{"product_id":"2026600000568-secondhand-the-big-smoke","title":"The Big Smoke","description":"\u003cp\u003eEdition: 1st ed.,\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition remarks:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBook: Good                          \u003cbr\u003eJacket: Worn\/faded, no tears\u003cbr\u003ePages: Good                  \u003cbr\u003eMarkings: No markings\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSet against the gritty, vibrant backdrop of mid-twentieth-century Sydney, this Australian novel chronicles the struggles and ambitions of working-class characters navigating the harsh realities of city life. Darcy Niland, celebrated for his unflinching yet compassionate portrayal of ordinary Australians, presents a world where survival, dignity, and human connection are constantly tested by poverty and circumstance. With the same raw authenticity that distinguished his acclaimed The Shiralee, Niland illustrates the resilience of the human spirit through richly drawn characters whose lives intersect in the sprawling urban landscape known colloquially as The Big Smoke. The tone is both gritty and warmly humane, balancing social realism with moments of genuine tenderness and dark humor. A landmark of Australian fiction, the novel stands as a vivid document of a nation's working-class identity and the enduring hope that pulses beneath even the most difficult of lives.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Secondhand Stock","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48792286003419,"sku":"2026600000568-SECONDHAND","price":30.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0523\/7646\/9701\/files\/60911bef-0b54-47ae-b498-254e9e947451.png?v=1779274657","url":"https:\/\/bookgrocer.com\/products\/2026600000568-secondhand-the-big-smoke","provider":"Book Grocer","version":"1.0","type":"link"}