A bit of self-analysis before I get into my topic.I've been feeling somewhat depressed the past few days. I'm not sure why. Bonnie hurt her foot last week and I know part of it is worry about her. She's going to the vet tomorrow to see what it might be. Jo and I think she may have pulled a ligament because she doesn't mind us holding it. It just hurts when she tries to walk. But she's eating well and seems to be frustrated that she can't go for long walks, that we only let her puddle around the back yard a bit and the front yard after Clyde's night time walk. But knowing either of our puppies is poorly is worrying and depressing. I do worry about the state of the world (especially what's going on down south) and also that this pandemic seems to be picking up some steam in Canada. Sort of beyond my control but it does get in your mind. I get some satisfaction venting on Twitter and there are many nice people on it. One thing I do when I'm feeling depressed is buy books. I've ordered a few (quite a few) the past few months. I guess it's better than doing drugs or drinking, something I won't do. Anyway, that was a rambling beginning. My apologies.
One thing did happen today that tickled me. On Twitter yesterday one of the groups I follow asked what author you would read if you could only read one. I said Nevil Shute. Well, this morning the Nevil Shute Foundation liked my answer. I have to say it made me feel quite good. So today as I continue my look at my favorite authors, I'm going to jump the alphabetical process I've been following. So without further ado, let's get going.
My Ongoing Look at my Favorite Authors - Nevil Shute Norway
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| Nevil Shute |
Nevil Shute Norway was an English author and aeronautical engineer. He lived from 1899 - 1960, born in Ealing, England and dying in Melbourne Australia. Over the course of his life, he wrote more than 40 novels / novellas. My first experience of Shute's works was in high school, On the Beach, still one of my all-time favorite novels and movies. I've read many times. Later on I tried his Pied Piper and once again, it ranks up with my all-time favorite novels. Back in 2018, I did a listing of my Top 100 Novels. There were a number of Shute's novels in the list. If you are interested, check out this link. Since 2000, I've begun to explore more of his works and have fallen in love with his story-telling. Let's check out the ten I've read.
1. Stephen Morris (1923) & Pilotage (1924). These were Mr. Shute's first two books.
"Stephen Morris & Pilotage were the first two books written by English author, Nevil Shute. The completed manuscripts were discovered by his estate in 1960. They were written in 1923. It was decided to put the two stories into one book as both related to flying and both had some of the same characters, especially Stephen Morris.
In the first book, Morris advises his fiance Helen that they will not be able to be married as a job he'd hoped for, in the rubber industry, has fallen through. Now Morris must find work. He has finished courses at Oxford, specializing in mathematics, and during WWI was a pilot. He manages to find employment with a small flying company, with 3 aircraft, that flies passengers, does air shows and that sort of thing. Of course, this being the nascent period of commercial flying, the business isn't successful. Morris manages to get a job with another company,which also struggles but is in the business of designing and building aircraft.
That is the gist of the story. It is a down-to-earth, often sensible story, but at the same time, a fascinating story of the beginnings of the aircraft industry. There is an air race, there is tragedy and ultimately, there is romance. Morris is, like Shute's writing style, sparse, sensible, but smart and innovative. This story introduces you to Shute's excellent story-telling and the enjoyment that he gets out of telling a story. It also shows how much he loved being in the aircraft business. It's not overly technical, but just enough to make that side of it interesting as well. (3.5 stars)
Morris does play a key role in Pilotage, the 2nd book, but this story focuses on one of his acquaintances, Dennison (I don't think we ever hear his first name... lol). Once again, the story starts with a relationship. Dennison asks Sheila to marry him and go with him to Hong Kong for his new job. He feels this job will pay enough to allow him to support a marriage. Sheila turns him down as she doesn't think Dennison will be happy in Hong Kong.
Dennison in a fit of depression, takes his sail boat for a ten day cruise but unfortunately has a collision with a larger yacht. This sets in place a sequence of events that will see him involved with Stephen Morris in a secretive flying operation. The plan is to launch a sea plane off of a cargo ship and see if it might be commercially feasible to carry cargo on the plane to speed up cargo / mail operations.
The process described by Shute is fascinating. In this book, as well, he more successfully incorporates the romantic relationship aspect that he does so well in future stories. There is also the high tension of whether the experiment will be successful. Consider that during this period, commercial flying is in its very early stages, there is no such thing as radio communication between the plane and shore. It is a fascinating story in that regard. And of course, you have the relationships between Morris and his wife and between Dennison and Sheila.
All in all, I enjoyed this story even more than the first. There is tension, enough technical information to make that interesting and there are wonderful relationships and characters.. Shute continues to show to me how wonderful a story teller he can be, understated but at the same time able to bring out great emotional impact. (4 stars)"
"Reading a new (only for me as Nevil Shute has been dead since 1960) book by Shute is like putting on a cardigan, comfy pj's and slippers and cozying up on the couch. It's comforting, even though astounding things can happen. Trustee from the Toolroom was Shute's last book. As soon as I started reading it, I fell comfortably into the fantastic world that he created for my reading enjoyment.
Like many of Shute's stories, it focuses on a normal, unassuming man (or woman) who finds him/ herself involved in a situation so far out of his comfort zone that you find yourself following him, holding your breath to see how it will resolve. Now, I'm not saying that it's page after page of heart-stopping action. Because it isn't that. It's just that you find yourself amazed at how this mild-mannered person deals with this situation so out of his comfort zone.
Keith Stewart is a middle-aged Englishman living in London in the 1960's. Many years ago he gave up his wartime job as a rigger at an aircraft factory and now works from home, creating miniature engines and such and writing articles for a magazine called Miniature Mechanic. The magazine is shipped to people around the world who try to create Keith's designs and correspond with him. He makes little money and his wife makes a bit more so they can live a relatively comfortable life, nothing extravagant.
They have never really traveled and live very insular lives. Keith sister, Jo and her husband, an ex-Navy officer have decided to travel by sailing boat to Vancouver. They ask Keith and Katie to look after their young daughter, Janice until they get settled. They die on the way. So that's the basic story, except that as well, they have designated Keith and Katie as trustees to their daughter. They had Keith install a jewelry box in concrete in the hull of their ship; Janice's inheritance. Keith decides that if they are to ensure Janice the life she deserves, he needs to get the jewels.
This leads to Keith journeying to Tahiti, with little to no money to try and achieve his aim. This is the crux of this fascinating story. There are so many rich elements that develop. Keith might seem an ordinary man who lives on his street, but we gradually discover hidden elements to him that make him more and more interesting and also links to so many people around the world, that even he doesn't realize. Like all of the other stories by Shute that I've read, I was instantly drawn into the characters and the story and ultimately so satisfied with the ending. If you've never read anything by Shute, you are missing out on one of the great story tellers. (4 stars)"
"As Joe says and most Queenslanders say throughout this book, 'Oh my word!'. What a great book A Town Like Alice by English author Nevil Shute is. Shute is one of my favourite authors. I've enjoyed so many of his books and I will keep searching for others of his stories.
A Town Like Alice (which I've always wanted to name A Town Called Alice) I know now why the title as it is) is the story of Jean Paget, a young English woman, whose journey carries her from Malaysia in WWII, back to England and on to Australia. She is a normal girl, who finds herself in unique situations and finds a strength of character common to the heroes and heroines who people Shute's novels. Shute has said this story is based on a true story of a Dutch woman who kept many women prisoners of the Japanese alive with her efforts. In Shute's story, the Japanese invade Malaysia and capture a group of English women and their children. Not wanting to have anything to do with them, the women begin a march around Malaysia, from Japanese camp to camp, suffering privations. Jean, unmarried, becomes a rational, smart leader of the group.
They are helped by an Australian prisoner, Joe, who risks his life to provide food and medicine to the women. After the war, Jean returns to England and discovers she has inherited a fair bit of money. The story teller, her solicitor Noel, helps her sort out this inheritance, which Jean wants to use to help the Malaysian village that kept the women safe.
She also decides to go to Australia to find out more about Joe, where he was from and when she arrives decides to use her money once again to help the town he was from, to make it 'a town like Alice'.
I don't want to discuss the plot much more as it is a book that needs to be enjoyed and savoured. I love the characters, I love the spirit of nation building, the positiveness of the people. There are outstanding events that take place in this story, but they are told in such a gentle, matter of fact way that it makes them even more impressive. There are many highlights for me. I especially enjoyed discovering how the Australian outback radio communication system worked and how much of a key it was to saving a lost man. The story reminds me of The Far Country, another story that features Australia. Shute is a great author that should be explored. (5 stars)"
4. Landfall (1940).
"The more I read his work, the more I love the writing of Nevil Shute. His book, Landfall, written in 1940, falls into his 'war' period of writing. In its simplest form, you could call it a war story. Flying Officer Jerry Chambers is a pilot of Angus aircraft. His mission is flying over the English channel with his crew of 3 and, following a grid, tracking ships sailing up and down the Channel and also looking for German U-boats that might present a threat to allied shipping. One mission he sees a U-boat and sinks it.
This incident will greatly affect Jerry as it turns out that the submarine might not have been a German ship. There is an investigation and Jerry is transferred to a squadron that instead flies over Germany, dropping propaganda materiel. He does ultimately get another transfer, to an experimental unit that works out of the same area as his first squadron, working for to help a scientist with unnamed experimental work that might help shift the war effort in the Allies favor. This is very dangerous work.
So that's the war story aspect. On another level, you have a romance between Jerry and barmaid, Mona, a sensible young lady who gradually falls in love with Jerry; the feeling is mutual, by the way. When Jerry is transferred, things are definitely put on hold. The interesting side-note to this romance, and it becomes key to the overall story is that the bar where Mona works is frequented by British sailors and airman. In the course of her work, she hears tidbits of information, that put together might mean the results of the original enquiry were erroneous.
It all seems kind of convoluted as I present it, but Shute is such an excellent writer. The story is presented in a gentle, logical manner and as you read through, everything fits together nicely. The characters are sympathetic, especially Jerry and Mona, both lovely people who are bound together, as many seem to have been in the War. The story is a pleasure to read, another example of Shute's ability to write interesting stories that strike a chord in your heart; everyday people doing impressive things, people you'd love to meet and know. The ending was satisfying and touched a bit of a nerve with me; leaving me nicely choked and happy. (4 stars)"
"The more books by Nevil Shute that I read, the more I come to recognize that he is one of the best story-tellers ever. I've enjoyed so many of his books so far; The Far Country, On the Beach, Pied Piper, etc and as I've been slowly exploring his works, I'm enjoying him more than ever.
The Chequer Board, published originally in 1947 was no exception. It is set after WWII and tells the story of Capt (Ret'd) Turner. Turner was injured during the war, while on a flight from Africa to England to be tried for black marketeering. On the flight were other personnel, including a Negro American soldier (on his way to be tried for attempted rape), a young English Commando (on his way for court martial for murder) and the English co-pilot. These four survive the attack by German fighters.
After the war, Turner is now being treated for the effects caused by his injuries (pieces of shrapnel still lodged in his brain). He is told that nothing can be done due to the location of the shrapnel and he has maybe a year to live. This starts Turner on a journey to find the other three men, all of whom kept him company while he recovered from his surgeries, and all of whom have moved on. It's a simple story, but the journey to find out what happened to these men and the internal journey of Turner, his past, his relationship with his wife, etc, makes for a fascinating and at times very emotional story.
There are other issues that are touched on; the treatment of African - Americans in the US military, how the English impacted those countries that they ruled over, etc, but it is the stories of each man that is so interesting and the emotional stories as well. Shute has such a knack for addressing these emotional touches, that you probably don't realize how much you have found yourself becoming involved in the sub-stories, until the end. I do find that this story, like so many others Shute stories I've read, always strike my heart and soul, lovely to read and to think about. (5 stars)"
"In its way, it's a relatively simple story, but I love Shute's style. He tells a story gently, lovingly and at the same time, matter of factly (Is that a proper word? :0)). At its core it's a love story, but it represents its time as well. Set after WWII, England is struggling to feed its people, life is hard; whereas in counterpoint, in Australia, the frontier so to speak, life is pretty good, wool prices are high, money is good, there is work available.
Helen goes to Australia at the request of her auntie, who thinks Australia might represent England more from her time in the early 1900s. Helen visits with an Aunt and her family, meets Carl, a Czech doctor, who works in the forest as a lumberman. As a Displaced Person from the war, he must work where the Australians let him for 2 years as a sort of payment for being allowed to live in Australia. He can then work towards getting his Doctor's certificate.
The two meet under very interesting circumstances, a friendship/ relationship develops. This is the simple story, but there is so much more. Shute doesn't get involved in the politics of the time, other than in the background as it affects peoples' lives, but he does present an excellent picture of the time, contrasting life in England and Australia very nicely and very simply. It's a lovely story, not one I would have picked earlier in my life I don't think, but the more I read Nevil Shute's stories (two of my all-time favourites are his, On the Beach and Pied Piper) the more I enjoy his writing and the more of his books I want to read. Highly recommended. (5 stars)"
7. So Disdained (1928).
"This is one of Nevil Shute's earlier works, written in 1928, and even with his early writings, you can see his unique story - telling style. The story is set during this time frame, between the wars and there were many interesting bits of history (assuming he was using a true perspective) that I really wasn't all the knowledgeable about.
For one is the tension between England and Soviet Russia; the story involves Russian spying on English military facilities. As well, at one point, the main character, Peter Moran, must enlist the assistance of Italians to help a friend from the Communists and he asks for the help of the Fascists; interesting that they might be considered an ally, considering the events of WWII.
The story is typical Nevil Shute, telling the story of a man, relatively mild and even-keeled, who is put in a situation that forces him to make decisions that become heroic, even though he doesn't feel them to be heroic. I love the way Shute lays out his stories, introduces his characters, introduces concepts of patriotism or heroism without preaching but at the same time making you think about what they are and what they mean. He is a story - teller, one of the best and it was enjoyable to read one of his early ones and see how his style developed as he came to write my favourites of his later works. (4 stars)"
"Young pilot Donald Ross has little in common with the Oxford archaeologist who has employed him on an expedition to the Arctic—and still less with his beautiful but stubborn daughter, Alix. But once the three of them reach the treacherous shores of Greenland, in search of the ruins of early Viking settlements, their destinies are inextricably bound by the events that unfold there." (3 stars)
"Another excellent book by Nevil Shute. The story of an old Englishman on the eve of WWII. Living his life by rote, he decides to make a fishing trip to the French Alps. With word of German invasion of France, he heads back to England; agrees to take responsibility for two English children and on the way, other children (hence the title). In a low key manner, the story is of his adventures thru war-torn France as he tries to look after and save the children. (5 stars)"
10. Most Secret (1942).
"Nevil Shute continues to be one of my favourite authors. I've now read 4 or 5 of his books and each one has been so excellent. I can't sing the praises of books like On the Beach, Pied Piper and The Far Country enough. Today I finished Most Secret, published originally in 1945, during his war period.
On the surface, it's a simple war story, 4 men of diverse backgrounds coming together to devise a plan for the English to harass and destroy German assets and at the same time to give new courage to French citizens on the French coast, who have been under the thumb of German rule throughout the war. But as always with such a well-crafted Shute story, it's much more than that. Shute takes the time to tell us about the characters, to develop feelings for them and what they've been through. His narrator is a Navy Commander, drawn into the scheme to bring fire to the Germans, who becomes invested in them and who tells their story in such a matter-of-fact way, but also manages to provide us with the emotion and caring he has for Simon, Boden, Rhodes and Colvin.
Shute also adds in the Navy Wren who is assigned to transport the crew, the Commander and who falls in love with Rhodes. The story is one of great heroism and daring and also fairly technical in its own way. The plot basically is to convert a French fishing vessel into a raider, equipped with flame throwers to go across to France and fight the Germans. That is it in its very simplest forms. The four men each has his own motivations, which you find out throughout the story.
I thought as I read it, that yes, it's a pretty interesting story, but more and more I became invested in these characters, even with Rhodes' rabbit and by the end felt quite choked up with the ending and how everything turned out. Shute writes in a very understated manner but at the same time manages to get you completely involved in his story. His heroes are everyday people who strike a deep chord with you. Another of my favourites. (5 stars)"
"One of my top ten favourite books. I've read it so many times and also seen the movie with Gregory Peck a few times. So low key, yet it's the end of the world. US submarine in Australia, trying to see if there is any life in the Northern hemisphere. Life in Australia as the end draws near. US submarine makes final voyage to US.
Truly fantastic story.
Having read this again, it's still a great story, what a powerful lesson to teach mankind. So depressing, ultimately, but told with class. (5 stars)"
I have another 5 books on my shelf and in November, Nevil Shute will be my Focus Challenge Author. I hope to finish a couple more at least. These books remain on my shelf; What Happened to the Corbetts (1938), Marazan (1926), In the Wet (1953), Lonely Road (1932) and The Rainbow and the Rose (1958). The complete listing of Nevil Shute's books can be found at this link.
Have a great week. Check out a great author. You won't be wasting your time.
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