First published 1985
Herbert Badgery insists he has lived for 139 years, spinning tales from his supposed century of swindling across Australia. This self-proclaimed king of con artists recounts his adventures as a country fair hustler peddling fake diamonds and questionable medicines. Badgery claims he worked as an aviator, car salesman, and seducer while roaming the continent. His stories feature an eccentric cast including a proper lady who uses an electric belt to ward off insanity and a beautiful young woman who enjoys dangerous encounters on rooftops. Each tale grows more outrageous than the last as Badgery weaves his web of lies and exaggerations. The question becomes whether any of his stories contain truth or if he represents the ultimate Australian storyteller, spinning fiction from the national love of tall tales and bold deceptions.
Genres: fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, adventure
Vibes: emotional, thought-provoking, whimsical
Tropes: unreliable-narrator
Setting: Australia
Period: 20th-century
600 pages · Paperback · Faber & Faber