Voss (Masterplots II: British and Commonwealth Fiction Series)
At a glance:
- Author: Patrick White
- First Published: 1957
- Type of Work: Historical and philosophical realism
- Time of Work: The 1840’s
- Setting: Australia: Sydney, Newcastle, Jildra, and the desert beyond
- Principal Characters: Johann Ulrich Voss, Edmund Bonner, Laura Trevelyen, Rose Portion, Mercy, Harry Robarts, Frank Le Mesurier, Palfreyman, Albert Judd, Ralph Angus, Turner, Jackie, Dugald
- Genres: Long fiction, Historical fiction, Philosophical realism
- Subjects: Self-discovery, Suffering, Traveling or travelers, Voyages, Race, Nature, Nineteenth century, Christianity, Adventure, Deserts, Australia or Australians
- Locales: Australia
The Novel
Although based on an actual expedition which attempted to cross the Australian continent in 1845, Voss is by no means a conventional historical novel. The exploration is as much of the psychological and spiritual nature of the characters as it is of the actual terrain, though Patrick White renders the latter most vividly in his concentrated and poetic style. As the novel opens, Johann Ulrich Voss, a German immigrant, calls on Edmund Bonner, the major financial backer of the expedition, and meets Bonner’s niece Laura Trevelyen. The development of their ensuing...
[The entire page is 2680 words long]
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