Author(s): Oliver Corfe

Aust Fiction | South Australian Authors

"Redemption" is a novel of profound ideas told within the prosaic life of Malcolm Manning. Failing in almost everything he attempted, in old age he is ultimately the catalyst for a revolution in thinking. The novel is in two parts. The first, "Yureidla", tells of Malcolm setting up a small business in Adelaide during the 1970s. He is persuaded to read an unpublished novel written by a fellow lodger, which tells a series of stories set in ancient Australia, India, Persia, Palestine, and Britain. These address the themes of estrangement, migration, and the influence of myths; and optimistically suggest that the least heroic can contribute to the common weal. The second part, "The Evening Light", tells of Malcolm in old age. Still single, he has created a fictional past that is more comfortable to live with. Escaping from a home for the aged in which the authoritarian government has detained him, Malcolm seeks help from a criminal specializing in the sale of political positions. Within the corrupt world of 2024, Malcolm's idealized memories suggest an attractive philosophy worth pursuing.

"Redemption" is a novel of profound ideas told within the prosaic life of Malcolm Manning. Failing in almost everything he attempted, in old age he is ultimately the catalyst for a revolution in thinking. The novel is in two parts. The first, "Yureidla", tells of Malcolm setting up a small business in Adelaide during the 1970s. He is persuaded to read an unpublished novel written by a fellow lodger, which tells a series of stories set in ancient Australia, India, Persia, Palestine, and Britain. These address the themes of estrangement, migration, and the influence of myths; and optimistically suggest that the least heroic can contribute to the common weal. The second part, "The Evening Light", tells of Malcolm in old age. Still single, he has created a fictional past that is more comfortable to live with. Escaping from a home for the aged in which the authoritarian government has detained him, Malcolm seeks help from a criminal specializing in the sale of political positions. Within the corrupt world of 2024, Malcolm's idealized memories suggest an attractive philosophy worth pursuing.