Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
House of Stratus Ltd (2000), Paperback, 374 pages
Description
Fiction. Literature. Romance. Historical Fiction. HTML: When a young Englishwoman named Jennifer Morton leaves London to visit relatives on their sheep ranch in the Australian outback, she falls in love both with the gloriously beautiful country and with Carl, a Czech refugee who was a doctor in his own land and now works as a lumberjack. They are brought together through dramatic encounters and strange twists of fate, but their relationship hangs in the balance when Jennifer is called back to England..
User reviews
LibraryThing member Bridgey
The Far Country - Nevil Shute ****
Nevil Shute has won a place as one of my favourite authors since I picked up On the Beach a few years ago. His books don’t seem to be much publicised these days which is a shame, especially when you consider the success he had during the 60’s and 50’s. I know
The Far Country was written way back in 1952 and set in 1950, we follow a young girl called Jennifer Morton who lives in a very harsh London, a city still reeling from the aftermath of a very hard war. At the beginning she is summoned to her grandmother’s home and is shocked to see the poverty she has been allowed to live in. With a pension that has dried up and seemingly lost in the system, she has been allowed to practically starve to death. Just before her inevitable demise the grandmother receives some money from relatives in Australia, and it is her dying wish that Jennifer should visit the ‘Far Country’ before she settles down in Britain. After discussions with her parents Jennifer decides to visit Australia and stay with her extended family whilst experiencing their way of life, and sets off for the outback. Whilst there she meets a foreign doctor and falls in love, but will she be able to adapt to this new life or will she return home to her place of birth?
From the description this novel sounds like something out of a Mills and Boon paperback, but it really is so much more than that. Shute himself immigrated to Australia and left behind a fledgling NHS & a socialist government, he really doesn’t hold anything back and the contempt he feels for his old country drips from every page. The food rationing/shortages and weather paint a very bleak picture of what life was like for the ordinary man and he contrasts this with Australia being the land of plenty, a new life and a new beginning. Several smaller themes are entangled throughout such as belonging, class & loyalty.
Some people may view The Far Country as a fairly vicious attack on everything Shute turned his back on in post war Britain, others may see it as a fairly simple love story. Personally I see it as an adventure in a new land where normal people are forced into less ordinary circumstances (a theme very evident in most of his books) and have to deal with not just their emotions but the environment around them.
Although not my favourite Shute book it is still recommendable, although I think ‘On the Beach’ & ‘Trustee from the Toolroom’ are a better place to discover the author.
Nevil Shute has won a place as one of my favourite authors since I picked up On the Beach a few years ago. His books don’t seem to be much publicised these days which is a shame, especially when you consider the success he had during the 60’s and 50’s. I know
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that they can appear a little dated but that just adds to the beauty of his world. Here you won’t find and sort of sex or gratuitous violence, even though he is unafraid to confront serious issues that were relevant at that period. It is almost like stepping back in time to world that probably never existed, but we all think did. The Far Country was written way back in 1952 and set in 1950, we follow a young girl called Jennifer Morton who lives in a very harsh London, a city still reeling from the aftermath of a very hard war. At the beginning she is summoned to her grandmother’s home and is shocked to see the poverty she has been allowed to live in. With a pension that has dried up and seemingly lost in the system, she has been allowed to practically starve to death. Just before her inevitable demise the grandmother receives some money from relatives in Australia, and it is her dying wish that Jennifer should visit the ‘Far Country’ before she settles down in Britain. After discussions with her parents Jennifer decides to visit Australia and stay with her extended family whilst experiencing their way of life, and sets off for the outback. Whilst there she meets a foreign doctor and falls in love, but will she be able to adapt to this new life or will she return home to her place of birth?
From the description this novel sounds like something out of a Mills and Boon paperback, but it really is so much more than that. Shute himself immigrated to Australia and left behind a fledgling NHS & a socialist government, he really doesn’t hold anything back and the contempt he feels for his old country drips from every page. The food rationing/shortages and weather paint a very bleak picture of what life was like for the ordinary man and he contrasts this with Australia being the land of plenty, a new life and a new beginning. Several smaller themes are entangled throughout such as belonging, class & loyalty.
Some people may view The Far Country as a fairly vicious attack on everything Shute turned his back on in post war Britain, others may see it as a fairly simple love story. Personally I see it as an adventure in a new land where normal people are forced into less ordinary circumstances (a theme very evident in most of his books) and have to deal with not just their emotions but the environment around them.
Although not my favourite Shute book it is still recommendable, although I think ‘On the Beach’ & ‘Trustee from the Toolroom’ are a better place to discover the author.
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LibraryThing member DinadansFriend
I found this to be a reasonable piece of entertainment. Mr. Shute chooses to emphasis the idea that for those living in the straitened post-WWII Great Britain, the commonwealth countries could provide a second chance to enjoy the possibilities of life. There is also an exploration of the
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difficulties imposed on non-British qualified immigrants to the English speaking world. Show Less
LibraryThing member RBeffa
I'm not sure what I'd call this beyond an historical fiction. A family drama with a romance. Post World War 2 life in Australia and a dissatisfaction with English socialism and rationing that I have encountered in Shute's novels before, but not quite this strongly. The book does go on a bit of a
A lot of good history in here. I thought this a very good story. It becomes very intense and engrossing. Beyond that, the Australian slang and way of speaking circa 1950 had me chuckling.
This portrait of a prosperous Australia of 1950 is quite a contrast to the drought damaged Australia of 2016 painted in Jane Harper's 'The Dry' that I read a month ago.
As an aside, a small part of the novel is set in Ealing, West London with a lot of attention to detail. Ealing happens to be Nevil Shute's birthplace. For those who care about such things, there is a very strong, well written female lead character.
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rant against post-war Britain vs the opportunity available in Australia (the 'Far Country'). The author himself had emigrated from England to Australia. Hard working for a new life for those who would try it. The new angle here is that there are a lot of 'New Australians', post War resettlements from across Europe who go there on work programs. Life isn't always easy for them.A lot of good history in here. I thought this a very good story. It becomes very intense and engrossing. Beyond that, the Australian slang and way of speaking circa 1950 had me chuckling.
This portrait of a prosperous Australia of 1950 is quite a contrast to the drought damaged Australia of 2016 painted in Jane Harper's 'The Dry' that I read a month ago.
As an aside, a small part of the novel is set in Ealing, West London with a lot of attention to detail. Ealing happens to be Nevil Shute's birthplace. For those who care about such things, there is a very strong, well written female lead character.
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LibraryThing member jjmcgaffey
Mildly interesting slice-of-life, with romance. There's very little point or crises in it - the inquest ends easily, the mystery of Charlie...isn't much of a mystery, and it's pretty clear what will happen soon with Jennifer at the end. The book ends before things are settled, but after the arc is
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well established. I was wondering at the beginning if she'd end up with the ranch hand or the DP doctor, but again the pattern was established quickly and the rest was just working it out - it was very obvious that there would be at least one romance coming to fruition. It does make me want to check some histories about England in this period - was the rationing really that bad after the war? Most of the stories I've read talk about meat and butter and so on coming back pretty soon after the war. Enjoyable - not a favorite, but worth reading and rereading. There is some _gorgeous_ description of Australia - landscape, animals, towns, houses and all. It's clearly meant to contrast with the equally well-drawn depiction of (parts of) England as grey, rainy, cold, grim, dirty and shabby. Show Less
LibraryThing member Fence
In Australia Jane and Jack Dorman own a prosperous sheep farm, or station. For the past few years most of the money they earned has gone to pay off loans and debts, but now, for the first time the wool money is all theirs, and its been a good year for selling wool. But Jane is worried about her
Jane is right to worry. The story moves to England and Jennifer, Ethel’s granddaughter, receives a telephone call from her mother asking her to check in on Ethel. When Jennifer does she discovers that Ethel is suffering from starvation and malnutrition. She has been hiding her lack of money from her family and hasn’t asked anyone for help, instead she was selling the furniture and pawning whatever valuables she had.
Back in Australia the Dorman’s decide to send Ethel a cheque, but the money comes too late, Ethel knows she is dying and insists that Jennifer take the money and use it herself to leave England and travel to Australia.
Okay, I’ve already spent longer than I wanted recapping the plot, and I haven’t even gotten to Carl Zlinter yet. But you get how a rough idea of how the story starts out.
And those early chapters set in England are utter misery. Wonderfully written, but just plain miserable. Everyone is still living off ration cards, there is no meat, the damn socialists are in power and no one is happy. And the National Health system, which has just been introduced, is destroying the medical profession. People showing up at the doctors asking questions and getting forms filled out! As though they deserved a responsive doctor.
I’m sure there was plenty of hardship in Britain in the years after WWII, but I think that blaming it on the “socialists” and the nationalisation of the health service is part of Shute’s anti-government spiel. Throughout the novel he seems very much of the opinion that if you work hard you will get rewards, and therefore you’ll deserve them. If you don’t get ahead in life then you haven’t been working hard.
His example of this is Australia, where is you get your head down and do the hard graft you’ll be rich. But even there the government is sticking its nose in, making foreign people do 3 years of college in order have their medical qualifications recognised when anyone can see that they’re good hard working people!
But Australia is there to contrast with the grey, wet, cold, crowded, miserable England that Jennifer leaves. Australia is full of open spaces and opportunity. Its warm and sunny, and there is so much land there for the taking.
Yeah, lets not mention the original inhabitants shall we? Because they don’t get a mention at all in this apart from one comment about “blacks” not being in the frame in a postcard. Well, they don’t get to be in frame in this book either.
So, for me, there are a lot of problems with this novel. It’s almost innocent, in a way, how it seems to believe that hard work is enough. But it is a damaging attitude to have, because it ignore the fact that if you start out life with even a little bit of money then you are way ahead of those in poverty, and for many people no amount of hard work will get them out of poverty.
I’m writing a lot about this because it is a huge part of The Far Country, or at least it seemed to take up a huge amount in my reading of it.
There is also the romance, and the wonderful writing. It’s a very easy read, Shute has a very flowing style that just lets the reader keep on reading, even if they don’t agree with everything he says. I suppose I shouldn’t be too hard on Shute, it was the times he lived and wrote in, but for a modern reader I think there are a lot of issues with the book. It didn’t spoil my enjoyment of the book, or at least, I still enjoyed parts of it, but I don’t think it is one I’d be recommending to a lot of people.
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aunt back in England. Aunt Ethel was the only family member who supported her in her decision to marry an Australian and leave England, they still exchange letters, and in Ethel’s latest she mentioned little things that begin to worry Jane.Jane is right to worry. The story moves to England and Jennifer, Ethel’s granddaughter, receives a telephone call from her mother asking her to check in on Ethel. When Jennifer does she discovers that Ethel is suffering from starvation and malnutrition. She has been hiding her lack of money from her family and hasn’t asked anyone for help, instead she was selling the furniture and pawning whatever valuables she had.
Back in Australia the Dorman’s decide to send Ethel a cheque, but the money comes too late, Ethel knows she is dying and insists that Jennifer take the money and use it herself to leave England and travel to Australia.
Okay, I’ve already spent longer than I wanted recapping the plot, and I haven’t even gotten to Carl Zlinter yet. But you get how a rough idea of how the story starts out.
And those early chapters set in England are utter misery. Wonderfully written, but just plain miserable. Everyone is still living off ration cards, there is no meat, the damn socialists are in power and no one is happy. And the National Health system, which has just been introduced, is destroying the medical profession. People showing up at the doctors asking questions and getting forms filled out! As though they deserved a responsive doctor.
I’m sure there was plenty of hardship in Britain in the years after WWII, but I think that blaming it on the “socialists” and the nationalisation of the health service is part of Shute’s anti-government spiel. Throughout the novel he seems very much of the opinion that if you work hard you will get rewards, and therefore you’ll deserve them. If you don’t get ahead in life then you haven’t been working hard.
His example of this is Australia, where is you get your head down and do the hard graft you’ll be rich. But even there the government is sticking its nose in, making foreign people do 3 years of college in order have their medical qualifications recognised when anyone can see that they’re good hard working people!
But Australia is there to contrast with the grey, wet, cold, crowded, miserable England that Jennifer leaves. Australia is full of open spaces and opportunity. Its warm and sunny, and there is so much land there for the taking.
Yeah, lets not mention the original inhabitants shall we? Because they don’t get a mention at all in this apart from one comment about “blacks” not being in the frame in a postcard. Well, they don’t get to be in frame in this book either.
So, for me, there are a lot of problems with this novel. It’s almost innocent, in a way, how it seems to believe that hard work is enough. But it is a damaging attitude to have, because it ignore the fact that if you start out life with even a little bit of money then you are way ahead of those in poverty, and for many people no amount of hard work will get them out of poverty.
I’m writing a lot about this because it is a huge part of The Far Country, or at least it seemed to take up a huge amount in my reading of it.
There is also the romance, and the wonderful writing. It’s a very easy read, Shute has a very flowing style that just lets the reader keep on reading, even if they don’t agree with everything he says. I suppose I shouldn’t be too hard on Shute, it was the times he lived and wrote in, but for a modern reader I think there are a lot of issues with the book. It didn’t spoil my enjoyment of the book, or at least, I still enjoyed parts of it, but I don’t think it is one I’d be recommending to a lot of people.
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LibraryThing member PilgrimJess
First published in 1952 shortly after Shute himself had emigrated to Australia, 'The Far Country' is essentially a romance but not simply one between a man and a woman but also with a new country.
In this book Shute contrasts the privations of post-war England with its continuing rationing and grey
In my opinion Shute is a gifted writer who includes a good deal of relevant and interesting details to the locations and characters in his stories but in this particular tale you can also plainly see his disenchantment with the 'old country'. In contrast Australia seems to be some form of utopia to his readers where all you need to succeed is to work hard. In particular he seems to blame the new Socialist government and its recently formed National Health Service for all its problems. All of which seems a little simplistic.
I found this as interesting if rather predictable tale that was nowhere near as enjoyable as the previous book by the author that I read, 'Pied Piper'.
In this book Shute contrasts the privations of post-war England with its continuing rationing and grey
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winter weather with the very real opportunities that were available in Australia. He does this through the eyes of a young English woman, Jennifer Morton, who travels to the country to visit some distant relatives and a Czech doctor, Carl Zlinter, who as part of a post-War resettlement plan has emigrated to Australia and is serving his assigned first two years in a lumber camp to the west of Melbourne.In my opinion Shute is a gifted writer who includes a good deal of relevant and interesting details to the locations and characters in his stories but in this particular tale you can also plainly see his disenchantment with the 'old country'. In contrast Australia seems to be some form of utopia to his readers where all you need to succeed is to work hard. In particular he seems to blame the new Socialist government and its recently formed National Health Service for all its problems. All of which seems a little simplistic.
I found this as interesting if rather predictable tale that was nowhere near as enjoyable as the previous book by the author that I read, 'Pied Piper'.
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LibraryThing member Castlelass
Jennifer Morton is living in England in 1950. She and her family are still experiencing the difficult conditions that occurred after WWII. Carl Zlinter is a displaced person, who has emigrated from Czechoslovakia to rural Victoria, Australia, where he must work for two years in a lumber camp in
The descriptions of the Australian “far country” are beautifully rendered. There is a stark contrast between life in England and life in Australia. England is still recovering from the war, while Australia has become a prosperous land of opportunity. However, the “new Australians” are unable to contribute in their fields of expertise. This is shown via a talented artist and the doctor working in the lumber camps. The law states that the doctor must attend three years of training in Australia, and, of course, a displaced person is unlikely to be able to afford such retraining.
At the heart of this story is a romance, but it is not syrupy or melodramatic. It contains social commentary, but not in an overpowering manner. There is a rather long lead-in to the main thrust of the storyline, but once it reaches Australia, it shines. The main characters are likeable and believable. It is always a compliment to say I wish it were longer.
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exchange for his passage. He is not allowed to practice medicine, though there is an immense need for doctors in the remote countryside. When Jennifer visits her relatives in Australia, the two meet, confront a crisis together, develop a relationship, and encounter obstacles to remaining together. The descriptions of the Australian “far country” are beautifully rendered. There is a stark contrast between life in England and life in Australia. England is still recovering from the war, while Australia has become a prosperous land of opportunity. However, the “new Australians” are unable to contribute in their fields of expertise. This is shown via a talented artist and the doctor working in the lumber camps. The law states that the doctor must attend three years of training in Australia, and, of course, a displaced person is unlikely to be able to afford such retraining.
At the heart of this story is a romance, but it is not syrupy or melodramatic. It contains social commentary, but not in an overpowering manner. There is a rather long lead-in to the main thrust of the storyline, but once it reaches Australia, it shines. The main characters are likeable and believable. It is always a compliment to say I wish it were longer.
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Original publication date
1952
Physical description
374 p.; 8.1 inches
ISBN
1842322516 / 9781842322512