His Stupid Boyhood: A Memoir (Peter Goldsworthy, Hamish Hamilton, August)

The subject of Peter Goldsworthy’s memoir is his first 18 years and ‘the getting of stupidity’. ‘The getting of wisdom would have to wait,’ he writes. Goldsworthy’s father was a teacher, which meant that in the 1950s and 1960s, the Goldsworthy family was frequently uprooted to different parts of South Australia and, in one memorable instance, to Darwin. Each move introduced Goldsworthy to new books and new ideas. The story of Goldsworthy’s youth is also one of serious illness, from asthma to, later, lung problems that required serious medical attention. These physical weaknesses did not stop Goldsworthy from taking on all-comers in verbal contests, although physical defence of his honour was often delegated to more capable friends. In self-deprecating terms, Goldsworthy describes his naive, self-confident ways, which often ruined attempts to make meaningful contact with girls, and which still caused him trouble as an 18-year-old. By the end of the book Goldsworthy has become not just a reader but a published poet and a medical student. The writing is honest, unflaggingly humorous and entertaining, and conjures wonderful images, which enable the reader to share Goldsworthy’s own journey. More please.

Chris Harrington is the co-owner of Books in Print in Melbourne