contrast against the scientifically intricate details of the Eucalypt trees.
Each short story accelerates the narrative frame and is analyzed within the scientific eucalypt theme. This contrast is well implemented, maintaining flow and cohesion in spite of the fragmented medium.
The reader is encouraged to guess ahead at what the story may contain. “There once was a man on a property outside a one horse town, who couldn’t come to a decision about his daughter. He then made an unexpected decision. Incredible. For a while people talked of little else”. This encourages a responder to expect a feminist reading where his daughter is empowered.
Not so, instead, he designs a test in which a potential suitor must identify every eucalypt growing on his property.
Ellen remains disenchanted with the whole scheme, as countless suitors try and fail at this test. This is until Mr. Cave, a botanical genius arrives. Cave appears to be the only man on earth capable of success. Tragically enough just as Cave nears his goal, Ellen finds her own love elsewhere.
and Russell Crowe
. The film, whose budget was estimated sometimes at $15 million and sometimes at $25 million, was reportedly shut down by production company Fox Searchlight
because of disputes between actor Russell Crowe
and director Jocelyn Moorhouse.
Talks began in early 2004; the production was originally intended to star Geoffrey Rush
, Bryce Dallas Howard
and Russell Crowe
, to be directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse
, written by her and Michelle Joyner and produced by Uberto Pasolini and Lynda House. Dallas Howard was reportedly dropped from the project because Russell Crowe
reportedly didn't want to act with someone outside his home-country, and Kidman
subsequently joined. In early February 2005, Fox Searchlight announced that the film had been postponed to allow time for further work on the script. It was reported that the director had left the project because of dispute with Russell Crowe. After rumours he would direct the project himself, he cited he would like either Driving Miss Daisy
director Bruce Beresford
or Last Orders
creator Fred Schepisi to helm the project.
The project's current status is unknown, but it is thought to have been dropped entirely.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n novelist Murray Bail
Murray Bail
Murray Bail is an Australian writer of novels, short stories and non-fiction.He was born in Adelaide, South Australia. He has lived most of his life in Australia except for sojourns in India and England and Europe...
. The book won the 1999 Miles Franklin Award
Miles Franklin Award
The Miles Franklin Literary Award is an annual literary prize for the best Australian ‘published novel or play portraying Australian life in any of its phases’. The award was set up according to the will of Miles Franklin , who is best known for writing the Australian classic My Brilliant Career ...
and the 1999 Commonwealth Writers' Prize
Commonwealth Writers' Prize
Commonwealth Writers is an initiative by the Commonwealth Foundation to unearth, develop and promote the best new fiction from across the Commonwealth. It's flagship are two literary awards and a website...
.
Plot introduction
Eucalyptus tells the story of Ellen Holland, a young woman whose "speckled beauty" and unattainability become legend far beyond the rural western New South WalesNew South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
town near the property where she grows up. Her protective father's obsession with collecting rare species of Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of flowering trees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia...
trees leads him to propose a contest - the man who can correctly name all the species on his property shall win her hand in marriage.
Thematic concerns
The novel contrasts a detailed, scientific classifying of Eucalyptus trees, with the story of Ellen told from a parodied fairy tale perspective. This fits well with Bail’s status as a writer of fiction and non-fiction.The novel begins with a discussion of Australian culture “the poetic virtues which have their origins in the bush of being belted about by droughts, bushfires, smelly sheep and so on; and lets not forget the isolation, the exhausted shapeless women, the crude language, the always wide horizon, and the flies.” But concludes that: “it really doesn’t matter.” This sets a major theme for the novel to explore. The novel could easily be interpreted as a renegotiation of Australian identity. Bail at once glorifies Australian tradition and attacks the notion of “a sun burnt country”.
Ellen’s story begins with “Once upon a time.” This fairy tale
Fairy tale
A fairy tale is a type of short story that typically features such folkloric characters, such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, dwarves, giants or gnomes, and usually magic or enchantments. However, only a small number of the stories refer to fairies...
beginning is furthered by markedly one dimensional characters. Ellen’s beauty is renowned across states and oceans, yet apart from this the reader is given little else to go by. Likewise Holland, Ellen's father, a man who likes to plant trees. Mr. Cave is a brilliant, albeit boring, older man. Likewise the unnamed lover is a storyteller. These flat characters contrast against the scientifically intricate details of the Eucalypt trees.
Each short story accelerates the narrative frame and is analyzed within the scientific eucalypt theme. This contrast is well implemented, maintaining flow and cohesion in spite of the fragmented medium.
The reader is encouraged to guess ahead at what the story may contain. “There once was a man on a property outside a one horse town, who couldn’t come to a decision about his daughter. He then made an unexpected decision. Incredible. For a while people talked of little else”. This encourages a responder to expect a feminist reading where his daughter is empowered.
Not so, instead, he designs a test in which a potential suitor must identify every eucalypt growing on his property.
Ellen remains disenchanted with the whole scheme, as countless suitors try and fail at this test. This is until Mr. Cave, a botanical genius arrives. Cave appears to be the only man on earth capable of success. Tragically enough just as Cave nears his goal, Ellen finds her own love elsewhere.
Proposed film adaptation
A film version of Eucalyptus was once in the works and was highly publicised in the media, set to star Nicole KidmanNicole Kidman
Nicole Mary Kidman, AC is an American-born Australian actress, singer, film producer, spokesmodel, and humanitarian. After starring in a number of small Australian films and TV shows, Kidman's breakthrough was in the 1989 thriller Dead Calm...
and Russell Crowe
Russell Crowe
Russell Ira Crowe is a New Zealander Australian actor , film producer and musician. He came to international attention for his role as Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 historical epic film Gladiator, directed by Ridley Scott, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor, a...
. The film, whose budget was estimated sometimes at $15 million and sometimes at $25 million, was reportedly shut down by production company Fox Searchlight
Fox
Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
because of disputes between actor Russell Crowe
Russell Crowe
Russell Ira Crowe is a New Zealander Australian actor , film producer and musician. He came to international attention for his role as Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 historical epic film Gladiator, directed by Ridley Scott, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor, a...
and director Jocelyn Moorhouse.
Talks began in early 2004; the production was originally intended to star Geoffrey Rush
Geoffrey Rush
Geoffrey Roy Rush is an Australian actor and film producer. He is one of the few people who has won the "Triple Crown of Acting": an Academy Award, a Tony Award and an Emmy Award. He has won one Academy Award for acting , three British Academy Film Awards , two Golden Globe Awards and four Screen...
, Bryce Dallas Howard
Bryce Dallas Howard
Bryce Dallas Howard is an American film actress and daughter of director Ron Howard. She made her acting debut in her father's 1989 movie Parenthood and went on to have small roles in films and make stage appearances for the next several years...
and Russell Crowe
Russell Crowe
Russell Ira Crowe is a New Zealander Australian actor , film producer and musician. He came to international attention for his role as Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 historical epic film Gladiator, directed by Ridley Scott, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor, a...
, to be directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse
Jocelyn Moorhouse
Jocelyn Denise Moorhouse is an Australian writer and film director born in Victoria, Australia on 4 September 1960.Moorhouse did her HSC year in 1978 at Vermont High School, which is the same high school that Gillian Armstrong attended a few years earlier. She went on to direct films such as Proof,...
, written by her and Michelle Joyner and produced by Uberto Pasolini and Lynda House. Dallas Howard was reportedly dropped from the project because Russell Crowe
Russell Crowe
Russell Ira Crowe is a New Zealander Australian actor , film producer and musician. He came to international attention for his role as Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 historical epic film Gladiator, directed by Ridley Scott, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor, a...
reportedly didn't want to act with someone outside his home-country, and Kidman
Nicole Kidman
Nicole Mary Kidman, AC is an American-born Australian actress, singer, film producer, spokesmodel, and humanitarian. After starring in a number of small Australian films and TV shows, Kidman's breakthrough was in the 1989 thriller Dead Calm...
subsequently joined. In early February 2005, Fox Searchlight announced that the film had been postponed to allow time for further work on the script. It was reported that the director had left the project because of dispute with Russell Crowe. After rumours he would direct the project himself, he cited he would like either Driving Miss Daisy
Driving Miss Daisy
Driving Miss Daisy is a 1989 American comedy-drama film adapted from the Alfred Uhry play of the same name. The film was directed by Bruce Beresford, with Morgan Freeman reprising his role as Hoke Colburn and Jessica Tandy playing Miss Daisy...
director Bruce Beresford
Bruce Beresford
Bruce Beresford is an Australian film director who has made more than 30 feature films over a 40-year career.-Early life:...
or Last Orders
Last Orders
Last Orders is a 1996 Booker Prize-winning novel by British author Graham Swift. In 2001 it was adapted for the film Last Orders by Australian writer and director Fred Schepisi.-Plot summary:...
creator Fred Schepisi to helm the project.
The project's current status is unknown, but it is thought to have been dropped entirely.
External links
Awards and nominations
- 1999 Miles Franklin AwardMiles Franklin AwardThe Miles Franklin Literary Award is an annual literary prize for the best Australian ‘published novel or play portraying Australian life in any of its phases’. The award was set up according to the will of Miles Franklin , who is best known for writing the Australian classic My Brilliant Career ...
- winner - 1999 Commonwealth Writers' PrizeCommonwealth Writers' PrizeCommonwealth Writers is an initiative by the Commonwealth Foundation to unearth, develop and promote the best new fiction from across the Commonwealth. It's flagship are two literary awards and a website...
- winner Best Book