Puberty blues is an iconic australian book that based on a witheringly brutal and honest account of two best friends growing up in the misogynistic surf culture of cronulla aka the shire during the 1970s. Jul 04, 2012 heres a first look at puberty blues, a brand new australian television series airing on network ten in 2012. Written 20 years ago, puberty blues is the bestselling account of growing up in the 1970s that took australia by storm and spawned an eponymous cult movie. Aug, 2016 the book of puberty blues was an underground sensation at school, carefully hidden from the view of teachers for fear that theyd bust our game wide open. The recent australian tv series is whimsical and innocent and features older main characters dabbling in the. I remember reading the book in high school when it was a compulsory part of the literature curriculum and in time its become an important protofeminist work. Puberty blues by kathy lette 9781742759289 booktopia. When a collection of producers and writers read the 1979 book puberty blues with a view to turning it into a television series, even those who had read it years before were struck by how the teenagers at. Puberty blues is surely one those early 80s films with its own theme song that makes you just want to throw things at the tv screen, cringing at almost everything the film portrays puberty blues follows the lives of two sunburnt 16 yearold best friends, raised in the beach city of cronulla in the sutherland shire of south sydney.
When examining the 1980s film puberty blues, using techniques of content analysis and personal reflection, i have observed certain differences and similarities between the culture depicted in the film and my own society and culture. Written twenty years ago, puberty blues is the bestselling account of growing up in the 1970s that took australia by storm and spawned an eponymous cult movie. Do you want to search free download puberty blues or free read online. Puberty blues by kathy lette and gabrielle carey gabrielle carey is often unfairly referred to as the other writer of puberty blues first published in 1979, overshadowed by the effusive kathy lette, who has written a series of laughoutloud best sellers. It also marked the starting point of kathy lettes writing career. Mar 19, 2014 puberty blues is an australian book, film and tv show set in the 70s. In the 1970s there was a decline in the menzies government and in turn an environment was established in which australian artists could. First published in 1979 in australia by two 18yearolds, it was a scandal, since it was about sex and drugs and if you count pat boone rock n roll. A profoundly moral story germaine greer i dont recall reading puberty blues so much as devouring it. The story of puberty blues is the adoption of an image in order to be accepted. Puberty blues unabridged puberty blues unabridged audiobook, by kathy lette.
The novel and film focus on the two main characters, teenagers debbie vickers and sue knight, as they try and get in with the cool crowd, the green hills gang. It reintroduced chiko rolls and the word moll to a new generation of aussies. The film is based on the 1979 novel puberty blues, by gabrielle carey and kathy lette, which is a protofeminist teen novel about two yearold girls from the lower middle class sutherland shire in sydney. What struck me was the lack of purpose and direction that many of the young characters displayed in their lives often arising from the boredom that inevitably comes from nothing to do. Puberty blues tv series wikimili, the best wikipedia reader. Puberty blues is about top chicks and surfie spunks and the kids who dont quite make the cut. Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers. It has long been controversial with adults but much sought out by teenagers for its depictions of adolescent sex. Set during the late 1970s, the series revolves around the family and friends of debbie and sue, two inseparable teenage friends who are progressing through the coming of age process. Gabrielle carey is often unfairly referred to as the other writer of puberty blues first published in 1979, overshadowed by the effusive kathy lette, who has written a series of laughoutloud best sellers. Puberty blues, which is based on the book of the same name and set in the 70s, was a hit for network ten in 2012.
The sex, drugs and disobedience seemed as foreign to. Although dated, puberty blues is still a good read for those who work with young people. Truth masquerades as fiction as kathy lette and gabrielle carey portray themselves, at thirteen years of age, as deb and sue in a tell all account of being a teenager in. Puberty blues is a 1979 novel by gabrielle carey and kathy lette. The subject of the film is the journey that two young people go on. Do they learn something about themselves and how the world works. When i read puberty blues by gabrielle carey and kathy lette at 14, i was shocked by what girls got up to in the big city. While gabrielle might prefer a life with less publicity, she is no lesser a writer. In season 1 he dated vicki until she cheated on him and the broke up. Download free puberty blues you can download free book and read puberty blues by kathy lette, gabrielle carey for free here. The mating rituals of two teenage surf chicks from the southern suburbs of sydney. Puberty blues is an australian comingofage comedydrama television series broadcast on network ten. A semiautobiographical book by kathy lette and gabriele carey, it was made into a popular film directed by bruce baresford of the same title that. There are any number of other profiles and stories, about the early days, and the bitter split, and the reality and mythology of puberty blues, available on the internet see for example, daniel mudie cunningham on the film at senses of cinema, here, or stella clarkes overview on gabrielle carey and her book moving amongt strangers, in the.
Puberty blues, which opens today at the cinema studio, is based on a novel of the same name by kathy lette and gabrielle carey, which purported to tell. We all agreed that the spine of the series should be the girls, says banks, referring to the books two key characters, debbie and sue. My first encounter with puberty blues was when i was a young teenager. My copy is a 2002 reprint from england with new forewards by two of the few australian lady celebs, kylie minogue and germaine greer. Puberty blues, by film and my own society and culture. Jul 15, 1983 puberty blues, which opens today at the cinema studio, is based on a novel of the same name by kathy lette and gabrielle carey, which purported to tell all about the mores of surfer teenagers. Kathy lette is a celebrated and outspoken comic writer who has an inimitable take on serious current issues. Puberty blues retains the casual brutality of the book. The first series of eight episodes began airing from 15 august 2012. Debbie nell schofield and sue jad capelja are bored with their suburban lifestyle. Puberty blues is an australian cultclassic and its the book that parents give to their children when they become a teenager to dissuade them from experimenting with drugs and sex.
Lette and carey got the story just right and their lastpage summary of what became of the reallife characters on whom the novel is based is a cautionary tale for. Written twenty years ago, puberty blues is the bestselling account of growing up in the 1970s that took. Puberty blues will premiere on network ten later this month. First there was my actual puberty, then the book about it called puberty blues, a slim creation that speaks volumes its like straight literary vegemite, no butter followed by the bruce beresford film of the book and then, in my fifties, mid menopause, i relived it all again in the twentyhour tv miniseries which proved very.
Puberty blues is an australian book, film and tv show set in the 70s. It is based on the 1979 novel of the same name by gabrielle carey and kathy lette which is a protofeminist teen book about two year old girls, debbie vickers nell schofield and sue knight jad capelja, from the lower middle class sutherland shire in sydney. A television series based on the novel began airing in 2012. The role of puberty blues in bruce beresfords career bruce beresford has been very influential in australian cinema.
Based on the bestselling book by kathy lette and gabrielle carey, the film version was released in december 1981. Heres a first look at puberty blues, a brand new australian television series airing on network ten in 2012. Puberty blues audiobook by kathy lette, gabrielle carey. Australian tv comes of age puberty blues johnbrawley. By day, we were at school learning logarithms, but by nightin the back of cars, under the bowling alley, on cronulla beach, or, if you were lucky, in a bed while someone.
Do the main characters change by the end of the book. She is one of the pioneering voices of contemporary feminism, paving the way for caitlin moran and lena dunham. They long to be surfie chicks in the greenhills, the schools popular crowd. Puberty blues by gabrielle carey penguin books australia. Ifyou want to download this ebook, i provide downloads as a pdf, kindle, word, txt, ppt, rar and zip. Puberty blues is an australian, comingofage film directed by bruce beresford. Puberty blues tv series wikimili, the best wikipedia. Download free puberty blues by kathy lette, gabrielle. This new edition of puberty blues is published jointly by text publishing and random house australia, in time for the new channel 10 tv series screening from august 15 2012. He later starts dating debbie and it continues into season 2. Puberty blues is a 1981 australian comingofage film directed by bruce beresford. By day, we were at school learning logarithms, but by night in the back of cars, under the bowling alley, on cronulla beach, or, if you were lucky, in a bed. Puberty blues is an iconic australian movie and book and tv show that forever immortalised the youth culture of the late 70searly 80s, including the glorious slang.
Puberty blues is the biography which launched kathy lettes writing career and made her famous. Thankfully the producers havent allowed the plotline to be hijacked by our present amazement at 70s clothes, hair or cooking habits. It was adapted into film in 1981 by bruce beresford and was made into a tv series in 2012 the novel and film focus on the two main characters, teenagers debbie vickers and sue knight, as they try and get in with the cool crowd, the green hills gang. The girls have to follow lots of strange customs, e. Aug 20, 2012 puberty blues is a retrospective that will appeal to both teens and adults trying to find the wisdom to navigate a childs most turbulent years. Set during the late 1970s, the series revolves around the family and. I was a little bit older when i read this book and so i feel like i didnt get as much from it if i had read it at 15 or 16 but nevertheless, i consumed this book. It is based on the 1979 book by kathy lette and gabrielle carey, which was also the inspiration for the 1981 film puberty blues.
I was about thirteen, alone in my bedroom with the door firmly shut. Jan 30, 20 puberty blues is incredibly widely read and known, with most australians being familiar with either the film, the book or both. Episodes of season 2 are shot in and around cronulla, south of sydney. Puberty blues retains the casual brutality of the book if. Puberty blues, which is set in contemporary australia, chronicles this quest through the adventures of two teenagers. By day, we were at school learning logarithms, but by nightin the back of cars, under the bowling alley, on cronulla beach, or, if you were lucky, in a bed while. Coming of age in the 1970s, puberty blues is about top chicks and surfie spunks and the kids who dont make it, in a world where only the gang and the surf count. Aug 15, 2012 what struck me was the lack of purpose and direction that many of the young characters displayed in their lives often arising from the boredom that inevitably comes from nothing to do. Books similar to puberty blues meet your next favorite book.
Puberty blues 1979 is a novel by the australian writers gabrielle carey and kathy lette. This is kathy lettes first novel, written with her surfie chick friend gabrielle carey, when they were 18. Puberty blues is a retrospective that will appeal to both teens and adults trying to find the wisdom to navigate a childs most turbulent years. The girls attempt to create a popular social status by ingratiating themselves with the. When a collection of producers and writers read the 1979 book puberty blues with a view to turning it into a television series, even those who had read it years before were struck by how the teenagers at the heart of the story acted without selfreflection. About the authors gabrielle carey is the author of novels, biography, autobiography, essays, articles and short stories, including confessions of a teenage celebrity, about the tumultuous time surrounding the writing and publishing of puberty blues. Text publishing puberty blues, book by gabrielle carey and. Puberty blues retains the casual brutality of the book if magazine. The cast and crew kathy lette was particularly happy with schofields performance, which in effect functioned as a massive celluloid magnification of her own grungy teenage experiences. Gary hennessey puberty blues wiki fandom powered by wikia. In 1986, as a freshfaced archivist, i was working in the nfsa s documentation section when we received a wellloved suitcase from director bruce beresford. With nell schofield, jad capelja, jeffrey rhoe, tony hughes.
Bestselling author kathy lettes debut novel is available in britain for the first time. Truth masquerades as fiction as kathy lette and gabrielle carey portray themselves, at thirteen years of age, as deb and sue in a tell all account of being a teenager in sydneys beachside suburbs during the 1970s. When you think of puberty blues you may think typical teenybopper drama, focusing only on those two girls. Meet sue, a teenage australian girl in the late 70s, whose life mainly consists of doing what everyone else does watch the surfing boys and have sex with the same surfing boys. Although dated, puberty blues is still a good read for those who work with young people and that includes parents of teenagers. Puberty blues 1981 was based on the book of the same name by kathy lette and gabrielle carey, a pair of reallife sydney teens who wrote newspaper articles under the pseudonym the salami. Written twenty years ago, puberty blues is the bestselling account of growing up in the 1970s that took more.
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