VOSS | Patrick White | 1957

This is another of Australian Nobel Prize winning author Patrick White’s extraordinarily verbose, long, tragic yet ultimately magnificent novels. Set in Sydney and the Australian outback in 1845, this book is a marathon read that encompasses exposing the burgeoning middle-class society customs of Sydney and the lust to explore the land beyond the green and fertile coastal plains. It is said that the story is based on German explorer Ludwig Leichhardt (1813-1848) who disappeared somewhere in the Great Sandy Desert in central Australia. However, the book is fiction and not a biography.

Johan Ulrich Voss is a German explorer engaged by wealthy Sydney draper Mr Bonner in a consortium to see what riches might be found inland. Voss is misunderstood by nearly everyone stemming from his accent and his personal views about society. Only Mr Bonner’s niece, Laura Trevelyan, a young woman of intellect forms an unlikely attachment to the explorer. This is not revealed until after he has left to transverse the continent from east to west, when surprisingly he writes to her proposing marriage. Both fall in obsessive love from a distance, not only with each other but with the idea and ideals of love.

The descriptions of early Sydney’s township, buildings and lifestyle are delightful. And the language attached to the outback is mesmerising in its capacity to bring the beauty, hardships, and terrors to light. The exploration of Voss’s relationships with his motley group of travellers gives insights into his character as an uncompromising but as it turns out compassionate leader. The story runs the gamut of character archetypes drawn to such a mission, from resourceful convict Albert Judd to the ornithologist Palfreyman, the Aboriginal lad Jackie and the obnoxious Turner, each plays their part in revealing the best and worst of human nature.

Are some of the scenes of death, dying and dreadfulness magic realism or hallucinations? Voss and Laura both suffer physically but psychically hang on to their partner for strength, purpose and courage. It is said that literature explores the human condition and this story is a breathtaking showcase of everything that makes us human. It’s a challenging read: one that I loved and hated at the same time. I loved the story, admired and at times feared the writing that took me on an unforgettable journey. I would look despairingly at the number of pages to go for the first two-thirds and in the last third I didn’t want it to end.