Joseph Furphy – författare

Such is Life (1903) is a novel by Joseph Furphy. Written under his pseudonym “Tom Collins,” Such is Life is a unique and challenging story that took decades to achieve a proper audience. Earning comparisons to the works of Melville and Twain, Furphy’s novel is considered a landmark of Australian literature. “The fore part of the day was altogether devoid of interest or event. Overhead, the sun blazing wastefully and thanklessly through a rarefied atmosphere; underfoot the hot, black clay, thirsting for spring rain, and bare except for inedible roley-poleys, coarse tussocks, and the woody stubble of close-eaten salt-bush; between sky and earth, a solitary wayfarer, wisely lapt in philosophic torpor.” Setting out on a trek through the outback, Tom Collins begins his seemingly endless torrent of words, a journey through language to match his journey over land. Accompanied by a dog and two horses, he meets a vibrant array of characters from all nations and walks of life; from drovers to criminals, Collins can talk with them all. Described by Furphy himself as “offensively Australian,” Such is Life is part travelogue, part philosophy, a novel ahead of its time that remains informative for our own. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Joseph Furphy’s Such is Life is a classic work of Australian literature reimagined for modern readers.

Rigby’s Romance (1921) is a novel by Joseph Furphy. Written under his pseudonym “Tom Collins,” Rigby’s Romance is a sequel of sorts to Such is Life, a unique and challenging story that took decades to achieve a proper audience. Earning comparisons to the works of Melville and Twain, Furphy’s novel is considered a landmark of Australian literature. “Just as a bale of wool is dumped, by hydraulic pressure, to less than half its normal size, I scientifically compressed something like twenty-four hours' sleep into the interval between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. Then a touch of what you call dyspepsia and I call laziness, kept me debating with myself for another swift-running hour.” Between such beguiling narration and lively conversations with the characters he meets on his travels through the Australian outback, Tom Collins presents himself as a philosophizing everyman, a prototype of such characters as Joyce’s Leopold Bloom and Beckett’s Molloy. Journeying in search of his friend Jefferson Rigby, a gentleman and adventurer like himself, Collins reflects on their history together and longs for his company. When the two meet up, they engage in a long discussion on politics and the nature of humanity, touching on topics as strange and diverse as Australia’s legendary wildlife. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Joseph Furphy’s Rigby’s Romance is a classic work of Australian literature reimagined for modern readers.

Such is Life (1903) is a novel by Joseph Furphy. Written under his pseudonym “Tom Collins,” Such is Life is a unique and challenging story that took decades to achieve a proper audience. Earning comparisons to the works of Melville and Twain, Furphy’s novel is considered a landmark of Australian literature. “The fore part of the day was altogether devoid of interest or event. Overhead, the sun blazing wastefully and thanklessly through a rarefied atmosphere; underfoot the hot, black clay, thirsting for spring rain, and bare except for inedible roley-poleys, coarse tussocks, and the woody stubble of close-eaten salt-bush; between sky and earth, a solitary wayfarer, wisely lapt in philosophic torpor.” Setting out on a trek through the outback, Tom Collins begins his seemingly endless torrent of words, a journey through language to match his journey over land. Accompanied by a dog and two horses, he meets a vibrant array of characters from all nations and walks of life; from drovers to criminals, Collins can talk with them all. Described by Furphy himself as “offensively Australian,” Such is Life is part travelogue, part philosophy, a novel ahead of its time that remains informative for our own. This edition of Joseph Furphy’s Such is Life is a classic work of Australian literature reimagined for modern readers.

Since our inception in 2020, Mint Editions has kept sustainability and innovation at the forefront of our mission. Each and every Mint Edition title gets a fresh, professionally typeset manuscript and a dazzling new cover, all while maintaining the integrity of the original book.

With thousands of titles in our collection, we aim to spotlight diverse public domain works to help them find modern audiences. Mint Editions celebrates a breadth of literary works, curated from both canonical and overlooked classics from writers around the globe.

Rigby’s Romance (1921) is a novel by Joseph Furphy. Written under his pseudonym “Tom Collins,” Rigby’s Romance is a sequel of sorts to Such is Life, a unique and challenging story that took decades to achieve a proper audience. Earning comparisons to the works of Melville and Twain, Furphy’s novel is considered a landmark of Australian literature. “Just as a bale of wool is dumped, by hydraulic pressure, to less than half its normal size, I scientifically compressed something like twenty-four hours'' sleep into the interval between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. Then a touch of what you call dyspepsia and I call laziness, kept me debating with myself for another swift-running hour.” Between such beguiling narration and lively conversations with the characters he meets on his travels through the Australian outback, Tom Collins presents himself as a philosophizing everyman, a prototype of such characters as Joyce’s Leopold Bloom and Beckett’s Molloy. Journeying in search of his friend Jefferson Rigby, a gentleman and adventurer like himself, Collins reflects on their history together and longs for his company. When the two meet up, they engage in a long discussion on politics and the nature of humanity, touching on topics as strange and diverse as Australia’s legendary wildlife. This edition of Joseph Furphy’s Rigby’s Romance is a classic work of Australian literature reimagined for modern readers.

Since our inception in 2020, Mint Editions has kept sustainability and innovation at the forefront of our mission. Each and every Mint Edition title gets a fresh, professionally typeset manuscript and a dazzling new cover, all while maintaining the integrity of the original book.

With thousands of titles in our collection, we aim to spotlight diverse public domain works to help them find modern audiences. Mint Editions celebrates a breadth of literary works, curated from both canonical and overlooked classics from writers around the globe.

Such is Life is Furphy's great novel first published in 1903, and signalled the end of the "colonial romance" by its realistic portrayal of Australian rural life. Joseph Furphy (1843-1912) was born in Victoria and worked on farms, in the gold diggings and carting goods in the Riverina with a bullock team before taking employment in Shepparton where he was able to study and write.At his death in 1912 in Western Australia he was still largely unknown. A small group of admirers, including retired teacher Kate Baker, devoted themselves to promoting his work and by the 1940's he was recognised as one of the most significant Australian writers prior to World War I.

Welcome to the Essential Novelists book series, were we present to you the best works of remarkable authors.For this book, the literary critic August Nemo has chosen the two most important and meaningful novels ofJoseph Furphywich areSuch is Life and Rigby''s Romance.Joseph Furphy novels combine an acute sense of local Australian life and colour with the eclectic philosophy and literary ideas of a self-taught workingman.Novels selected for this book:- Such is Life.- Rigby''s Romance.This is one of many books in the series Essential Novelists. If you liked this book, look for the other titles in the series, we are sure you will like some of the authors.

Such is life presents a reflective portrait of rural existence shaped by shifting landscapes, physical labor, and the quiet resilience found in everyday routines. The narrative moves through encounters among traveling workers, using their shared experiences to reveal the emotional undercurrents of hardship, uncertainty, and perseverance. Instead of focusing on individual identities, the book highlights the collective rhythm of their journeys, where conversations about work, movement, and practical concerns gradually expand into deeper meditations on purpose and adaptability. The narrator's contemplative outlook frames these moments with a blend of observation and understated humor, allowing the ordinary to acquire philosophical weight. As the group navigates changing conditions and the demands of their environment, their interactions subtly expose the tension between outward challenges and private reflections. Through this interweaving of travel, dialogue, and introspection, the book captures the unspoken bonds formed through shared struggle, creating an exploration of human endurance grounded in landscape, labor, and the search for meaning across shifting circumstances.