Synopsis
The straight line of history has led, and was always leading, to this day and they have all been lucky enough to be alive, right now, to greet the moment. One suburban morning in summer 1970, Peter van Rijn, proprietor of the television and wireless shop, realises that his suburb is 100 years old. He contacts the mayor, who assembles a committee, and celebrations are eagerly planned. That same morning, just a few streets way, Rita is awakened by a dream of her husband's snores. It is years since Vic moved north, and left their house of empty silences, yet his life remains bound up with hers. Their son, too, has moved on - Michael is at university, exploring new ideas and the heady world of grown-up love. Yet Rita still stubbornly stays in the old street, unable to imagine leaving the house she has tended so lovingly for so long. Instead she has taken on the care of another house as well - that of the widowed Mrs Webster, owner of the suburb's landmark factory, now in decline. As these lives entwine, and the committee commissions its centenary mural and prepares to commemorate progress, history - in the shape of the new, post-war generation represented by Michael and his friends - is heading straight for them...The Time We Have Taken is a celebration of the rhythms and intricacies of suburban life, and a meditation on its limitations. Steven Carroll achieves a luminous intimacy with his characters as he explores both a society teetering on the edge of radical change, and the richness and complexity of that most common of Australian experiences - the suburbs.
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Product Description
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Review
"A writer worth cherishing. His prose is unfailingly assured, lyrical, poised" (The Australian)
"What makes Steven Carroll's novels extraordinary is the metaphysical depth that he gives to his story" (Telerama (France))
"Exquisite... There are times in this book where I paused to admire the subtle craft of what Carroll is doing. Every piece of this book is sanded and planed and perfectly joined ... graceful and tender prose" (The Age)
"It is the tender awareness he has of human frailty which lifts the spirit and implores us to simply think better of others and ourselves ... Carroll writes like a bird freed from a cage" (West Australian)
"Deceptively simple, this novel has a quiet force" (Sydney Morning Herald)
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The Time We Have Taken
Seller: WeBuyBooks, Rossendale, LANCS, United Kingdom
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Good. Most items will be dispatched the same or the next working day. A copy that has been read but remains in clean condition. All of the pages are intact and the cover is intact and the spine may show signs of wear. The book may have minor markings which are not specifically mentioned. Seller Inventory # wbs9784468731
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The Time We Have Taken
Published by
Fourth Estate January 2007, 2007
ISBN 10: 0732278368
ISBN 13: 9780732278366
Used
Soft Cover
Seller: Burke's Book Store, Memphis, TN, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Soft Cover. Condition: Very Good. Minor browning to pages, else tight and clean. Seller Inventory # 218609
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The Time We Have Taken
Seller: AwesomeBooks, Wallingford, United Kingdom
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: Very Good. The Time We Have Taken This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. Seller Inventory # 7719-9780732278366
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The Time We Have Taken
Seller: Bahamut Media, Reading, United Kingdom
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: Very Good. This book is in very good condition and will be shipped within 24 hours of ordering. The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. This book has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far. Money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. See all our books here, order more than 1 book and get discounted shipping. Seller Inventory # 6545-9780732278366
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The Time We Have Taken
Published by
HarperCollins Publishers, Pymble, N.S.W., 2007
ISBN 10: 0732278368
ISBN 13: 9780732278366
Used
Softcover
Seller: Mr Pickwick's Fine Old Books, Katoomba, NSW, Australia
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Softcover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: No Dust Jacket. Early Edition. Size: Octavo (standard book size). 327 pages. Text body is clean, and free from previous owner annotation, underlining and highlighting. Binding is tight, covers and spine fully intact. Edges browned slightly. Multiple copies available this title. Quantity Available: 2. Shipped Weight: Under 1 kilogram. Category: Fiction; ISBN: 0732278368. ISBN/EAN: 9780732278366. Dewey Code: A823.3. All our pictures shown here are of the actual item, not stock photos. Inventory No: RB15973. For further info on this title, click on the "Contact Seller" button within this listing. We will try to reply within 24 hours. Otherwise you can order right now (inclusive of shipping options) from the "Add to Basket" button to the right. Seller Inventory # RB15973
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THE TIME WE HAVE TAKEN
Seller: BOOK COLLECTORS GALLERY, SUMMER HILL, NSW, Australia
Seller rating 3 out of 5 stars
Soft cover. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. Seller Inventory # 018025
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The Time We Have Taken: Winner of the Miles Franklin Literary Award 2008
Published by
HarperCollins Publishers Australia, 2007
ISBN 10: 0732278368
ISBN 13: 9780732278366
Used
Paperback
Seller: Barclay Books, York, WA, Australia
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. sp. Winner of the 2008 Miles Franklin Literary Award. The straight line of History has led, and was always leading, to this day and they have all been lucky enough to be alive, right now, to greet the moment. One suburban morning in Summer 1970, Peter van Rijn, proprietor of the television and wireless shop, realises that his suburb is 100 years old. He contacts the Mayor, who assembles a Committee, and celebrations are eagerly planned. That same morning, just a few streets way, Rita is awakened by a dream of her husbandâÂÂÂÂs snores. It is years since Vic moved north, and left their house of empty silences, yet his life remains bound up with hers. Their son, too, has moved on - Michael is at university, exploring new ideas and the heady world of grown-up love. Yet Rita still stubbornly stays in the old street, unable to imagine leaving the house she has tended so lovingly for so long. Instead she has taken on the care of another house as well - that of the widowed Mrs Webster, owner of the suburbâÂÂÂÂs landmark factory, now in decline. As these lives entwine, and the Committee commissions its centenary mural and prepares to commemorate Progress, History - in the shape of the new, post-war generation represented by Michael and his friends - is heading straight for them. The Time We Have Taken is a celebration of the rhythms and intricacies of suburban life, and a meditation on its limitations. Steven Carroll achieves a luminous intimacy with his characters as he explores both a society teetering on the edge of radical change, and the richness and complexity of that most common of Australian experiences - the suburbs. First published 2007. 4th Estate, 2007. A trade paperback copy in near fine, unmarked condition. Seller Inventory # 4245260
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Time We Have Taken, The
Published by
Harper Collins Publishers, Pymble, NSW, Australia, 2007
ISBN 10: 0732278368
ISBN 13: 9780732278366
Used
Medium Softcover
Seller: Reading Habit, Buttaba, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Medium Softcover. Condition: Good. Reprint. Medium softcover, reprint, 376g, 327 pages. Book is in good condition with mild general wear and tear and moderate to heavy page discolouration/spotting throughout. There is a small pen marking on the inside front page from a previous owner, otherwise no other pre-loved markings. Seller Inventory # AUSFIC21217
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Time We Have Taken, The
Published by
Harper Collins Publishers, Pymble, NSW, Australia, 2007
ISBN 10: 0732278368
ISBN 13: 9780732278366
Used
Medium Softcover
Seller: Reading Habit, Buttaba, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Medium Softcover. Condition: Good. Reprint. Medium softcover, reprint, 376g, 327 pages. Book is in good condition with mild general wear and tear and moderate to heavy page discolouration/spotting throughout, otherwise no other pre-loved markings. Seller Inventory # AUSFIC80609
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The Time We Have Taken - Glenroy Series #3
Published by
Fourth Estate, Australia, 2007
ISBN 10: 0732278368
ISBN 13: 9780732278366
Used
Medium Trade Paperback
Seller: Manyhills Books, Traralgon, VIC, Australia
Seller rating 4 out of 5 stars
Medium Trade Paperback. Condition: Very Good. Reprint. Medium Trade Paperback. 327 pages. *** PUBLISHING DETAILS: Fourth Estate, Australia, 2007. Reprint. *** CONDITION: This book is in very good condition. More specifically: Covers have no creasing. Corners of covers are lightly bumped. Spine is uncreased. . Pages are lightly tanned. *** ABOUT THIS BOOK: One summer morning in 1970, Peter van Rijn, proprietor of the television and wireless shop, pronounces his Melbourne suburb one hundred years old. That same morning, Rita is awakened by a dream of her husband's snores, yet it is years since Vic moved north. Their son, Michael, has left for the city, and is entering the awkward terrain of first love. As the suburb prepares to celebrate progress, Michael's friend Mulligan is commissioned to paint a mural of the area's history. But what vision of the past will his painting reveal? Meanwhile, Rita's sometime friend Mrs Webster confronts the mystery of her husband's death. And Michael discovers that innocence can only be sustained for so long. The Time We Have Taken is both a meditation on the rhythms of suburban life and a luminous exploration of public and private reckoning during a time of radical change. *** Quantity Available: 1. Category: Fiction; Australian; ISBN: 0732278368. ISBN/EAN: 9780732278366. Inventory No: 23090101. Seller Inventory # 23090101