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Nevil Shute

29 replies

Stygimoloch · 01/09/2018 10:51

I’ve never read any Nevil Shute but his books always seem highly regarded.

Anyone read his stuff? Worth reading? And where would be a good place to start?

Thanks!

OP posts:
AvengingGerbil · 01/09/2018 10:53

A Town Called Alice is the obvious starting point.

AvengingGerbil · 01/09/2018 10:53

Like, not Called! Getting Shute and The Jam mixed up there!

WelshPooch · 01/09/2018 11:10

I enjoyed 'What happened to the Corbetts?' - It was written in 1939 and describes what would happen to Southampton and a family who lived there during a war. Interesting to compare an imaginary event with the reality such a short time later.

Gruach · 01/09/2018 11:18

Pied Piper is quite a surprising read. The more famous books mentioned above are certainly worth becoming acquainted with.

Jfw82 · 01/09/2018 11:48

I love Trustee from the tool room

mrsdolittle · 01/09/2018 11:54

Love Nevil Shute. Grew up reading his books. I think they are sadly overlooked these days.

Trustee from the Toolroom is my fav but also love Requiem for a Wren (v sad), and On the Beach (also v sad).

MissLingoss · 01/09/2018 11:57

If you're in the mood for some gentle romance, Pastoral is a WW2 love story, set against the background of life on an RAF bomber station.

His books are all different, so which one you'll enjoy does depend on your mood at the time. But they're often about ordinary people facing extraordinary challenges.

LordEmsworth · 01/09/2018 14:05

I love A town Like Alice, though I actually prefer the second half to the first... Also The Far Country is very evocative of that period. Requiem For A Wren is beautiful. Round The Bend is... err, interesting, very different.

I think some of the others named hear are going on my reading list, thanks!

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 01/09/2018 17:05

'Alice' is wonderful. I really liked 'Pied Piper' too. 'On the Beach' has dated, but still worth a go. I was less fond of 'Requiem for a Wren'. I haven't yet read 'The Far Country' but keep meaning to.

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 01/09/2018 17:08

I might be mixing up 'Wren' and 'The Far Country' actually. Need to go off and google the plots!

Matildatoldsuchdreadfullies · 01/09/2018 17:09

His books are on kindle.

They celebrate quiet heroism - even when writing about the end of the world (On the Beach). And they always reduce me to tears.

53rdWay · 01/09/2018 17:09

A Town Like Alice definitely and I also like An Old Captivity.

H1dingInSight · 01/09/2018 17:17

I love Nevil Shute, but you have to take the books for what they are - written in and about a very specific time and so dated.

My favourites are In The Wet and An Old Captivity, both of which have a spiritual theme. But Requiem For A Wren is just beautiful.

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 01/09/2018 17:24

'The Far Country' is the one I've enjoyed least, of those I've read. I haven't read 'Requiem for a Wren' so must apologise for criticising it!

onemouseplace · 01/09/2018 17:26

I've only read On The Beach but I really enjoyed it, even if I was a soggy, snotty mess by the end.

I have made a mental note to read more.

LoniceraJaponica · 01/09/2018 17:34

A Town Like Alice - I saw the mini series in 1981, and I read the book afterwards
On the Beach

InfiniteCurve · 01/09/2018 20:56

Requiem for a Wren is sad .
Pastoral was in my top ten favourite books for ages when I was younger!

MrBeansXmasTurkey · 01/09/2018 21:26

I love Round the Bend. So well written it manages to make the story of a possible messiah figure seem quite realistic.

Rebecca36 · 01/09/2018 21:38

Lovely books, not always about lovely subjects but very well done. Iread all of them many years ago.

'On the Beach' (of which a film was made, quite an old film), is very thought provoking.

midsomermurderess · 06/09/2018 15:45

I agree with On the Beach. It's so interesting to read how each of the characters deals with their last days on a poisoned planet. Very moving, very thought provoking.

DeloresJaneUmbridge · 06/09/2018 15:51

Alice is fabulous but has very dated stuff such as seperate areas in an ice cream parlour for white people Shock

The actual story is lovely though

AdaColeman · 06/09/2018 16:02

I'm not sure why Shute has become so unfashionable, especially with so much interest in the period at the moment. To me his books seem to capture characters so well, Requiem for a Wren is my favourite.

CramptonHodnet · 06/09/2018 16:31

I re-read A Town Like Alice recently and was surprised at the casual racism in it. I couldn't remember it from my first reading of it, as a teenager.

The names for the workers and the discussion about building a separate ice cream parlour were bad. It was surprising coming from Jean Paget who, just a few years before, had seemed to display no racist tendencies.

However, I still love it for its fictional recreation of a true story of extreme bravery during WW2.

AdaColeman · 06/09/2018 17:37

If you've read and enjoyed any William Boyd, you'd probably enjoy Shute as well.

FurryBuzzer · 06/09/2018 17:39

I loved Pied Piper as a child...
Other than that, have only read Alice. Going to go check Amazon for the others recommended Grin