• Best of luck to the class of 2024 for their HSC exams. You got this!
    Let us know your thoughts on the HSC exams here
  • YOU can help the next generation of students in the community!
    Share your trial papers and notes on our Notes & Resources page
MedVision ad

On the Jellicoe Road (1 Viewer)

w00dy.

Member
Joined
Feb 12, 2006
Messages
247
Location
a place not to far from here
Gender
Female
HSC
2007
the new/ish book by melina marchetta....

anyone read it. i picked it up in our library at school today. and havent yet turned the pages.

so i guess i was just wondering if any of you out there have read it and or your thoughts on it?

i shall keep you posted when i have finished?
 

Ben Folds Fan

New Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2006
Messages
1
Gender
Female
HSC
2007
hey
i just finished on the Jellicoe Road and i was a really good book!
it is one of my favourites! i love melina marchetta's books, saving francesca and on the jellicoe road are my two favourite books! you should definately finish it as it is very enjoyable. An excellent read!
 

Sarah168

London Calling
Joined
Dec 25, 2003
Messages
5,320
Location
Sydney
Gender
Female
HSC
2004
I'd love some more feedback on this too because I saw it in Target the other day and the only reason I didn't buy it was it didn't sound like her other books.

I know, I know that the other books were far too similar and that was a major criticism of "Saving Franscesca" but I'm just a sucker for the whole "Final 2 years in an inner city Sydney high school" theme. Plus, Will Trombal was a huuuge drawcard for me in terms of the 2nd book :p

Also, from reading the blurb, it sounded very John Marsden-ish and a little cliche from what I remember.

Anyway, if any of you guys could give some more feedback without spoilers, that'd be great! :D
 

w00dy.

Member
Joined
Feb 12, 2006
Messages
247
Location
a place not to far from here
Gender
Female
HSC
2007
i must admit ive been avoiding reading it.

a little unsure i guess. because yeah it doesnt seem like any other book that she has written.

BUT i shall start reading once i finish the one ive already started.

but will definately keep all posted once i finish it...

=]
 

w00dy.

Member
Joined
Feb 12, 2006
Messages
247
Location
a place not to far from here
Gender
Female
HSC
2007
sorry its taken a while...

but i have finally finished on the jellicoe road.

and i liked it. it is a little different to her other books i must say, but i think thats what makes it good.

so ill leave the rest up to you. and let you decide.

but my verdict. = definately going down on the list as one of my favourites:uhhuh:
 

pinkkprincesss

New Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2005
Messages
25
Gender
Female
HSC
2006
ive just finished reading it and i thought it was fantasic
it is different to the first two books but its different and they way it works i believe is great
i tend to like john marsden books and so that may influence my opinion
i think you should read it and see for yourself
 

Sarah168

London Calling
Joined
Dec 25, 2003
Messages
5,320
Location
Sydney
Gender
Female
HSC
2004
The idea of being "John Marsden"-ish puts me off so much. The only John M book I like is "So much to tell you". Ah well.
 

w00dy.

Member
Joined
Feb 12, 2006
Messages
247
Location
a place not to far from here
Gender
Female
HSC
2007
Sarah168 said:
The idea of being "John Marsden"-ish puts me off so much. The only John M book I like is "So much to tell you". Ah well.
ive only ever really read two of john marsden's books. checkers and letters from the inside. i found them to be good reads at the time.

on the jellicoe road may have marsdenish elements but like i said ive only really read two of his books so i cant really be the judge of that.

but with that said i personally wouldnt let that be the deciding element as to whether or not i pick up this book.

i have to admit i was a little unsure about reading the book at first. but once i started reading it i couldnt put it down.

give it a try. you may or may not be surprised =]
 

Sarah168

London Calling
Joined
Dec 25, 2003
Messages
5,320
Location
Sydney
Gender
Female
HSC
2004
Yeah, I'll give it a try once exams are over.

Letters from the Inside was a weirrrd book and Winter was just spooky. I'm a bit of a conventional reader, I guess.
 

Monielle

New Member
Joined
Oct 9, 2006
Messages
1
Gender
Male
HSC
2006
I bought this book a few days ago and i love it. It's probably my favourite Melina Marchetta book which is saying something because i loved the other two. Like some others said its pretty different to the other 2 but in a good way i think.

I'm using it as part of my english assignment because i like it so much.
 

JamTart101

New Member
Joined
Oct 10, 2006
Messages
2
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
N/A
Ok, firstly, if you like So Much To Tell You, you will probably like On The Jellicoe Road. I do!!! Seriously, it is the best book I've ever read and that's saying something since i've been obsessed with another series for the past 2 years.
I started reading on the jellicoe road just over a week ago. I couldn't put it down. i think I finished it in 3 days, started it again STRAIGHT after that, finished it again last night and am reading it a third time! I think I'm up to chapter 5. really, it is amazing! I've never read any of her books before and I don't want to, coz from what I've heard, they're all quite similar, but I think Jellicoe is different to the other two, but like I said, I haven't read them. Anyway, if you haven't read it YOU HAVE TO!!!!!!!
It's just amazing, It makes you cry and laugh and it's so powerful, best book ever.
11/10
:D :D :D :D :D :D :p :p :p :read: :read: :read: :read:
 

-x-PotatoPie-x-

New Member
Joined
Oct 21, 2006
Messages
2
Gender
Female
HSC
2009
JamTart101! YAY! Im not the only one who is now totally obsessed with this book!
When i saw the cover of the book i thought it wouldnt be as good as Melina's first two books... But they say you should never judge a book by its cover so i read it! And i LOVED IT!!!! When i first started reading it i couldnt get into it or understand it but then after the 2nd chapter i couldnt put it down! Its amazing! I finished reading it for the fourth time on thursday night and i am half way though reading it for the FIFTH time! I abosultely love it! Its fantastic! I cant stop thinking about this book!
This is by far the best book i have EVER read! And that includes both or Melina Marchetta's other books! I have read them both at least twice and watched 'Looking for Alibrandi' about 1000 times! So that says alot about Jellicoe!
Well im rambling, so ill go now.
But this is the best book ever, so if your thinking about reading it i advise you do so! Its great!
Many happy journeys ahead for readers of 'On The Jellicoe Road'!
Enjoy! x x x :wave:
 

Bunny04

VIVE LA FRANCE
Joined
Oct 18, 2004
Messages
995
Location
Well for starters, Australia, NSW, Sydney- and fin
Gender
Female
HSC
2004
Kinda funny, I know this board was done a while ago but meh.
xD

I really really like Melina Marchettas new book On the Jellicoe Road, I read it for the third time today, for a number of reasons.

The first time I read it, or began to was 2 months ago or something, like the day it came out lol. I got 50-60 pages in, and was like 'What the'. It's not like her other books.
She expects the reader to be more creative in their imagination/thinking. It's not 'spelled' out to you what's going on. You have to really figure it out. To be honest, I was finding it a little dissapointing and put it down for a good week or two. I then re-read the beginning, and decided by chance to move past what I had read. When i did, and was finished I was VERY suprised. It's a great book, and it's really up to standard with her last two novels, although I thought it was a little risky that she takes such a long time to actually get into it. It's a totally different style, so don't be too suprised. Do read it though. I love it!
 

persephone

Active Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2004
Messages
1,068
Location
Sydney
Gender
Female
HSC
2004
It was a good book. One of those ones that you can't put down.

I didn't like Taylor as a character. I didn't like Francesca in Saving Francesca either. Some parts were a bit ... I don't know, cliche? But I loved the bits that happened in the past and how they affected the present. That stuff was great. I love how it slowly explained how things came to be as they are. My favourite parts were the italic flashback parts. This was tonnes better than Saving Francesca.
 

-x-PotatoPie-x-

New Member
Joined
Oct 21, 2006
Messages
2
Gender
Female
HSC
2009
I thought Taylor was a good character but sometimes she was a bit of a let down if you know what i mean?
She seemed a bit too vulnerable and weak. I like strong characters. But Taylor was still a fantastic character. But I thought Josie was a better written character.
But I loved the rest of the characters in On The Jellicoe Road!
And as i said before. This is the BEST book ever! I have now read it six times! And as soon and i get it back from my friend who is reading it now i plan on reading it again =D
Catchup guys :)
Bye Bye. x x x <3
 

SituationNoir

Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2006
Messages
42
Location
Port Macquarie
Gender
Female
HSC
2008
I think the reason so many people believe that Marchetta has written the same book 3 times is because she consistantly has the main protagonist as female and they all seem to be stuck in some sort of search for identity, self or having problems at home.

I don't believe this is a bad thing.

Despite these simillarities there are definite differences between each book and sometimes you have to search for certain things within her writing, but I believe thats part of the experience of reading her work.

I enjoyed this book and, I did see some simillarities between the two previous novels, but I liked this one for reasons all of its own.
 

Sarah168

London Calling
Joined
Dec 25, 2003
Messages
5,320
Location
Sydney
Gender
Female
HSC
2004
I just borrowed this from the library after watching this thread for so long and my verdict is:

boooooooooooooring. I can barely scrape past page 30 or so. I'm not a reader who needs everything spelled out to me but I need to know the premise and it has to have some sort of coherence for me to latch on. I don't think Ill be getting much further. That stupid war thing that is going is just that...stupid. Maybe I'm missing something....

Looking for ALibrandi is still the best. Still funny after 50 re-reads and Saving Franscesca is still good for light-hearted reading.
 
Last edited:

pradence.mjpx

New Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2006
Messages
2
Gender
Female
HSC
2008
this book i couldn't put down...i ended up reading it in one night... and over half of it the next night because i thought i skipped things!!! i dont want to give it back to the person i borrowed it off because im prob gna read it again
it is one of those stories that i wont ever forget... and each time i read passage it holds even more significance than the first or second time i read it

i recommend this to everyone, even if you will hate it atleast you can say you've read it.
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 0, Guests: 1)

Top