Oscar And Lucinda by Peter Carey

“Oscar and Lucinda” is a novel by Australian author Peter Carey, first published in 1988. It tells the story of two unconventional and isolated individuals – Oscar Hopkins and Lucinda Leplastrier – who are brought together by their shared passion for gambling.

Oscar is the son of a strict and pious clergyman who sends him to Oxford to become a minister. However, Oscar’s true passion lies in gambling, and he becomes addicted to it, leading him to leave the church and travel to Australia in search of a new life.

Lucinda, on the other hand, is a wealthy young woman who inherits her father’s glass factory and becomes fascinated with the art of glassmaking. She too has a secret passion for gambling, and it is through this shared interest that she and Oscar meet.

The novel follows their complex and turbulent relationship as they embark on a risky plan to transport a glass church across the Australian wilderness to a remote town. Along the way, they encounter various obstacles and challenges, both external and internal, that test their resolve and their love for each other.

“Oscar and Lucinda” is a multi-layered and richly textured novel that explores themes such as faith, obsession, love, and the clash between tradition and modernity. It won the Booker Prize in 1988 and has since become a modern classic of Australian literature.