A member of the Dutch Nevil Shute book
group brought in an article form
Libelle, the Dutch women's magazine.
This was about the wartime experiences
of Carry Geysel-Vonck in Sumatra during
the Japanese occupation. Nevil Shute met
the Geysel-Voncks in 1949 on his flight
back from Australia, and it was Carry's
story of survival that inspired the
character of Jean Paget in a Town Like
Alice.
The article is now being translated into
English. With that and some background
research, we hope to be able to give a
full account of this remarkable woman's
story of courage and survival during her
captivity.
I have just read, or re-read after
decades, two super Shute novels in
fairly quick succession; namely
"Pastoral" and "Requiem for a Wren",
and if, as a result, I'm currently
looking back at the 40s and 50s with
slightly rose-tinted spectacles,
well, isn't that typical of the
Shute magic?
"Pastoral" is a relatively short
and simple tale, centred on a UK
bomber airfield in 1943, but still
proves a gripping and delightful
read. Written in the 3rd person (by
an observer who cunningly makes his
appearance right at the very end) it
is splendidly informative on that
especial sector of WW2, and also of
Oxfordshire countryside pursuits
through the seasons. But far more
than that it is a totally believable
drama of courage and high duty -
which few of us British mortals have
had to exercise since those heroic
(and terrible) times. As a mere
male, I was incidentally impressed
by how instinctively Shute is able
to present matters so credibly from
a woman's point of view: but I leave
it to the ladies to corroborate that
point, or otherwise...
The very title of "Requiem" is
alone poignant enough to evoke pity
and sympathy with someone, somewhere
- and the story in no way
disappoints. Beginning and ending on
a faintly-idealised Australian sheep
station (well, Shute loved the
country enough to forsake his native
England and settle there himself)
this brillianly-told tale covers a
period from 1944 to 1953. Most of
the action is set in southern
England during those uniquely hectic
months around D-Day and the Normandy
Invasion, and in the subsequent
years of postwar austerity. The
pictures drawn of that
never-to-be-equalled Invasion
Armada, and its attendant servicing,
are instructive indeed. The
time-frames which serve to build up
a portrait of the eponymous Wren
vary constantly from '44 to '53, but
Shute handles the whole narrative
with such consumate skill that one
is never in the slightest irritated
or confused by the practice. He was
a Master Narrator, indeed, and one
wonders (at least I do) just how
long it took to draft and craft the
whole story so seamlessly. And
again, his empathy with a female
point of view is to me quite
outstanding.
"Requiem", as intimated from the
outset, is an often sombre tale
replete with forboding, and is quite
gut-wrenching on occasion. But
somehow the reader hopes that good
may emerge from the evil of war, and
some joy from all the graft and
sorrow. And, on the very last page,
one little possibility of such a
conclusion does peep through. What
a brilliant and inspiring story!
I have heard with pleasure that
there are fellow Shute fans in South
Africa, well down the road from
here. It is a real regret that I
travel very little nowadays since to
meet them and relax over a few
Castles(*) or Klipdrifts(*) at a
local watering hole, would be a
delight indeed. I suppose that we
might discuss regional politics and
stuff - but I can think of more
agreeable subjects...
(*) So what do you think they are?
Answers on a postcard, please. (Or
inside a copy of "An Old Captivity"
or "Marazan", both yet to be read.)
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FROM
Arnold Hawk arnold.b.hawk@valley.net
I know of
many people
that are
searching
for a good
copy on DVD
or Blu-ray
of that
series.
The Hanover,
New
Hampshire
Nevil Shute
group showed
the video
from the
1999 NS
Centennial
Conference
in
Albuquerque,
New Mexico.
One of the
major
speakers was
David
Stevens, the
director of
the A TOWN
LIKE ALICE
TV
miniseries
from the
early
1980’s.
Has anybody
in the
Foundation
had any
contact with
Mr Stevens?
Or any idea
of how to
contact him?
His
presentation
in 1999 was
so
enthusiastic
that he
might be
willing to
undertake
this
project?
Thanks for
your time.
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