Book Review: Plum by Brendan Cowell
As the NRL season wrapped up last night, I thought it was apt that I also finished reading Cowell’s Plum.
Peter ‘Plum’ Lum, a 49 year old ex NRL and NSW origin player, has an epileptic fit whilst working. The episode is obviously a direct result of the numerous hits to the head and concussions he suffered throughout his playing career which is not helped by his constant dalliances with booze and drugs. We then follow Plum’s journey of self discovery and poetry.
Yes, poetry. Peter, an elite player in undoubtedly the toughest high impact sport in the world, discovers a love for poetry in an attempt to understand his emotional probems and come through the other side to redemption. This odd choice of a hobby for Peter adds another layer of depth to Cowell’s novel, luckily without becoming in any way pretentious.
Actually, despite his fame due to his footy career, Peter is the epitome of a little Aussie battler. Cowell’s use of typical everyday Aussie language in his dialogue made me connect further with the characters even though, also in typical Aussie fashion, they all, at some point, stuff up monumentally.
Given the NRL’s stance on concussions this year and the number of players who have recently retired due to sustaining too many head knocks, Plum focuses on a very topical subject. I enjoyed the fact that Cowell never bagged the game though; in fact his love for the game shines through and he shows that there’s a lot of other sports where champions are facing health crises, not just footy.
As a diehard passionate fan, I understood all the rugby league references throughout the book but I’m not so sure readers from anywhere bar Queensland and New South Wales will pick up on everything. I don’t think this will stop you from enjoying the book though — Plum’s issues are relatable and representative of modern society in general.
Although the book is very funny, it’s also very sad and touching. There’s a plethora of themes including men’s health and suicide, ableism, sexism, parental neglect and abuse, date rape and addiction (alcohol, drugs and gambling).
Plum was a perfect way to finish the footy season – 5 out of 5
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