[lro] Re: Nevil Shute - Off topic ...

From: Alan J. Richer (mrchurchill109@yahoo.com)
Date: Thu Apr 10 2003 - 19:51:07 EDT

  • Next message: Rick Grant: "Re: [lro] Re: Nevil Shute - Off topic ..."

    WARNING! Severe Off-Topic Ramble Ahead!

    --- Rick Grant <rickgrant@telus.net> wrote:

    > Which reminds me, there was a very fine British writer,
    > Nevil Shute,
    > The book was "Round the Bend". It and "Trustee from the
    > Toolroom" are what
    > I consider the finest insights into the mechanically
    > inclined mind I've
    > ever come across.

    I am lucky enough to have first editions of both of those
    wonderful books...got the better part of 4 feet of shelf
    space in my library dedicated to Nevil Shute.

    The saddest part is - mention him to even the relatively
    literate and the novel that pops to mind is "On The Beach"
    - a stunning work but MOST depressing. When it comes to his
    work I infinitely prefer the above-mentioned, as well as
    "The Far Country", "The Chequer Board", "Beyond The Black
    Stump", "A Town Like Alice" and the rest of the 1940-on
    books he wrote.

    For those who aren't into model engineering, "Trustee" is
    loosely modeled on the character of Edgar Westbury, a model
    engineer of a very high standard who did much of his work
    in the pre-and-postwar timeframe. Lovely stuff - tiny
    magnetos, 2-cycle engines and the like, all designed and
    built to an intimidatingly high standard. Not my favorite
    author of this stuff - I personally prefer the writings of
    LBSC - Curly Lawrence - but Curly was enough of a character
    in and unto himself...8*)

    If you've never picked up a novel by Nevil Shute, do
    yourself a favor and hit the bookstore for "A Town Like
    Alice" - it's one of his better ones and last I checked is
    still in print.

    Ahhhh...methinks I'm going to settle down in my easy chair
    with a whisky and my battered, tattered copy of "Requiem
    For A Wren"...8*)

                    ajr

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