Easy to read and oddly a bit of a page turner but in the end poor for being on the 'try hard' side of satire. If a book is going to be, or at least attempt to be, Orwellian in nature it kind of has to be believable. This had its moments, the chapter with the aboriginal dope growers was a highlight, but it all seemed a bit forced and over the top. australia9 s Simon32 2

Enjoyable satire on the war on terror. I actually loved it and was quite homesick (I live in London) as a result of it all being set in Australia five years from now. The main character, Leo James, a failed property developer and brother of Australia's right wing prime minister, kidnapped by the Southern Jihad terrorist organisation is excellent and feels your quintessential Aussie character. The thought of Canberra being nuked is pretty funny. Afterall, who would miss it?

Story is a bit far fetched and possibly not as well written as his other novels but it was meant to be an over exaggeration and written rather quickly according to the author. I loved it anyway!

Definitely worth the read although the threat of John Howard's Orwellian police state seems to be receding under the Rudd government ... or is it?australia politics2 s Friedrich Der6 1 follower

This remarkable book establishes Andrew McGahan as one of Australia's top authors. Underground makes an obvious political statement – basically that the war on terror and the whole Howard era has been total bullshit – a statement which for some reason other novelists have not put forth so lyrically. McGahan eschews a heavy diatribe for something more oddball, something more accessible, something more Matthew Riley. The resulting novel is a very imaginative, very comic, action thriller, compared justly on the back cover to both Orwell and Dr Strangelove. Despite the fact that the Howard years are now behind us, we can only hope that the book is read widely and fully appreciated by a young audience – so that they know the terrors that might have been – so that they steer the country well clear in future...
The setting is less that a decade away, but Australia has become a police state, a true fascist dictatorship. Leo James, entrepreneur and estranged brother of the PM, is captured by a terrorist group during the chaotic impact of a Queensland cyclone. Thenceforth Leo is propelled through a series of rescures, shoot-outs and recaptures – thrown from one farcical situation to the next. He winds up in the custody of a blokish resistance fighter, an agent of the enigmatic “Oz Underground”. Alongside a white Jihad-enthusiast called Nancy, the three uncover just how unbelievably mendacious the government has become. Meanwhile the action is interspersed with chunks of the background story – elaboarating on how things got to be just this dystopian abd putting us in the shoes of Mr Leo James in time for the strangely touching conclusion.
Underground is very gently satirical, although it occasionally culminates in scenes of true comic brilliance. The Australia vs America cricket match is one of these – “Nothing to stir the blood in the sight of flummoxed ex-baseballers swinging and missing at a nicely contrived off-cutter or deceptively looped bit of leg spin...” Another hilarious notion is the “Citizenship Verification Test”, used by sinister government henchmen to discern rogue elements in the populace. The questions here are about Bradman's batting averages, the poetry of Banjo Patterson, and who bowled the underarm ball - “Trevor Chappell. And it bloody well was legal.”
And this is the big success of Underground – it criticizes excessive nationalism while somehow reaffirming “Aussie” culture. Maybe Leo James represents the Australian identity – wayward, but despite past indiscretions is able to reestablish himself as honest, tolerant, understanding – willing to act beyond mere self-interest.
The only thing worth criticizing here is the non-event title that fails to distinguish the book from so many others. This is McGahan's fifth book, in a catalogue that includes the Vogel Award winning Praise, and the Miles Franklin Award winning White Earth. The fact that Underground is distinctly different again, says something about his ability. Who knows what he will do next...2 s Kim948 91

Surprisingly, this is the first novel by Andrew McGahan that I've read/listened to.
I was quite taken by premise, and even though the novel was published about 15 years ago, it's aged pretty well and this alternative reality come across as plausible to an extent. I certainly didn't have any trouble going with the story and suspending disbelief.
It's very interesting hearing about the city where you've grown up, described in a dystopian.
Although, it the action doesn't just take place in Canberra, it starts with a cyclone. An apocalyptic destruction of the main character's white-elephant resort. Then there's a chase through the country, with misfit companions finding other hilarious satirical characters.
A really interesting and fairly blokey take on a dystopian thriller.
One that makes me want to try his other work and I'll be checking out more audiobooks done by the narrator too.
Overall an enjoyable bit of entertainment that held my interest.
audio-books australian australian-author ...more1 Karen95 5

A wonderful prophetic book about the price of a war on terror. A grim topic written with wry insights. 1 Ann8 1 follower

It had me hooked from the first sentence..."Its name was Yusef....If something looks big and dangerous, then find a means to link it to Islam."

The scenario of an Australia in the near future with an ultra-nationalist conservative government is extrapolated with black humour and from a convincing premise.
It is very similar to the movie "V for Vendetta" with Hugo Weaving set in England also in the near future. If you haven't seen it it's worth a look (although I covered my eyes for some of the more violent scenes).
"Underground" has the makings of an interesting movie. Thankfully with the election of less conservative governments in Oz and the USA the threat of an Orwellian future has receded...or is it all still part of a giant conspiracy?1 Joe Stamber1,157 3

McGahan provides a fascinating vision of what Australia could become if internal security was considered so far above anything else that the country was in a constant state of paranoia. With nods to Brazil and 1984 but taking its own path, Underground is a clever tale told from the POV of an unly protagonist who unwittingly gets caught up with a terrorist and a revolutionary in a complicated conspiracy. McGahan largely keeps us in the dark as the conspiracy eventually unfolds after the bizarre trio lurch from one crisis to another during a road trip to the final act. Underground nearly reached 4 stars, but occasional meanderings and the protagonist's continual reminders that the narrative was revealed during interrogation (almost talking to the camera) were annoyances. Still, a well written and entertaining tale that became more readable the further I got into it.kindle read-2010s1 The Bookshop Umina905 33 Read

A fun satire of Australian politics and attitudes. So different from his other novels - I love how McGahan transforms his writing style with each book.1 EvelynAuthor 1 book10

I wonder whether when Andrew McGahan cuts himself he bleeds green and gold. The man clearly cares really deeply about this country. The book isn't subtle, but I really enjoyed it. 1 Jill181

Great stuff. A real caper. Finished this novel in a couple of sittings over a couple of days. Andrew McGahan is a fine writer (although I've enjoyed some of his novels more than others). This novel is over 10 years old now, although it could have been written last week, it's got such a sense of 'currency' to it and isn't anchored in the last decade.

A political thriller 'lite', this is a fun story with some serious messages tucked into the hat band (as it were). An intriguing band of characters lead by the semi-able rogue Leo James (brother to the current Australian Prime Minister, Bernard James), we go on a rollicking ride from Bundaberg to Brunswick with a few strange stops in between.

Good holiday reading, with some decent laughs and a solid plotline, and a set of deliciously flawed characters. Good stuff! Gordon Eldridge165 2

This novel is a pearl. McGahan is exceedlingly witty and his political satire cuts to the quick concerning what is happening in the western world at the moment. Governments are using events such as September 11 to play on the fear of their electorates and increase their power. McGahan takes the policies of the Howard government in Australia and follows them to their logical conclusion. Along the way, hard-won democratic freedoms that have been gained over hundreds of years are unravelled in the name of national security. The content is equally relevant to the situtation in the U.S., the U.K., Europe, or anywhere that governments are exploiting terrorism to strengthen their power. If you enjoyed Jonathan Swift's political satire in Gulliver's Travels, you will love Andrew McGahan. He hits home in a very thought-provoking way and manages to provide quite a few laughs along the way.fiction Adam221 131

'twas OK, not funny but interesting enough to listen to. The image of Parliament House as a sole prison was new. Oops spoiler alert, but who cares, not that big of a deal.

The narrator prouncing it 'Parl-ee-uh-ment' was a bit weird, I've always said it as Parli-ment but that's me. Maybe he was just being a dickhead and that's OK. 3stars audiobook fiction ...more Mathew Bing1 review

Both hilarious and chilling The Hanged Man 29 2

whacko!!! Maxine Dale171 1 follower

4.5 Craig Peters45 1 follower

Probably more terrifying and prescient now than when it was written.

Join the Underground. Sandra Hamilton119 2

Not a future one would want. Al Bità377 46

This is a delicious read!

McGahan writes very smoothly; he is easy to read; but this masks a more serious and darker motif. On the surface, this work can seem to be a very light, funny look at the contemporary world of Australian politics, but underneath it is a scathing critique of ALL modern-day politicians and political shenanigans. The overall tone is comic; but underneath, the image the author has of the political future for humanity is dark and frightening.

The dismissive, self-deprecating style is classically Australian, and it is here where the humour lies. The heroic anti-hero of the novel is quintessentially 'ocker' — and one could argue that he is a classic loser, with every letter of that word spelled in capitals! But since the vast majority of human beings could also be categorised in this way, the novel becomes an exercise in extreme and wonderful bravado in the face of overwhelming odds. What a way to go!

In this sense, the novel becomes an exercise in cheerful acceptance of fate while opposing that fate with every moral fibre of one's being. What more could you want from a novel? Rhonda623

A timely wake-up call about the direction we are heading in Australia with the "war on terror". Hard to believe how prescient the author was back in 2006 when this was written. Scarily relevant in early 2015. Would love to see this discussed more widely.

The scenario seems over the top but still very believable. The main character property developer Leo was also strangely able and sympathetic.

Australian readers will get more out of this than readers less familiar with Australian political history and culture. I loved all the references to Canberra, cricket, the citizenship test and more.australian future Bohemian2

This book just blew me away by how realistic it is and just how easily something this could happen in our world today. Sure it is set after John Howard was prime minister of Australia, and it is based on what could happen if the same political party stays in power for too long. Personally, I would not to see something this come into being in this age, because quiet frankly, it is a very scary thought.

I would recommend it to anyone and everyone to read. I think I might re-read it again, because as I said, it blew my mind. Lula Belle154 1 follower

A great, rollicking romp of a read. Leo James is an engaging, funny and burnt-out protagonist and his adventures with a member of the underground and a terrorist are unpredictable and memorable. McGahan really goes for it, imagining Australia as a security state in response to terrorist events and although Underground was published in 2006, his themes are still relevant, so much so that I found myself wincing at times. My only small quibble with this book is that I felt slightly let down by the ending,but it's well worth reading. Sharon108 3

Identical twins, political intrigues, dark humour and conspiracies all wrapped up in fast paced thriller and I enjoyed every step of the wild ride. The story is on one level highly implausible, but the more you think about it, it doesn't take too much of a stretch of the imagination to believe that some elements of the story could happen. The plot has plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader entertained and guessing. Kangarucci23

If you read or listen to only one more book for the rest of this year, make it this one. Canberra has been nuked and Australia is in security lock down. How this happened and the consequences of it makes for a furiously paced story of frightening plausibility. Though set in the near future its roots are in the decade beginning with the election of the Howard government. Read this story to understand why you hate what happened in the Howard years – or why you should. Ruby352 18

This book is a biting piece of social satire that is already a little dated. I wish I had read it earlier, when John Howard was still in power. It was a great concept that would have packed a lot of punch at the time it was released. I d this book least of all his novels, but even so, it's a cracking good read. Andrew14

Canberra nuked? I picked this book up only because of the author
and to see how he treated the plot. I was thoroughly entertained from start to finish. The protagonist is a funny, able & unable character. The plot being way over the top, you have to laugh but then you eerily realise some of the similarities to current Australia. Mark Ryall45 2

Really entertaining: funny and dystopian. It reminded me a little of stark by ben elton.

I'm going to have to catch up on everything by Andrew McGahan since I read praise and 1988 about 20 years ago. Dennis29 2

I was tempted to give this book five stars, I loved it so much. I have read most of Andrew McGahan, but this is his best book. The twist at the end is a bit obvious (and unnecessary), but it is still good. Louis Moresi50 1 follower

I read other that thought this would have been a good read before Howard lost power but it suddenly seems relevant again. I was indifferent to the writing style and the apparent revelation near the end but the real conclusion was more subtle than I expected. Nicely restrained ! Michelle804 3

Having read McGahan's 1988 and Praise, I think this is probably not his best. But, it is a fun thriller with a political bent. At times heavy on the politics, but that was ok as I agree wholeheartedly with him that democracy is being flushed down the toilet. Steve Jones152 2

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