{"product_id":"2026200004931-secondhand-jonah","title":"Jonah","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition remarks:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBook: Good                          \u003cbr\u003eJacket: Very good\u003cbr\u003ePages: Good                  \u003cbr\u003eMarkings: Previous owner\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSet against the gritty, sun-scorched streets of early twentieth-century Sydney, this landmark Australian novel chronicles the turbulent life of Joe Jones — nicknamed Jonah — a hunchbacked larrikin who rises from the slums of Cardigan Street to become a ruthless businessman, only to find that ambition and prosperity exact a devastating personal toll. Louis Stone's masterwork presents a vivid and unflinching portrait of working-class Australian life, capturing the push-cart culture, street gangs, and social hierarchies of a society in rapid transformation. The narrative unfolds with a naturalistic intensity reminiscent of Zola, illustrating how the drive for success can corrode loyalty, love, and the human spirit. Rich with authentic period slang and sharply drawn characters — particularly the tragic figure of Clara, Jonah's long-suffering partner — the novel argues that the cost of escaping poverty is often the very soul one hoped to save. First published in 1911, Jonah stands as one of the great unsung classics of Australian literature, a powerful and compassionate study of ambition, class, and consequence.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Secondhand Stock","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48750316388571,"sku":"2026200004931-SECONDHAND","price":15.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0523\/7646\/9701\/files\/98639fbf-577e-420d-aa59-debea460c3eb.png?v=1778094106","url":"https:\/\/bookgrocer.com\/products\/2026200004931-secondhand-jonah","provider":"Book Grocer","version":"1.0","type":"link"}