Tim Winton’s Juice – life is complex. Tim Winton’s Juice is intended to be an exploration of the complexities of human relationships through the lens of a climate catastrophe. Winton delves into the mother and son bond, and the son’s romantic relationship. His relationships are inherently difficult and fall apart.
His story begins with a back story of the unnamed narrator becoming an activist involved in war. The moral of the story involving elitists responsible for the past and controlling the present is a little light as it is not fully explained what they currently do to control the present, nor what the activists will do to take over, if ever.
TIm Winton’s prose undoubtedly is part of the attraction, with its clarity, and genuine feelings. The moments of dialogue such as when he and the child are caught are suitably edgy. This is a long convoluted novel involving a history of eras. it does not sag until towards the end when it struggles to find conclusion.
Tim Winton spins an overly detailed yarn, with every step of the way meticulously documented. I could have done with less detail and still have fully engaged with the character. Winton uses a capture of the narrator with a child to then tell the story of his life to the “bowman”, however, the presence of the child, who does not speak, was not fully explained other than his estranged wife left with his. Whilst the conversation propels the story forward, it is not clear what the bowman is doing down below or holding people hostage.
The main character’s story has him looking for meaning in his life and becomes part of the rebel forces – seeing action. He then meets a woman called Sun who he feels is above his station – “a simple plains boy.” Ultimately his work away from home takes its toll on their relationship which ends with Sun taking their child, Ester, with her, but feels unfulfilled for the rest of the novel as the plot never returns to it.
Throughout the story he lives with his mother, which at times is difficult, as he goes away on missions. Living next door in a house with Sun, sees his relationship with his wife deteriorate as he is summoned away. We are introduced to the “clan” he targets on his missions with its vast wealth, far-reaching networks, but no depth to its role in the apocalyptic situations we found ourselves in.
It is not until the end of the novel that the mother’s oversight of his whole life is revealed. He admits he took both women in his life”for granted.” But this is lacks any final fulfilment. Whilst this is a post-apocalyptic novel the mother is a peripheral aspect to a story about his life. In that sense the military expeditions could have been more meaningful. There are moments of introspection when he asks if there’s something bigger and better to aspires to than a capacity to endure, if there is more to courage than suffering.
The novel ends as his mother passes away – “everything about my mother’s death came as a surprise. Except the tidiness of it” – as it there is such a thing. Loose ends are tied up with her note to him. To find out his mother was a sort of handler to bring him into the “cause”, after her husband had died fighting for it. It begs more questions such as what the real story was behind his partner, Sun, was; but we are left hanging. The Australian landscape, whilst rugged, feels too baron to be that imposing.
