Such is Life
by Joseph Furphy (Tom Collins)
$4.99$1.00
Digital Edition available in epub and pdf.
Such Is Life by Joseph Furphy is a richly layered and unconventional novel set in rural Australia during the 1880s. Framed as extracts from the diary of the observant and often ironic narrator Tom Collins, the book follows his travels through the bush as he encounters bullock drivers, swagmen, squatters, and other itinerant figures of frontier life.
Rather than presenting a straightforward plot, the novel unfolds as a series of loosely connected anecdotes, conversations, and reflections. Through campfire storytelling and chance meetings, Furphy captures the rhythms, humor, and hardships of life in the Australian outback. The narrative is marked by digressions, tall tales, and philosophical musings, often blurring the line between truth and exaggeration.
At its core, Such Is Life explores themes of chance, identity, and the unpredictability of existence. Its colloquial language and vivid portrayal of bush culture create an authentic sense of place, while its ironic tone and complex structure challenge traditional storytelling. Widely regarded as a landmark of Australian literature, the novel offers both a realistic and deeply reflective portrait of a developing national identity.
Quote from the book—
“It is not in our cities or townships, it is not in our agricultural or mining areas, that the Australian attains full consciousness of his own nationality; it is in places like this, and as clearly here as at the centre of the continent. To me the monotonous variety of this interminable scrub has a charm of its own; so grave, subdued, self-centred; so alien to the genial appeal of more winsome landscape, or the assertive grandeur of mountain and gorge. To me this wayward diversity of spontaneous plant life bespeaks an unconfined, ungauged potentiality of resource; it unveils an ideographic prophecy, painted by Nature in her Impressionist mood, to be deciphered aright only by those willing to discern through the crudeness of dawn a promise of majestic day.”
―Joseph Furphy, Such is Life
Experience the vivid landscapes and rich storytelling of 'Such is Life' by Joseph Furphy. This digital edition brings the iconic tale of rural Australia to life, offering readers timeless insight, humor, and reflection. Perfect for lovers of classic literature and Australian history.
Also available in Paperback.
Joseph Furphy (1843–1912) was an Australian writer best known for his novel Such Is Life, a landmark work in the nation’s literary history. Born in Yering, he grew up in a farming family and spent much of his life working as a bullock driver, farmer, and foundryman. These varied rural experiences deeply informed his writing, giving it an authentic voice rooted in bush life. Furphy wrote under the pseudonym “Tom Collins,” a name that became synonymous with the wandering storyteller of his fiction. His writing is notable for its use of Australian vernacular, humor, and philosophical reflection, often blending realism with irony and digression.
