Jimmy Sharman’s Boxers

By: Stephen McGrath

ISBN: 9 781922 896865

Big Sky Publishing (2024)

“Jimmy Sharman’s Boxers” is an interesting, but misleadingly named piece of historical fiction. Author Stephen McGrath seems more interested in depicting the mood of the Australian public during the first world war than in boxing.

Jimmy Sharman (a real historical figure) was a showman, and one of his endeavors was a travelling troupe of boxers. These young men went from town to town to pitch their tent. Sometimes this would coincide with an event like a local show; other times Jimmy’s troupe would be the sole attraction.

The boxers fought each other, and also locals eager to try to prove their mettle. Jimmy sometimes had to pay out prize money when one of those locals took down one of his men, but overall he made out well from the entry fees of both spectators and boxers.

However, things changed gradually but drastically when the first world war broke out. The country’s attitude to fit young men who didn’t enlist became increasingly sour, and then outright bitter. Many of Jimmy’s troupe wanted to “do their bit”. And over the years, the men they used to fight in each town disappeared.

I’ll admit that I didn’t like this novel initially, but it did eventually draw me in. The reason I had some difficulty engaging is down to the novel’s greatest flaw. I felt that the characters – both real and fictional – failed to come to life. I ended the novel feeling that I still didn’t really know any of them except in the most superficial way.

However, the strength of the novel is in its’ depiction of the changing mood of the country. This was brought to life vividly. I felt it strongly, including the troupe’s reactions to the changing way they were treated.

The novel is told in a fragmentary style that reflects the troupe’s travels and the lack of opportunity to truly connect with many people. Although I felt this worked against character development, it gives the reader a strong sense of the men’s experiences as they move around the country.

Telling the story through the eyes of a travelling troupe allows McGrath to generate the sense that we’re seeing how the whole country reacted. This isn’t true, of course, and the novel is centred on one particular perspective: the feelings of young men who didn’t go to fight. Nevertheless, it’s a strong impression and one that’s fairly unique.

This is a very male story. Few women appear, and most of those who do are little more than caricatures. They’re accorded no personality or depth. This is not a novel which explores or even really touches on the female experience of war, or the absence of men during it.

Although I didn’t wholly enjoy this as a novel, it’s an interesting historical fiction. It covers a perspective rarely explored, and uses the mechanism of interesting historical fact (the boxing troupe). Readers who are interested in a story that takes an overview rather than telling a individual story in detail are likely to appreciate it, as are those interested in some lesser known aspects of historical Australian culture. Those interested in boxing may feel a little let down; this may not have the level of focus or detail they might expect.

An edited version of this review first appeared on www.beautyandlace.netas part of their bookclub.