Robin Hyde
The book
'They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.'
The line from the Anzac verse provides the title of this novel, in which Hyde shows the predicament of returned servicemen and women after the First World War. Through the story of Douglas Stark, we see the many ways in which New Zealand was failing their expectations. It was not the 'and fit for heroes' they had fought for, but a changing society moving through the tough times of the twenties and thirties.
Reviews
'I was unprepared for the power and emotional accuracy of Nor the Years Condemn ... Hyde's novel is more real than Mulgan's Man Alone, which we were always taught was the first competent novel written by a New Zealander. It was not.' – Michael King, Metro
'The real protagonist of the book is New Zealand society, blundering about, trying to make some sort of sense itself. For this reason alone, Nor the Years Condemn is an important book.' – Anne French, The Dominion
Publication details
Paperback, 292 pages, ISBN 978 0 908569 83 0, $29.95
1995