Beyond the Black Stump

By Nevil Shute

The expression “beyond the black stump” refers to the deepest, darkest wilds of the Australian outback, the setting for Nevil Shute’s novel of a romance tested by cultural difference. Stanton Laird is an American geologist sent to hunt oil in a remote part of Western Australia. There he befriends the highly unconventional Regan family, the rough-and-tumble owners of a million-acre sheep station, and falls in love with their daughter Mollie. However, when Mollie goes to join him in America, the young couple must face the realization that they are products of radically different worlds.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Oct 12, 2010
• ISBN: 9780307474032

Reviews for Beyond the Black Stump

[jjmcgaffey · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a slice-of-(unusual)-life story - young man from the Pacific Northwest goes to outback Australia on a job, meets a lovely girl and falls in love; she's partly in love with him and largely in love with the image she has of America, from magazines and movies. The differences in attitudes - what's a big deal and what simply isn't - is nicely done. And of course the Outback descriptions are neat. Lovely ending, too - rounds things off beautifully. Happy endings for all! A fun read, though not one of my favorite Shutes.

[bridgey_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I love Nevil Shute and always find it a surprise that not more people are aware of his works. From the blurb: Stanton Laird comes to the Australian outback to search for oil. There he meets and falls in love with Mollie. However cultural differences between Stanton and Mollie's world force the two lovers to make difficult decisions.I really enjoyed this book, and normally and hint of a love story and you won't see me for dust, but Shute has a way of dragging me into the plot so I don't even notice. A story about the complexities of human nature and how people from different backgrounds interact as well as the trials they can face, Shute really nails down the conflicting emotions and you can see things from all viewpoints. I suppose the only downside was that at the time of writing the book Shute had emigrated to Australia and doesn't really look back on the UK with very much fondness, he was a staunch opposer of socialism but I am sure that even in post war Britain things would not have been as bleak as the pictures he presents.Maybe not the best novel to be introduced to the author but certainly a good read.

[nkmunn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The way the author explored the notion of how different cultures judge outsiders made for a terrific read and some pretty humorous situations. The ways the author was able to illustrate the difference between progress and development was intriguing too. The story of the taming of the kangaroo mouse must have started out true somewhere! The picture of that creature and it's master is too detailed to be made up! Somwhere, at some time there must have been a man who really did mince up bugs and cheese and teach a kangaroo mouse to ride around on his shoulder!