Review in My Four Bucks

My favourite part of the book had nothing to do with flying funnily enough… The main character realises why the parents don’t love their baby:

“They never gave up anything, they never risked anything, and the less they did for him, the less they loved him. I thought it was the other way round, that they did nothing for him because they didn’t love him.”

This really made me want to stop reading and soak this in. So poignant and so true.

Finally, the author seemed to have such an amazing understanding and knowledge of flight that I was often left shaking my head in admiration of her writing and frowning in wonder – how did she do that? I was also impressed by her knowledge of clouds and cloud formations, weather patterns, air movements, and the science behind flight. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say she was a flier herself!

I really enjoyed living in Corbett’s cleverly created world – plants bio-engineered to glow in the dark at night eliminating the need for lights, buildings created for fliers, and especially the lion that was genetically engineered to grow to the size of a house cat. (Corbett’s creativity reminded me of reading Harry Potter for the first time, and wanting to taste all of the different lollies J. K. Rowling had created). I’d love to witness and visit some of the sites in When We Have Wings, if only they were real.

A fabulous debut novel for Australian author Claire Corbett, and I’ll be keeping an eye out for what she does next.

Read the full review here.

A Review in The Fringe Magazine

When We Have Wings by Claire Corbett is a beautiful story, written with such poetic rhythm and elegance that is was almost like reading a sonnet or poem. The story was very original and the plot was intriguing and quite remarkable….

…The relationships and dialogue in When We Have Wings is so very powerful and exceptionally well written.

Brilliant piece of writing. Scott Wilson – The Fringe Magazine posted Friday July 1st.

Read the full review here.

The Daily Telegraph 25th June

…Not one of the moral quandaries in this book is improbable as they are the same dilemmas the world now struggles to resolve: whose life is worth saving, how to define a parent, how should the resources of the planet be allocated, what is love. This is what makes When We have Wings unsettling–the realisation that this is a metaphor for today’s world….

The pages of her solo flight are truly memorable, exhilarating and terrifying, and the linchpin upon which the story appears to pivot. But as with all thoughtful fiction, everything is not what it seems. Humanity is still the force that matters and endures. And it is this which gives strength and depth to this book. 

 – Mary Philip – The Daily Telegraph, Saturday, 25 June, 2011

More Reviews

‘So poignant and so true. … A fabulous debut novel for Australian author Claire Corbett, and I’ll be keeping an eye out for what she does next.’ – read the rest of this review at the My Four Bucks blog

‘The flying sequences featured throughout When We Have Wings have a vivid, dreamlike intensity. Corbett’s characters are well developed, and she engages with a range of important social issues. These issues include genetic modification, motherhood, and class stratification…. Corbett skilfully depicts a bleak future in which advanced technology only exacerbates social inequalities. The plight of her characters (particularly Peri) is gripping and often moving.’ – from the review by Jay Daniel Thompson, ABR

‘Not one of the moral quandaries in this book is improbable as they are the same dilemmas the world now struggles to resolve: whose life is worth saving, how to define a parent, how should the resources of the planet be allocated, what is love. This is what makes When We Have Wings unsettling–the realization that this is a metaphor for today’s world….

‘The pages of [Peri’s] her solo flight are truly memorable, exhilarating and terrifying, and the linchpin upon which the story appears to pivot. But as with all thoughtful fiction, everything is not what it seems. Humanity is still the force that matters and endures. And it is this which gives strength and depth to this book.’ – from the review by Mary Philip, Daily Telegraph

A great review at The Fringe Magazine

I like the focus on the writing in this review: “When We Have Wings by Claire Corbett is a beautiful story, written with such poetic rhythm and elegance that is was almost like reading a sonnet or poem. The story was very original and the plot was intriguing and quite remarkable….

 

…The relationships and dialogue in When We Have Wings is so very powerful and exceptionally well written.

Brilliant piece of writing.” Scott Wilson – The Fringe Magazine posted Friday July 1st