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A novel in disguise: Theory & Practice, by Michelle de Kretser, reviewed

De Kretser’s witty, innovative take on the immigrant’s predicament tries ingeniously to persuade us that we are not reading fiction but documentary truth

Philip Hensher
Michelle de Kretser. Joy Lai
EXPLORE THE ISSUE 29 March 2025
issue 29 March 2025

Michelle de Kretser, of a Sri Lankan family living in Australia, is an exceptional novelist – perhaps among the ten best at work in English today. She has been recognised with literary prizes, but it’s surprising that she hasn’t made quite the impact on the public she deserves. She is one of those writers who one presses upon intelligent acquaintances and whose books reward rereading.

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