Play With Knives
Play With Knives has been described a "psycho-thriller" by The Oxford Companion to Australian Literature,[1] and as a novel that "never becomes one particular genre (rather it remains as many different genres, intactly and simultaneously)."[2] Jennifer Maiden wrote the manuscript in the early 80s, and it was published in an abridged form by Allen & Unwin in 1990. It was translated into German by dtv Verlagsgesellschaft as Ein Messer im Haus in 1994. After being approached by online publisher Quemar Press in 2016, Jennifer Maiden collaborated with them to create a revised edition, believing the work should be available free on the internet.[3]
Plot
Play With Knives takes place in Sydney's Western Suburbs and focuses on Clare Collins, a young woman released from prison, after murdering her siblings at the age of nine. The narrator is George Jeffreys, her probation officer. As a serial killer begins targeting women, a complex relationship develops between Clare and George.[4]
Sequel and Later Use of Characters
Play With Knives: Two: Complicity was written by Jennifer Maiden in 1990-1991 as a sequel to Play With Knives.[5] It was published by online publisher Quemar Press in late September 2016. The characters Clare and George are also amongst those featured in Jennifer Maiden's later poetry collections,[6] from 2005 onwards.
References
- ↑ Andrews, B., Hooton, J., Wilde, W. The Oxford Companion to Australia Literature. Oxford University Press, 2002, p.504.
- ↑ Quemar Press "Books: Play With Knives", Quemar Press (August, 2016).
- ↑ Quemar Press "Books: Play With Knives", Quemar Press (August, 2016).
- ↑ Maiden, Jennifer. Play With Knives. Allen & Unwin, 1990
- ↑ Steger, Jason, "Bookmarks: The Return of a Novelist", The Sydney Morning Herald (August 19, 2016).
- ↑ Pierce, Peter, "Books of the Year", The Australian (December 19, 2015).