Unpacking Lola in the Mirror: Do we deserve redemption?
Trent Dalton does something to my brain. His books are incantations. The words dance, the sentences crackle, and suddenly, you’re inside the heart of something so raw and true that it hurts a little. Lola in the Mirror feels like this to me.
Boy Swallows Universe explained: Themes, characters and symbolism
Trent Dalton’s Boy Swallows Universe found me at a time when I needed it most. I’m a huge Tim Winton fan and Trent’s prose and structures remind me of the wistful bursts that Winton paints throughout his novels. The key difference I think being that where Winton can’t help but to find the grim and the grime in even the happier moments, Dalton manages to exert hope in the darkest of corners. Both approaches appeal but Dalton’s is almost naive in its geniality, and that is in no way a bad thing. Especially considering the protagonist of this magnificent tale.
