Pastoral (1944 novel)

First US edition (William Morrow)

Pastoral is a novel by the English author Nevil Shute.^[1] It was first published in 1944 by Heinemann. Its theme is that even in the midst of war, and among warriors, everyday life, such as romance, will continue.^[2]

Synopsis

Pastoral is a romance set on an English airbase which revolves around an experienced pilot, his bomber crew, their interest in fishing and his developing relationship with a young WAAF signals officer.

Reception

After its release the book received reviews from The Washington Post and The New York Times,^[3] the latter of which wrote that the book was "an excellent story and its writer grows in sublety and skill with each succeeding novel".^[4]

References

1. Hampson, John (1944). "The Ballad and the Source. By Rosamond Lehmann. The Innovator. By John Brett Robey. Pastoral. By Nevil Shute (Book Review)". The London Spectator.
2. Gosling, Jonathan; Villiers, Peter (2012-11-14). Fictional Leaders: Heroes, Villans and Absent Friends. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 87–89. ISBN 9781137272744.
3. "Pastoral. By Nevil Shute. Morrow. $2.50 (review)". The Washington Post (subscription required). September 3, 1944.
4. MALLET, ISABELLE (August 27, 1944). "An Idyl of Wartime England". The New York Times (subscription required).