What do you think?
Rate this book
The Survivor
Alec Ramsay is the survivor of a disastrous Antarctic expedition which abandoned his revered friend and leader of the party, Stephen Leeming. Ramsay must confront his obsession and decide whether he already did -- or can continue to -- survive at all.
Audio Cassette
First published January 1, 1969
19 people are currently reading
97 people want to read
About the author
Thomas Keneally
123 books1,315 followersThomas Michael Keneally, AO (born 7 October 1935) is an Australian novelist, playwright and author of non-fiction. He is best known for writing Schindler's Ark, the Booker Prize-winning novel of 1982, which was inspired by the efforts of Poldek Pfefferberg, a Holocaust survivor. The book would later be adapted to Steven Spielberg's Schindler's List (1993), which won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Often published under the name Tom Keneally in Australia.
Life and Career:
Born in Sydney, Keneally was educated at St Patrick's College, Strathfield, where a writing prize was named after him. He entered St Patrick's Seminary, Manly to train as a Catholic priest but left before his ordination. He worked as a Sydney schoolteacher before his success as a novelist, and he was a lecturer at the University of New England (1968–70). He has also written screenplays, memoirs and non-fiction books.
Keneally was known as "Mick" until 1964 but began using the name Thomas when he started publishing, after advice from his publisher to use what was really his first name. He is most famous for his Schindler's Ark (1982) (later republished as Schindler's List), which won the Booker Prize and is the basis of the film Schindler's List (1993). Many of his novels are reworkings of historical material, although modern in their psychology and style.
Keneally has also acted in a handful of films. He had a small role in The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (based on his novel) and played Father Marshall in the Fred Schepisi movie, The Devil's Playground (1976) (not to be confused with a similarly-titled documentary by Lucy Walker about the Amish rite of passage called rumspringa).
In 1983, he was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO). He is an Australian Living Treasure.
He is a strong advocate of the Australian republic, meaning the severing of all ties with the British monarchy, and published a book on the subject in Our Republic (1993). Several of his Republican essays appear on the web site of the Australian Republican Movement.
Keneally is a keen supporter of rugby league football, in particular the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles club of the NRL. He made an appearance in the rugby league drama film The Final Winter (2007).
In March 2009, the Prime Minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd, gave an autographed copy of Keneally's Lincoln biography to President Barack Obama as a state gift.
Most recently Thomas Keneally featured as a writer in the critically acclaimed Australian drama, Our Sunburnt Country.
Thomas Keneally's nephew Ben is married to the former NSW Premier, Kristina Keneally.
Often published under the name Tom Keneally in Australia.
Life and Career:
Born in Sydney, Keneally was educated at St Patrick's College, Strathfield, where a writing prize was named after him. He entered St Patrick's Seminary, Manly to train as a Catholic priest but left before his ordination. He worked as a Sydney schoolteacher before his success as a novelist, and he was a lecturer at the University of New England (1968–70). He has also written screenplays, memoirs and non-fiction books.
Keneally was known as "Mick" until 1964 but began using the name Thomas when he started publishing, after advice from his publisher to use what was really his first name. He is most famous for his Schindler's Ark (1982) (later republished as Schindler's List), which won the Booker Prize and is the basis of the film Schindler's List (1993). Many of his novels are reworkings of historical material, although modern in their psychology and style.
Keneally has also acted in a handful of films. He had a small role in The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (based on his novel) and played Father Marshall in the Fred Schepisi movie, The Devil's Playground (1976) (not to be confused with a similarly-titled documentary by Lucy Walker about the Amish rite of passage called rumspringa).
In 1983, he was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO). He is an Australian Living Treasure.
He is a strong advocate of the Australian republic, meaning the severing of all ties with the British monarchy, and published a book on the subject in Our Republic (1993). Several of his Republican essays appear on the web site of the Australian Republican Movement.
Keneally is a keen supporter of rugby league football, in particular the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles club of the NRL. He made an appearance in the rugby league drama film The Final Winter (2007).
In March 2009, the Prime Minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd, gave an autographed copy of Keneally's Lincoln biography to President Barack Obama as a state gift.
Most recently Thomas Keneally featured as a writer in the critically acclaimed Australian drama, Our Sunburnt Country.
Thomas Keneally's nephew Ben is married to the former NSW Premier, Kristina Keneally.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 8, 2012
what happens to memories that cannot be tolerated? They mututate to accommodate our shame and guilt. They fester and undermine all of our relationships and activities.
After a thorny meandering start, Keneally's vigorous prose and compassionate insight compell us to follow our hero,with whom, oddly enough through the course of the book we have come to some kind of rapport, even though nothing in our experience can compare to the radical nature of his moral dilemna.
TK handles the denouement expertly, with surprise twists at every turn as we descend with him into the furthest reaches of his disturbance.TK is talking about the heart of most existential crises. It is when we face our crippling doubts and throw off the shackles of fear that we are free to enact our authentic selves, and so become free.
Our hero, who can distinguish between knowlege and fact, is nevertheless trapped in his hyperatrophied imagination, which has shielded him from his own truth. We all construct the rituals that we believe will protect us, following our own but usually someone elses directions. This includes our socially constructed reality, and just as often as we have the chance to break free, we have the tendency to get swallowed up by our own constuctions, and absorbed into the groupthink of popularism and consumerism.
TK observes"the world was growing less and less diverse, more and more pointlessly uniform" as the "painfully virtuous people" "made it difficult for others to act out whatever extreme rituals their sanity demanded." In The Survivor this is taken to the limit of metaphor and we are left with the impression that anything is possible,even a fitting resolution.
After a thorny meandering start, Keneally's vigorous prose and compassionate insight compell us to follow our hero,with whom, oddly enough through the course of the book we have come to some kind of rapport, even though nothing in our experience can compare to the radical nature of his moral dilemna.
TK handles the denouement expertly, with surprise twists at every turn as we descend with him into the furthest reaches of his disturbance.TK is talking about the heart of most existential crises. It is when we face our crippling doubts and throw off the shackles of fear that we are free to enact our authentic selves, and so become free.
Our hero, who can distinguish between knowlege and fact, is nevertheless trapped in his hyperatrophied imagination, which has shielded him from his own truth. We all construct the rituals that we believe will protect us, following our own but usually someone elses directions. This includes our socially constructed reality, and just as often as we have the chance to break free, we have the tendency to get swallowed up by our own constuctions, and absorbed into the groupthink of popularism and consumerism.
TK observes"the world was growing less and less diverse, more and more pointlessly uniform" as the "painfully virtuous people" "made it difficult for others to act out whatever extreme rituals their sanity demanded." In The Survivor this is taken to the limit of metaphor and we are left with the impression that anything is possible,even a fitting resolution.
January 1, 2016
I couldn't get to the end. I enjoyed "Flying Hero Class", but I just could not get into this. I managed to read about 200 pages, but faced with another 70 pages, I couldn't quite summon the will...
November 4, 2024
DNF at 35%. Simply could not take any more of the pretentious drivel. I kept thinking the story would develop, but it deteriorated into a lot of high-flown academic querulousness. We have Keneally to thank for Schindler's Ark, so I might not be done with him yet, but I am definitely done with this book.
May 1, 2025
I loved this book because of its story of petty academic relationships, administrative dramas and self doubt in a provincial Australian university. I feel I had a window into Australian academic life in the 60s.
July 9, 2019
A fine romp of academics - I could really relate to their pettiness and ego. The Antarctic theme added interest
October 31, 2024
Of an age. Thankfully gone.
Pathetically pretentious. I will keep on with completing Kenneally, but this one has really tested my resolve.
Pathetically pretentious. I will keep on with completing Kenneally, but this one has really tested my resolve.
September 24, 2015
Dark and I didn't think I was that interested but found it oddly compelling. The women were a bit stereotypical, the scornful wife the sensual harlot. I do always enjoy a book with Australian dialogue.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews