The Black Star: A School Story for Boys


Read by KevinS

(4 stars; 4 reviews)

A school adventure set in Australia, with secret societies, bullies, mystery, a new student who calls everyone comrade, and sport, at least one handgun, and more. I only wish I could add an Australian accent! (Summary by KevinS) (4 hr 39 min)

Chapters

Faraday's Bag 11:17 Read by KevinS
Doctor Daw Again 13:43 Read by KevinS
The Bully-Killer 15:58 Read by KevinS
The Broken Showlace 17:25 Read by KevinS
Unraveling a Clue 15:53 Read by KevinS
Jack is Enlightened 14:45 Read by KevinS
The Calamitous Cripples 16:32 Read by KevinS
Fane's Fatal Mistake 13:14 Read by KevinS
Alias Billy Faraday 15:28 Read by KevinS
The Chase for the Star 21:57 Read by KevinS
The Black Star 15:26 Read by KevinS
Billy Walks in his Sleep 11:54 Read by KevinS
A Mystery Unravelled 15:38 Read by KevinS
Dog-Face 13:48 Read by KevinS
A Jape Goes Wrong 16:39 Read by KevinS
Billy Vanishes 25:56 Read by KevinS
Hue and Cry 13:41 Read by KevinS
Conclusion 10:10 Read by KevinS

Reviews

Don't expect this book to overtake "Tom Brown's School Days"


(3 stars)

The reader initially apologises that he is unable to read this book in an Australian accent. He needn't have because there is very little 'Australiana' in it. With the change of a few words throughout this novel could easily be set in the UK or the USA. The style of writing is still very British. The National Library of Australia gives this book a rather poor review, which I think is warranted. (https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/146183930/17440086) Don't immediately write it off but as I intimated in the subject line, Walpole is no Hughes.