Kundu (West novel)
Kundu is a 1956 Australian novel by Morris West. It was one of West's first novels - the second published under his own name - and was reportedly written in only three weeks.[1] A 1993 review of West's career said the novel was a "potboiler" redeemed by his descriptions of New Guinea.[2]
| Author | Morris West |
|---|---|
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Dell |
Publication date | 1956 |
| Media type |
It was reprinted paperback in 1978.[3]
Premise
A story of people living in a village in the New Guinea highlands. They include the mysterious doctor Kurt Sonderfield, a former Nazi; a native girl N'Daria; a sorcerer called Kumo, an old French missionary Pere Louis; Sonderfield's wife Gerda; a coffee company agent, Theodore Nelson; Lee Curtis, the patrol officer; Oliver, the Assistant District Officer; and an anthropologist, Nelson.
Reception
The Pacific Islands Monthly called it "a sexy piece."[4]
The Bulletin said "Well written and swift-moving, with touches of interesting characterisation and much lurid lore of the country, the novel passes away an hour or so pleasantly enough; but by the adoption of these dime-novel plots Mr. West really removes his work from serious consideration."[5]
References
- "WRITERS' WORLD". The Canberra Times. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 20 August 1983. p. 12. Retrieved 7 April 2020 – via Trove.
- Missen, Mollie (February 20, 1993). "A master storyteller signs off". Sydney Morning Herald. p. 44.
- "The pick of Australian paperbacks in print". The Canberra Times. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 15 October 1978. p. 17. Retrieved 7 April 2020 – via Trove.
- "Two Novels of Note identifier". Pacific Island Monthly. August 1963. p. 97.
- "New Guinea Novel". The Bulletin. June 5, 1957. p. 59.