Set in 1960's Melbourne, Australia, Shadowboxing is a book of short stories that follows the life of a boy growing up. Sort of a coming of age novel, the book explores some of the harsh realities of life, and the inevitable problems that will strike. The term "shadowbox" as seen in the title represents fighting an imaginary component in an imaginary battle - this goes to show the main idea of the book.
Shadowboxing has ten stories all together, which interconnect to each other to portray the life of Michael, who we initially see as a young boy that is the son of an abusive, alcoholic father. The streets of Fitzroy, where Michael often goes, are violent - like something you would see in a modern inner-city area.
The book, set in the 1960's, explores the inevitable that new things will eventually outrun old things - faster so in a city. The 1960's was a turning point for the more modern era, which brought with it mostly bad things - many of the novels themes include death and decay of old things.
Although Michael is a target of domestic abuse in the story, readers also see how women are treating. In this working community, men get home from their jobs and have no respect for the women that they are married or not married to. The story collection has mostly negative vibes, and Michael is never truly able to solve his problems.
