The trout opera - Matthew Condon

After almost a century of foraging and fishing alone in the outback, Wilfred Lampe is finally marked out for greatness when he is picked to represent Australia's everyman at the Sydney Olympic opening ceremony. On the verge of becoming a legend, Wilfred is in his paddock when a freak accident occurs that could rob him of his chance.

Flamboyant, operatic, enormously funny, The Trout Opera shows a mad world of history, war, romance, murder, bushfires, drugs and the resilience of nature. Through the story of a man who has experienced the reverberations of the world while never moving from his birthplace on the Snowy River, it asks, what is this relentless thing called Life?

Matthew Condon was born in Brisbane in 1962 and has lived in the UK, Germany and France. He is the author of several novels and short story collections, including The Motorcycle Cafe, A Night at the Pink Poodle, The Pillow Fight and Lime Bar. He is also the recipient of two Steel Rudd awards for short fiction.

"An instant classic...A gorgeous glorious epic, beautifully but accessibly written...A towering achievement"
The Herald Sun

"Sensual, sweet, creepy, The Trout Opera is a triumph"
Peter Carey

"Bold and impressive...A marvellous achievement, epic in scope. His writing is strong and assured. Page after page delivers scenes and characters that shimmer with dramatic potential in prose that is breathtakingly lyrical"
Weekend Australian

"A significant and moving achievement"
The Australian Literary Review

"A vividly descriptive and masterfully constructed narrative...An insightful, brilliant Australian novel destined to become a classic"
Australian Bookseller