In an interview with Jennifer Ellison, Thea Astley reaffirmed her belief that a novel lasts only six months - unless it's War and Peace - adding, "I think novels should probably have a date stamped on them, like milk. 'Read by 18 October'." This would be especially applicable to An Item from the Late News, a novel about the nuclear issue, the political details of which are forever changing, were it not for the fact that Astley's novel is indeed about the wider issues of war and peace in twentieth-century terms. Despite its sociopolitical implications, An Item from the Late News is not primarily concerned with the hardware, or even the software of the nuclear threat out there, but rather the more insidious threat within, from which there is no material shelter but only the fragile protection of spiritual values.
History
Publication title
Southerly
Volume
48
Pagination
138-151
ISSN
0038-3732
Department/School
School of Humanities
Publisher
Halstead Press
Place of publication
19A Boundary St, Rushcutters Bay, Sydney, Australia, Nsw 2011
Repository Status
Restricted
Socio-economic Objectives
Expanding knowledge in language, communication and culture