The Colour
The Colour by Rose Tremain
Joseph and Harriet Blackstone emigrate from Norfolk to new Zealand in search of new beginnings and prosperity. But the harsh land near Christchurch threatens to destroy them almost before they begin. When Joseph finds gold in the creek he is seized by a rapturous obsession with the voluptuous riches awaiting him deep in the earth. Abandoning his farm and family, he sets off alone for the new gold-fields over the Southern Alps, a moral wilderness where many others, under the seductive dreams of ‘the colour’, are violently rushing to their destinies.
Reviews
"I gave this book a go and enjoyed it. My taste of reading is thrillers and ‘Who Did It’ books. But the Colour was very clear on the lives and journey – quite a good read."
"I enjoyed this book to a certain extent, but, I think there was too much detail in certain parts. But of course, I just could not put it down until I knew what had happened to the main characters."
"A great historical reading. An insight into the gold rush of New Zealand. Very good read."
"This is an unusual book. It is very descriptive and poetical, and yet discusses practical elements of mining and living a tough life on a New Zealand small holding in a realistic way. It covers big themes and shows it is often our dreams- whether of gold, love or family – that keep us going. The characters are complicated and memorable and the story contains many surprises and complexities."
"I’ve learnt so much of life in both England and New Zealand in the mid 19th century. Life was certainly hard, but sheer hope and willpower kept people alive and hopeful of a better future."
"One of the most enjoyable books I have read – once started I did not want to put it down. I felt I was in New Zealand with the characters. An excellent story."
"An interesting account of life in a new country, but I found it a little heavy reading."
"This book had me gripped from the first chapter. Beautifully descriptive always – I had a clear picture of the country and the characters right from page one."
"A wonderfully moving story."
"One of the best books I have ever read! It reads like poetry and the characters are so believable and complex. Very atmospheric, even mystical at times. The author has researched her subject in depth – fantastic detail about life in New Zealand at that time."
"An extremely interesting book – a real page turner!"
"I found this a gripping story and was entranced by the feeling of place it gave me.
Harriet is the heroine, but the way the author writes with chapters and paragraphs dedicated to each character made me feel I understood everyone in the novel really well.
This is a story of ordinary people escaping from the dark secrets of their past. Joseph is running away from his guilt, but finds it is still there to haunt him.
It is also a novel of man versus nature, and as such is hugely atmospheric. One theme of the novel is man’s obsession with gold and how this changes us to become greedy and selfish: this theme is set against a natural background which remains constant.
The novel concentrates a lot on the search for love and respect and there is a lot of mother/parent imagery in this book: Joseph and Lilian, Harriet and her Dad, the china man and his parents.
Overall, a great pioneering story set in New Zealand which is well worth reading."