The Seafarers

A Must have for any Nevil Shute fan. The book is an early version of what was later to become The Breaking Wave - though vastly different and much shorter. If you are one of those who wish Shute had written twenty more novels, you owe yourself a copy of this novelette.

Just as advertised. Thanks

The novella "The Seafarers" is the first new work by Nevil Shute published since 1961, and it will come as both a delight and a reminder to readers familiar with his other works.The story is in many ways a different treatment of some of the themes which were at the core of his later book "Requiem for a Wren", published in the US under the title "The Breaking Wave". Readers of that book will recognize the character of Leading Wren Jean Porter, who finds her direction in life altered but unclear following five years of military service during WW2. Unlike the gothic and ultimately tragic themes of the later book, however, "The Seafarers" shows her finding a path in which her life is built up on the basis of her wartime experiences, instead of being destroyed by them.It goes without saying that this novella, written around 1946-1947, shows Shute at the very height of his powers as a storyteller. His narrative skill and observation of characters is fully on a par with later works like "A Town Like Alice" and "Round the Bend". While it is perhaps fashionable in these days to decry Shute's storytelling as overly-simplistic and out-of-date, readers who have enjoyed his other works will enjoy this one also, and will recognise in it the common theme of almost all of his books - that '. . . the true success is to labour.'

Beautiful copy - enjoyed the letter in the front telling about the book and Mr. shute.

I really enjoyed this book. Although a predecessor to Requiem for a Wren it is vastly different.As the story begins WWII is over and Naval officer Donald Wolfe is doing his last chores in the service. He meets Wren Jean Porter and they fall quietly in love, as Shute's characters tend to do.Donald and Jean agree to meet after they are both out of the service but, to Donald's dismay, he learns Jean comes from a wealthy family. Their meeting is a dismal failure.Neither can settle to civilian life and they drift back to working with ships. They meet again, and this time things go better for them.I wish Shute had developed this into a full length book, but as it stands it is a fascinating look at life after war. Shute fully captures the restlessness of the men and women who returned home only to learn that their old "normal" isn't something they can return to.

I'm a huge Shute fan. I have virtually all of his books, sometimes in multiple editions. I bought this to fill out my set. However, the publication of this early draft as a finished book does not do Nevil a service. It's like reading a class assignment where the students are asked to write a short story in the style of Shute.I'm not a big fan of books based on unfinished manuscripts where the writer dies before he finished. But a manuscript published post mortem where it is clear the author didn't choose to publish it, that sucks.Just writing this has caused me to reduce my rating from 3 to 2.

The two star rating that Ronald Mayo gave THE SEAFARERS is justified. Shute himself did not think the book was publishable, and didn’t. But I can’t be harsh with Paper Tiger for doing so. I’ve read all of Shute’s other books, long ago. Even this skeletal not-very-believable outline made me remember how splendid an author Shute was. It would be difficult for him to publish today. The intellectual climate has changed, and all of the virtues Shute championed are mocked or condemned. No publisher would touch his work today. It is our loss. THE SEAFARERS is not a good novel. But it reminds us of all the good novels Shute did write: ON THE BEACH, ROUND THE BEND, BEYOND THE BLACK STUMP etc. It is time to reread them, savor their virtues, and recognize that they have great unacknowledged merit.I would disagree with the publisher and the other commenters. THE SEAFARERS does not seem to me a precursor to REQUIEM FOR A WREN (which for a change, was better titled by the American publisher as the ironic THE BREAKING WAVE.) so much as a precursor to ROUND THE BEND (with BEND’s emphasis on salvation by work) and A TOWN LIKE ALICE (salvation by work and using talents to their limits.) I think the publisher was more influenced by the still unpublished “Blind Understanding.” But the execution of the theme missed fire, and Shute knew it. He would try again and succeed with the three novels I’ve mentioned.

This is a very sweet book. It's short, and it has a happy ending. I wish it were longer. But very satisfying.

So happy to find this had been published.

This slim hardback would be much better value as a Kindle download with a Kindle price, but it is still a nice life-affirming story. As in Landfall, love triumphs over class differences. In this case, both fit into the boating community "The style you're accustomed to, and have been all these years. Gumboots and dirty clothes, and Primus stoves, and rough food, and salt water. Not the Savoy hotel".This gritty description of boating (and seafaring in small boats in the Navy earlier) is how boating is viewed throughout the book. But the characters still find satisfaction in their work, and earn the respect of others who know what they are doing. (This community is not the same community as the people who can afford to buy boats prepared by others to drink gin in, even if some people do inhabit both worlds).

great read

This is not vintage Schute but it's definitely worth a read. I think that Schute must have had what some people call a Good War, and after it was over it left a vacuum in their lives.

This is a story told with the same reality and vigour as later ones, really letting you feel you are right beside them in the boats as they travel. This was worth waiting for.