Journeys to the End of the World
Encyclopedia
Journeys to the End of the World (2007) is the debut novel
by Clive Algar
and is reviewed in the May 2009 issue of Historical Novels Review Online. The review, by Amanda Yesilbas, says that the novel deftly ties the stories of three compelling characters into a haunting work that traces the patterns of violence, survival, and the often guilty-feeling process of healing.
Yesilbas continues: “The characters, especially Daniel Butler, are drawn with a delicate and subtle hand that makes their changes in personality and circumstances seem very natural and believable. The book offers a fascinating look at South Africa
and its activities during WWI
that many American readers might be unaware of, and the tale of Daniel emphasizes the horror of war and its after effects in a visceral way. This lovely book is engrossing and will leave the reader thinking.”
to Plettenberg Bay
hoping to discover what happened to her enigmatic great-grandfather, Dan Butler, who returned from the trenches of the Western Front
in 1918 suffering from shell-shock.
Like the archaeologists working in the Letterbox Cave (a pivotal location in the story) the novel gradually brushes through layers of the past, revealing not only Dan’s harrowing story of war, guilt and love but reaching back to the foundations of modern South African society when a young Khoi
flees the brutality of his trekboer master.
The mysterious cave, near Plettenberg Bay
, connects the lives of the major characters and it is near this archaeological site that Vicky experiences her own life-altering crisis.
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by Clive Algar
Clive Algar
South African writer Clive Algar is the author of two novels, Journeys to the End of the World and Flowers in the Sand .Algar is a retired mining engineer who returned to South Africa from London when he retired and now lives on his farm in the Western Cape province.-External links:***...
and is reviewed in the May 2009 issue of Historical Novels Review Online. The review, by Amanda Yesilbas, says that the novel deftly ties the stories of three compelling characters into a haunting work that traces the patterns of violence, survival, and the often guilty-feeling process of healing.
Yesilbas continues: “The characters, especially Daniel Butler, are drawn with a delicate and subtle hand that makes their changes in personality and circumstances seem very natural and believable. The book offers a fascinating look at South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and its activities during WWI
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
that many American readers might be unaware of, and the tale of Daniel emphasizes the horror of war and its after effects in a visceral way. This lovely book is engrossing and will leave the reader thinking.”
Plot introduction
Psychology student Vicky Watts travels from Cape TownCape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
to Plettenberg Bay
Plettenberg Bay
Plettenberg Bay, nicknamed Plet or Plett, is the primary town of the Bitou Local Municipality in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. As of the census of 2001, there were 29149 population...
hoping to discover what happened to her enigmatic great-grandfather, Dan Butler, who returned from the trenches of the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
in 1918 suffering from shell-shock.
Like the archaeologists working in the Letterbox Cave (a pivotal location in the story) the novel gradually brushes through layers of the past, revealing not only Dan’s harrowing story of war, guilt and love but reaching back to the foundations of modern South African society when a young Khoi
Khoi
Khoi may refer to:*The common name of Siamese Rough Bush, Streblus asper Lour*The Khoikhoi people*One of the Khoe languages*The Khoekhoe language*Khoy, a city in Iran*Khoy County, an administrative subdivision of Iran...
flees the brutality of his trekboer master.
The mysterious cave, near Plettenberg Bay
Plettenberg Bay
Plettenberg Bay, nicknamed Plet or Plett, is the primary town of the Bitou Local Municipality in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. As of the census of 2001, there were 29149 population...
, connects the lives of the major characters and it is near this archaeological site that Vicky experiences her own life-altering crisis.