Obernewtyn (novel)
2007 edition cover
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| Author | Isobelle Carmody |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Les Petersen |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Series | Obernewtyn Chronicles |
| Genre | Fantasy, Science fiction, Post-apocalyptic |
| Publisher | Penguin Books (AUS) |
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Publication date
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1987 |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| Pages | 248 |
| ISBN | |
| OCLC | 27491110 |
| Followed by | The Farseekers |
Obernewtyn is the first novel in the Obernewtyn Chronicles series by Australian author Isobelle Carmody. Carmody began writing it at the age of fourteen, and reworked the novel through high school and university. Much of the inspiration for the protagonist, Elspeth Gordie, comes from her own life experiences. It was published by Penguin Books in Australia in 1988 and shortlisted for the Book of the Year for Older Readers in the Children's Book Council of Australia Awards.
A science fiction-fantasy novel set in a post-apocalyptic world, the story follows Elspeth Gordie, an orphan with special mental abilities, who lives a life of fear and danger. When her abilities are brought to the attention of the ruling, totalitarian Council, she is banished to the remote mountain institution of Obernewtyn, where all "Misfits" are sent. The leaders of Obernewtyn are secretly searching for the old weapons that had sent the world to the brink of despair, and Elspeth finds herself embroiled in a plot that risks more than just her personal safety.
The book has been published in Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Germany and Portugal. The Library Journal stated it was a "thought-provoking tale of courage and sacrifice"; other reviews found it one-dimensional and difficult to follow. Adapted as a stage play by Caroline Heske, it was performed in Darwin, Australia in 2004 by the Corrugated Iron Youth Arts Theatre.
Isobelle Carmody began writing the book when she was fourteen, in 1972. She rewrote and developed it throughout high school and university. After briefly working as a journalist, she left to write full-time.Penguin Books agreed to publish the book when Carmody submitted the manuscript in her early twenties and it was published in 1987. Carmody has said that the character and life experiences of Elspeth reflect her own:
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