Comments from readers:
Towards a Distant Sea:
“This is the story of a young Australian priest in The Philippines during the increasing violence and injustice of the later Marcos years. The narrative confronts issues still critical to contemporary society – the misuse of power and the struggle for human rights, issues of sexuality and religion, and the search for identity. “
“I have also just finished reading the eBook version of ‘Towards a Distant Sea’. I was really blown away by your writing John which was very powerful. Your lyrical, poetic style has an aliveness and freshness, even when describing the most devastating of personal or social events.” – Gary
“Your language in ‘Towards a Distant Sea’ evoked very powerful states of awareness and aliveness as I was reading it. No doubt much of what you have written is autobiographical, but that misses the point of your writing to view it solely in that way. It’s the evocation of profoundly tragic and uplifting human experiences within family, church and different socio-cultural settings that spoke to me”
“…the prose is lucid. The setting of the island and Paul’s experiences are rendered succinctly and with verve. The tale overall is well paced, and there is a clear character arc. The use of diary extracts, dreams and, in the first section, the ship’s announcements, are used to good dramatic effect. The chapter/story headings are well placed.” –Writers Victoria
All Mortal Flesh:
“The hallmark of these stories is their compassionate lack of sentimentality. There is a raw honesty about them that never degenerates into didacticism. While there is a unifying style and sensibility behind all the stories, there is a pleasing variation in their construction, approach and content. The Australian settings are realistic and believable, yet transcended by the universality of their themes.”- Pamela Hewitt
“John Bartlett’s voice is stylish and unusual, addressing provocative subject-matter with lyrical, poetic prose.”- Cate Kennedy
Estuary:
“With this remarkable novel John Bartlett has gifted us a story deeply engrained in the places that make us who we are. It is a story that confronts, teases and eventually shows us a new way of being, a better way of living together in a landscape bruised and scarred by time. Estuary is a story told with heart and a true sense of tenderness.” -Tony Birch
“This is a beautiful story of a wood carver named Seth and is a complex novel… an illuminating and breathtaking ride. “
This reviewer had the pleasure of interviewing this talented writer in 2005 when Bartlett’s debut novel, ‘Towards a Distant Sea’ was published. Bartlett’s storytelling has matured considerably since then with his latest effort, ‘Estuary’.
Bartlett delves into the problematic chasms inherent in modern day Australia. Set against the heady landscape of the Australian bushland and well-known Melbourne landmarks, Bartlett’s Estuary is an ambitious novel that brings to the fore just a few of the contradictions characteristic of the Australia we live in today – Sonia Nair
A Tiny and Brilliant Light:
“John Bartlett’s collection of pre-published articles, blogs and reminiscences brings together his explorations of the human spirit in a time of change. Relevant to our lives for many years and likely to be so for many more, the topics covered are now available for a larger readership in this present work.
John’s style brings the reader into a social conversation, inviting him or her to make a response. His observations and thoughts are presented in a free-wheeling, engaging style.” – Ian Fraser, editor
Jack Ferryman – reluctant Private Investigator is the sequel to John Bartlett’s 2005 semi-autobiographical Towards a Distant Sea. Paul (‘Jack’) Ferryman has left the priesthood, the church and the Philippines behind him and now lives in Venice Beach, near Los Angeles and works part-time as an investigative journalist. The murder of Jack’s friend Eugenio in the Philippines, thirty years earlier, drives Jack on the path to seek justice or is it just plain revenge?
