Remembering Babylon

Beyond Babylon ( Original Title: Remembering Babylon ) is a novel by Australian author David Malouf. It first appeared in 1994 and is considered an influential book to understand the Australian identity.

Content

A young Briton, Gemmy Fairley, is flushed mid-19th century in the almost unpopulated northern Australia on land. He is then taken by Aborigines, learn their culture and language and to ultimately even a full-fledged member of the tribe. 16 years later at the age of 29, he returns to the world of European settlers and lives henceforth with them. With the description of this life in the tension between European culture and its past as a white Aborigine, between behavior and ignorance, Malouf creates a link to the Australian identity.

Reception

The book won the first International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award 1996 and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize.