SuitabookBereavement and return
After his wife dies, Higgs leaves to revisit Erewhon, then returns unexpectedly early and deeply unwell; his son John investigates what happened.
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Book details
Samuel Butler - Author
Samuel Butler - Author
Expect a literary, idea-led story involving bereavement, an unexpectedly early return in poor health, investigation by a son, and satire directed at religion. The treatment and resolution of these elements remain only partly evidenced.
<p>Higgs has made his fortune with sales of his original travelogue <a href="https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/samuel-butler/erewhon"><i>Erewhon</i></a>. When his wife dies, his long-held desire to return to the country overwhelms him, and even his friends agree that a change of scenery would be a good idea. Soon after his departure he returns back home to England unexpectedly early and deeply unwell, and so it’s down to his son John to piece together what happened during his fleeting visit to Erewhon.</p> <p>Written nearly thirty years after the first book, <i>Erewhon Revisited</i> is <a href="https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/samuel-butler">Samuel Butler’s</a> attempt to reason about the ongoing effect Higgs’ first visit—and dramatic exit—would have had on the closed society of Erewhon. The playful satire of the first book remains, but this time focused on a new target: religion. This focus did the book no favors among the establishment of the day, but after partnering with <a href="https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/george-bernard-shaw">George Bernard Shaw’s</a> imprint it was finally published in 1901. While never as critically or commercially successful as the first book, it remains a fascinating read.</p>
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Sign in for personalised guidanceExpect a literary, idea-led story involving bereavement, an unexpectedly early return in poor health, investigation by a son, and satire directed at religion. The treatment and resolution of these elements remain only partly evidenced.
After his wife dies, Higgs leaves to revisit Erewhon, then returns unexpectedly early and deeply unwell; his son John investigates what happened.
John must piece together what happened during Higgs’s fleeting visit after Higgs returns home unwell.
Consider whether bereavement, a parent returning deeply unwell, and satire concerning religion are topics your family would prefer to discuss together as they arise during reading.
This is a grounded book brief while Suitabook strengthens the analysis: another book-specific source is still needed; the book’s treatment of its main themes is not yet firm enough.
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