The nargun and the stars is beautifully written and is a wonderful introduction to our very own mythical creatures or are they mythical. The nargun and the stars verity laughton 9781921085970. The nargun and the stars the turongs tv episode 1981 imdb. I found a copy of the nargun and the stars in the multitude of books that. Horn book magazine, v62 n5 p57274 sepoct 1986 praises the works of australian writer p. The nargun and the stars by patricia wrightson alibris.
Wrightson, specifically the nargun and the stars, for their tight suspense and vivid sense of place. The nargun and the stars is a childrens fantasy novel set in australia, written by patricia wrightson. The nargun and the stars by patricia wrightson semicolon. It held them at the door where it rang between mountains and died away. Sudden and savage came the narguns cry, bellowing down from the mountain, full of all time and the darkness between the stars. Jun 15, 2015 the nargun and the stars is probably the best written of wrightsons books, and i scheduled it as a family read aloud as part of jemimahs ao8. Aboriginal folklore and australian fantasy, horn book magazine, vol. Mar 02, 2015 the nargun and the stars this is a book that holds quite a special significance to me because it was a book that my dad read to me when i was a kid. The nargun and the stars by patricia wrightson, 9781846470769, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. This teachers resource book provides information about the background of the play and the issues it raises, and a variety of preperformance and postperformance activities based on the play. It was among the first australian books for children to draw on australian aboriginal mythology. The nargun and the stars patricia wrightson when simon brents parents are killed in a car accident he is taken to live with his mothers second cousins, edie and charlie, on on wongadilla, their 500 acre sheep run in the hunter valley.
I read this book several decades ago and found it to be fascinating even though i was a little young to understand all that was going on. On his quest he discovers a variety of ancient dreamtime creatures including the ominous stone nargun. Patricia wrightson when simon brents parents are killed in a car accident he is taken to live with his mothers cousins, edie and charlie, on wongadilla, their 5000 acre sheep station in the hunter valley. Reviewed in the united states on march 19, 2011 there is something about this book that reminds me a bit of that delightful classic the princess and the goblins, though it is much shorter and judging only from my own experience far less wellknown. The nargun and the stars offers a range of challenging dramatic opportunities, involving live action, puppetry and imaginative stage design and props. The book was the winner of the 1974 australian childrens book council book of the year award. The book was the winner of the 1974 childrens book council of australia childrens book of the year award for older readers, and patricia wrightson was awarded an order of the british empire in. One aspect of this book that definitely makes me uneasy is the complete absence of the tribes who once populated this country. After a millennial sleep, the stonelike nargun awakes to roam the land againunless a recently orphaned little boy and his new family can somehow halt the mythic creatures deadly advance. The nargun and the stars is a quietly intelligent childrens book and as such richly deserves to be remembered as a first division classic alongside the works of lewis carroll, tove jansson, roald dahl and others. The nargun and the stars is a childrens fantasy miniseries based on the awardwinning novel of the same name written by patricia wrightson. The fantasy texts, the nargun and the stars by patricia wrightson, and the lake at the end of the world by caroline macdonald are both set in our world wrightsons book in australia, macdonalds in new zealand. So i was delighted to find it still in print and bought another copy not sure what became of the.
Sudden and savage came the nargun s cry, bellowing down from the mountain, full of all time and the darkness between the stars. I really enjoyed reading it and it is a book i will be recommending to all my friends who like this genre. The nargun and the stars puffin books patricia wrightson on. After a millennial sleep, the stonelike nargun awakes to. When simon brent moves to wongadilla from the city, he turns to the land and the spirits who inhabit it for comfort.
Although i havent seen it, the book was adapted for television in 1980. Jan 02, 2009 it was for this reason that scott wright, artistic director of erth visual and physical inc theatre company, felt such a strong connection to patricia wrightsons the nargun and the stars, the. Mar 11, 2014 the nargun and the stars is beautifully written and is a wonderful introduction to our very own mythical creatures or are they mythical. The nargun and the stars by patricia wrightson books and. She was also a fourtime winner of the australian childrens book council book of the year award in 1956 for the crooked snake, in 1974 for the nargun and the stars, in 1978 for the ice is coming and in 1984 for a little fear. In 1974, australian author patricia wrightson wrote an awardwinning childrens novel called the nargun and the stars, which was later made into a television series. The series contained five episodes, each of thirty minutes duration.
Dec 21, 2018 the nargun and the stars tells the story of a modern day, but recently orphaned, boy coming to live in a remote australian valley where he searches for a place free from the depredation of mankind and its machinery. Jun 30, 2019 the nargun and the stars by patricia wrightson, 1986, m. Stars study guide this novel study contains 14 pages of questions the nargun and the stars and others. The nargun and the stars is a young persons fantasy novel by patricia wrightson. Read the nargun and the stars by patricia wrightson available from rakuten kobo. I really think that the books your parents read to you are some of the most memorable books in a persons lifetime, and a big proportion of my collection is dedicated to kids books many of. The nargun and the stars the turongs tv episode 1981. This australian classic won the childrens book council of australia.
Sudden and savage came the nargun s cry, bellowing down from the mountain, full of all time and the darkness between the. The nargun and the stars by patricia wrightson overdrive. We did a search for other books with a similar title, however there were no. The nargun and the stars is a touching story about a recently orphaned boy, simon, and his quest for a place free from the depredation of mankind and its machinery. Among them lurks the nargun, a spirit older than time itself, and a spirit who is not happy to be disturbed. Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers. The nargun and the stars by patricia wrightson readings. The nargun and the stars tells the story of a modern day, but recently orphaned, boy coming to live in a remote australian valley where he. Simons adventure involves conflict with the nargun, a.
The nargun and the stars by patricia wrightson goodreads. An ancient stone creature threatens the lives of a family on a lonely sheep farm in australia. The nargun and the stars tells the story of simon, an orphan who arrives at his cousins remote farm, and the nargun a huge, living rock from the beginning of time, woken from an ageold. The nargun and the stars by patricia wrightson librarything.
The nargun and the stars is a childrens fantasy novel set in australia, but instead of the european fairy folk who are too delicate for our rugged country author patricia wrightson uses our homegrown dreamtime bush creatures far more suited to the land. Sudden and savage came the narguns cry, bellowing down from the mountain, full of all time and the darkness between the. Eerie, memorable tale about a boy and the old, old ones that still inhabited the land. With noel brophy, peter gwynne, rodney bell, melissa jaffer. The various elfcreatures, though agreeing that the nargun does not belong there, are loth. The potkoorok, turongs and nyols those trickplaying spirits from aboriginal lore who helped save sydneys botanical gardens from a parking lot developer in an older kind of magic kr, 1972, are less cooperative when the human heros enemy is an ancient rocklike monster who shares the mythological creatures displeasure with the crew from town that has begun to clear the ridge at wongadilla. So i was delighted to find it still in print and bought another copy not sure what became of. The nargun and the stars genre childrens television based on the nargun and the stars by patricia wrightson. The nargun and the stars book by patricia wrightson 6. May 05, 2008 the nargun and the stars patricia wrightson when simon brents parents are killed in a car accident he is taken to live with his mothers second cousins, edie and charlie, on on wongadilla, their 500 acre sheep run in the hunter valley. Based on the award winning novel by patricia wrightson. The nargun and the stars by patricia wrightson kirkus. The nargun and the stars 1986 edition open library. The nargun and the stars the sydney morning herald.
With rodney bell, noel brophy, peter gwynne, melissa jaffer. Patricia wrightson was awarded the obe for her services. That all things have a dreaming, an object of desire that is also their source, is an. The nargun and the stars by patricia wrightson, 1986, m. The nargun and the stars, uqp childrens classics ser. The story involves an orphaned city boy named simon brent who comes to live on a 5000acre sheep station called wongadilla, in the hunter region, with his mothers second cousins, edie and charlie. The nargun and the stars is a childrens fantasy novel set in australia, written by patricia wrightson and illustrated by robert ingpen.
Jul 28, 2015 the nargun and the stars is a quietly intelligent childrens book and as such richly deserves to be remembered as a first division classic alongside the works of lewis carroll, tove jansson, roald dahl and others. It was among the first australian books for children to draw. Ever walked past rustling trees and noticed there is no wind. The nargun and the stars by patricia wrightson feb 1 this australian classic won the childrens book council of australia award for book of the year in 1974, and its author, patricia wrightson, is the only australian author to have been awarded the hans christian andersen award for lasting contributions to childrens literature. Wrightson, p 1975 the nargun and the stars ringwood. Open library is an open, editable library catalog, building towards a web page for every book ever published. Click to read more about the nargun and the stars by patricia wrightson. The nargun and the stars, a childrens book turnedtvserial, introduced a generation of australian children to the wondrous creatures of the dreamtime. The nargun and the stars juds creative writing medley.
She was also a fourtime winner of the australian childrens book council book of the year award in 1956 for the crooked snake, in 1974 for the nargun and the stars, in 1978 for the ice is comingand in 1984 for a little fear. The first episode was screened on 15 september 1981. Its the story of simon brent, who is sent to live with his elderly cousins, charlie and edie, on the death of his parents in a car accident. It was for this reason that scott wright, artistic director of erth visual and physical inc theatre company, felt such a strong connection. Based on the childrens fantasy novel set in australia, written by patricia wrightson. The nargun was born of the rocks when the earth was first formed. The nargun and the stars is probably the best written of wrightsons books, and i scheduled it as a family read aloud as part of jemimahs ao8. The plot involved a modernday boy coming to live in a remote australian valley where he discovers a variety of ancient creatures from the aboriginal dreaming. In later books, wrightson would address this more directly, but in the nargun and the stars, it is a glaring gap in the narrative. The spirits remain, but the people have vanished or been obliterated.
The nargun and the stars this is a book that holds quite a special significance to me because it was a book that my dad read to me when i was a kid. The nargun and the stars tells the story of a modern day, but recently orphaned, boy coming to live in a remote australian valley where he searches for a place free from the depredation of mankind and its machinery. The nargun and the stars by patricia wrightson and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. The potkoorok, turongs and nyols those trickplaying spirits from aboriginal lore who helped save sydneys botanical gardens from a parking lot developer in an older kind of magic kr, 1972, are less cooperative when the human heros enemy is an ancient rocklike monster who shares the mythological creatures displeasure with the crew from town that has begun to clear. Summary of the nargun and the stars by patricia wrightson. This is an australian childrens book, but read it anyway even if youre an adult.