Shirl

Author: Wayne Marshall
Published: 2020
Target Audience: Adults (Appropriate 17+)

One day, purely by chance, I stumbled across a book emblazoned with an illustration of a man romancing a kangaroo.

It was one of the most bizarre covers I have ever seen, so naturally, I had to find out more. It appeared to be a book of short stories, so I ended up getting a copy with the idea of reading maybe two or three of the stories to see what was going on with this book and its unexpected, eye-catching cover. And I was completely blown away.

Published in January 2020, 'Shirl' is a collection of fourteen short stories written by Australian author Wayne Marshall which examine contemporary Australian society through a variety of hyperbolic and entertaining what-if scenarios: A lonely Yowie emerges from the bush to attend the Desperate and Dateless Ball; Aliens descend from the sky to ban footy for one year; An amusement park holds a funeral for the death of sport; A shark appears in the local swimming pool; A man falls in love with a kangaroo.

Excerpt:

The three of us sat in silence at the kitchen table. To my right was Geoff, hunched forward, eyebrows furrowed, picking at the label of his beer. Across from me was the kangaroo, sitting tall in a chair, its tail plonked on the lino, its huge dark eyes staring at the ash-stained table. Above us on the wall a clock carved out the seconds. Somewhere in there Geoff said something about the weather. I agreed with him, whatever it was he'd said. Things were silent again and we sipped our beers.

Eventually, Geoff burst to life, clapping his hands and announcing, 'Alright, Shirl, how about we chuck on those party pies! Liven things up a touch, hey?'

The Kangaroo rose from its seat, and hopped dutifully to the fridge. It proceeded to empty the pies onto a tray, load the tray into the oven and shut the oven door. It then hopped to the pantry and collected three plates and a bottle of tomato sauce. When the kangaroo noticed me watching, I averted my eyes and asked Geoff how things were at work.

I was really surprised and impressed by this book. Each story explores different aspects of contemporary Australian society; the trappings of masculinity, an individual's experiences of illness and rebirth, and the concepts of mateship, drinking culture, and sports as staples of national identity. Marshall turns these concepts on their head to explore how our obsessions can lead to detriment. It has a particular focus on the lives of Australian men, using the medium of short stories to effectively explore experiences of male shame, regret, loneliness, and the departure of childhood. In regards to audience, by exploring such themes, these stories would probably resonate strongest with middle-aged Australian men of anglo-celtic descent, but Marshall's skill in combining insight and hilarity to subvert expectations ensures 'Shirl' is a fascinating read for a wide variety of readers.

This book is strewn with Australian slang and touchstones: gum trees, Hanging Rock, Hills Hoists, cricket, footy, the green and gold, utes, eskies, a tinnie, bundy, akubras, stubbies, Mr Whippy, VB, the ABC, Australia Post, murray cod, Slim Dusty, getting swooped by a magpie, even the red and yellow lids of wheelie bins were mentioned. It was an absolute delight to read something so Aussie in setting and execution.

'Shirl' is an excellent book that explores truths of reality through a lens of strange peculiarity, comedic absurdity and heartbreaking honesty. I really recommend giving it a read!