Forty-Seventeen

Forty-Seventeen is a collection of nineteen short stories by Australian author Frank Moorhouse, published in 1988. The stories follow various characters through experiences of aging, relationships, and social observation. The narrative structure moves between different times and settings, from Australian bush country to urban spaces and international locations. The stories touch on themes of drinking culture, sexual relationships, travel, and personal identity. A central thread connects multiple stories through the perspective of a character navigating the transition between youth and middle age. The title refers to the dual perspectives of being both forty and seventeen years old simultaneously. The collection explores the complexity of aging and memory, examining how past and present versions of ourselves coexist and inform each other. Moorhouse's work raises questions about the nature of personal growth and the ways humans reconcile different phases of life.

Limited online reviews exist for this book, making it difficult to provide a comprehensive summary of reader opinions. On Goodreads, the book has only 7 ratings with an average of 3.57/5 stars, but no written reviews. Readers appreciated: - The exploration of relationships between younger and older characters - The interconnected short story format - Moorhouse's writing style and character development Readers disliked: - Uneven pacing between stories - Some disconnection between narrative threads - Dated cultural references from 1980s Australia Available ratings: Goodreads: 3.57/5 (7 ratings) No reviews available on Amazon or other major book review sites. Note: This book appears to have limited circulation outside Australia, which explains the scarcity of online reader reviews and ratings. The few reviews that exist are mostly from Australian literary journals and academic sources rather than general readers.

A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan Interlinked stories move through time exploring aging characters and their past/present identities in the music industry, mirroring Forty-Seventeen's meditation on temporal perspectives.

The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing by Melissa Bank Connected narratives track a woman's journey from adolescence through adulthood, capturing the essence of navigating different life stages.

The Turning by Tim Winton Set in Australia, these interconnected stories examine characters at various life stages in a coastal town, reflecting similar themes of memory and identity transformation.

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout The linked stories follow characters in a small town across different time periods, examining relationships and aging with the same careful observation found in Forty-Seventeen.

What Was She Thinking: Notes on a Scandal by Zoë Heller A narrative that explores the complexities of age, desire, and social observation through the lens of different temporal perspectives.

🔸 The book's title "Forty-Seventeen" was inspired by a conversation Moorhouse overheard in a bar, where someone described feeling simultaneously 40 and 17 years old. 🔸 Frank Moorhouse was awarded the Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 1985 for his service to Australian literature, the same year this collection was published. 🔸 The Spanish Civil War references in the book reflect Moorhouse's deep interest in political history and its impact on personal lives - a theme that runs through much of his work. 🔸 Several stories in the collection were adapted for Australian radio broadcasts, bringing these intimate narratives to life in a different medium. 🔸 The book's structure of interconnected stories, known as a "discontinuous narrative," became one of Moorhouse's signature writing styles, influencing many Australian authors who followed.