Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Conversation
The Conversation
Julian Novitz, Senior Lecturer, Writing, Department of Media and Communication, Swinburne University of Technology

Patrick Holland’s hard-boiled drifter inhabits the strange beauty of lonely cities. Oblivion is both electrifying and too familiar

Aleksandar Pasaric/Pexels

The unnamed narrator of Patrick Holland’s Oblivion begins the novel contently, if not happily adrift. An Australian nominally based in Beijing, he works in either trade or diplomacy, and spends his time travelling between Asian megacities.

Middle-aged and without any attachment to the idea of “home”, his world consists of departure lounges and hotel rooms, bars, shopping arcades and long, desolate stretches of highway.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.