Shute

I have mentioned reading Nevil Shute before. I’ve been working through his canon ever since reading a recommendation by Peter Oborne writing in the Byline Times (you can buy this in the shops now by the way). If you recall, he suggested to his readers that we should read ‘A Town Like Alice’. I did and, ever since, have been hooked.

I’m not really sure why. He writes about a time before I was born, in the first half of the twentieth century. Nearly all of his stories have a decent chap in them and a girl he eventually meets, as well as something about aircraft, sailing or both. I know little about either of these latter things yet I find the quality of his writing amazing and his stories gripping.

Whilst I have enjoyed them all, two of his books have had a profound effect on me, ‘On the Beach’ and ‘Round the Bend’. 

‘On the Beach’ tells the story of the last remaining survivors in a post-nuclear world. The pathos is outstanding and left me emotionally drained. In ‘Round the Bend’ Shute relates the story of an airline mechanic who unwittingly and then unwillingly becomes an almost messianic figure. I don’t consider myself religious yet the spirituality of the book made me question my beliefs, or lack of them. At times I was reduced to tears.

Some of the language he uses, as well as some of the notions he writes about are old fashioned and, at times, he uses words that would not be acceptable today yet they are real page-turners. The power of the written word to excite and intrigue is well known but to be able to write in a way that shakes me to the core is a very special talent indeed. 

It remains true that you can learn so much about life from fiction. Every book teaches me something about what it means to be human.

If you get a chance, pick up one of his books and give it a go. I must get back to ‘The Chequer Board’.