Before I Wake (Scott novel)

Before I Wake
ISBN	0140256954
Preceded by	What I Have Written
Followed by	The Architect

Before I Wake (1996) is a novel by Australian author John Scott.

The novel consists of a sequence of five novellas and features poems by Melissa Curran, attributed in the story to the character Danielle.

Thirroul, Paris, Littlehampton, and Tasmania, reflecting on his difficult childhood before reuniting with his sisters. He seduces and abandons a poet named Danielle, who commits suicide. He also forms a relationship with a woman named Donna and her sister Rachel; the three end the novel in tentative happiness at a vineyard in Tasmania, which Rachel inherits after another character, Tardieu, is the victim of parochial violence.^[2]

The core theme of the novel is the impact of abuse, especially child abuse, and the experience of personal damage and failure.[2] In addition to the characters' many experiences of abuse and violence, the novel discusses the murder of James Bulger, which occurred three years prior to the novel's publication.^[1]

In 1997, the novel was shortlisted for both the

Miles Franklin Literary Award

and the

Vance Palmer Prize for Fiction

.

References

^ ^a ^b Anderson, Don (1996-07-01). "Don Anderson reviews 'Before I Wake' by John Scott". Retrieved 2023-04-07.
^ ^a ^b ""Review, John Scott, Before I Wake", '"Westerly, Autumn 1977" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-09-14.

[DonAnderson-1] Anderson, Don (1996-07-01). "Don Anderson reviews 'Before I Wake' by John Scott". Retrieved 2023-04-07.

[Westerly-2] ""Review, John Scott, Before I Wake", '"Westerly, Autumn 1977" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-09-14.

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