7.6 /10 1 Votes
Language English Media type Print ISBN 0-87223-742-7 Country Australia Genres Short story, Novella | 3.8/5 Goodreads Publication date 1980 Pages 156 p Originally published 1980 Publisher McPhee Gribble Preceded by Monkey Grip (1977) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Followed by The Children's Bach (1984) Similar Monkey Grip, The Children's Bach, Cosmo Cosmolino, Postcards from Surfers, The feel of steel | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Honour & Other People's Children is a collection of two short stories - also described as novellas - by Australian writer Helen Garner. It was first published by McPhee Gribble in 1980. Garner's second published book, it was written while she lived in Paris, France. Australian literary critic Peter Craven described Garner's second published work as "less vigorous perhaps [than Monkey Grip], but showing greater artistry."
Contents
"Honour"
Honour is about the relationship between two people, separated but still legally married and with a child of the marriage, their ongoing friendship, and the changes to relationship when the former husband re-partners.
"Other People's Children"
Other People's Children is about the disruption and end of relationship between two women, Scotty and Ruth, who live in a collective household. Scotty loves Ruth's daughter "as only the childless can love other people's children". Into Scotty's life comes Madigan, "a great lump of a fellow with yellow eyes, who bunched his thick fingers together in front of him when he entered a room".