Book discussion: The Plains by Gerald Murnane

In November, we’ll be discussing The Plains by Gerald Murnane.

Published in 1982, The Plains is a modern Australian classic and one of Murnane’s most recognised works. The novel is narrated by a filmmaker who travels to the interior plains in search of patrons for an ambitious project. As he becomes absorbed into the lives of the landowners and their endless discussions about art, history, and landscape, the story turns inward, reflecting on vision, identity, and the act of creation itself.

Sparse in plot but rich in ideas, The Plains has been read as an allegory of Australian culture, a meditation on art, and a philosophical exploration of how we see and describe the world.