more Shute

Categories: response

Date: 24 July 2009 19:27:13

Was "What happened to the Corbetts" written as a children's book? When I read it, I was an adult psychiatric patient, which may be colouring my recollection of the book. I feel that in some ways it foreshadows "on the Beach", with its graphic description of the consequences of bombing raids on a British city. Amazingly, it was written before the onset of the Second World War.

Not all of Nevil Shute's books are depressing. Most recently, I read "in the Wet" (again, with a strong Australia / New Zealand connection). The story has a clever twist, which, of course, I shan't reveal ...