A house is built

by M. Barnard Eldershaw

1929. This novel, written by two young women graduates of Sydney University, was the judges' first choice in the Sydney Bulletin's competition for the best novel submitted by an Australian author. Dominating the story is the personality of the ex-quartermaster, James Hyde. From the store he established on the waterfront at Sydney in 1837 develops the business, which assuming overwhelming proportions, drains the lifeblood of his family, whose attempts to escape its tentacles are fruitless. Through his energy and foresight the years of the gold rush bring increased prosperity-but they also heighten the tension under which the family lives. Then comes tragedy. Favorite grandson first, then the old man himself, then his son is swept away; and by the strange irony of fate there passes to the last remaining male Hyde a heritage that was never meant for him and a power that he has neither the wish nor ability to use. The great house has been build, but to what end? Due to the age and scarcity of the original we reproduced, some pages may be spotty or faded.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Australia, Fiction, Classics

304 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1929

About the author

M. Barnard Eldershaw was a pseudonym for the Australian writers Marjorie Barnard (1897 - 1987) and Flora Eldershaw (1897 - 1956), who collaborated on numerous novels, short stories, and essays on Australian fiction.

Reviews

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure if I read A House is Built at school, or for a General Studies subject at UNSW. It gave me a different perspective on Sydney, and I'd like to read it again to compare it with Mann's Buddenbrooks.

[Julian Leatherdale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Co-written by two talented young women, Marjorie Barnard and Flora Eldershaw, this book was joint winner of the inaugural Bulletin novel competition in 1928 with Katherine Susannah Pritchard's 'Coonardoo'.

Set in colonial Sydney from the late 1830s to the 1850s it tells the story of James Hyde, an ambitious quartermaster who builds a successful shipping business which brings wealth and status to his family but also enormous strains and grief. The dynamics between the family members, particularly his snobbish son and reluctant business partner William and his smart, business-savvy but overlooked daughter Fanny, are delicately developed.

It provides insights into the day-to-day challenges of building a business through the 1840s depression and the heady days of the 1850s gold rush. This is historical fiction with the focus strongly on the psychological drama of a family negotiating upward mobility. Its awareness of class and the strictures of gender roles are two of its most impressive qualities without committing the sin of 'ventriloquism' (putting anachronistic modern attitudes in the mouths of historic characters)

I particularly liked the portraits of William's idolised wife Adela and his 'golden child' grandson James who pines silently for his mother's love. The narrative loses tension at times with many episodic diversions but builds pace and drama in the second half with its depiction of Sydney emptied by the madness of the Gold rush and the intrigue between two rival commercial families.

This writing partnership went on to write another Australian classic Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow which i am looking forward to reading. I am curious as to how such a collaboration works in practice - maybe the episodic nature of the narrative points to an imperfectly integrated plot written from two points of view. Even so, a worthwhile read!

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hated this book at school. When I saw it in a secondhand book shop I was curious to see why it had once had such an effect on me.

It is essentially a family story that begins in Sydney in the 1840s. A business man sets up an import business beside the newly settled harbour and the book charts the rise and fall of his enterprise over a generation. His family are trying to make their lives in this odd society and we get close to his daughters.

After 50 pages I began to enjoy it a lot but I could see why my 16 year old self would not have liked it. I would not have been interested in business ventures in colonial Sydney, too dull and plodding but fifty years later that is exactly what I want to read about. I want to know how things worked in 1840s Sydney and I am more sympathetic to the plight of the eldest daughter Fanny.

Marjorie Barnard and Flora Eldershaw wrote together in 1920s Sydney. I am curious about their other books. I am pleased that I had the opportunity to revise my opinion of this one.

[Sammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gosh, I really like this. The other reviews can speak to the novel's provenance, but it's fantastic to read a novel written by Australian women in the 1920s, reflecting on the 19th century. It's a fantastic soap opera, densely packed with taut character studies and some delicious synonym. What's more, as an analysis of the mindsets held by the early Australian settlers, it can't be beat. The odious William, with his desire to make Australia a "little England", is impressive in his vile nature, and I only hope Barnard and Eldershaw fully understood this.

[Rajat Narula · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story of an Englishman who makes Australia his home - his family, their relationships and how they evolve. Beautifully written with compassion and insights.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

A disappointment. Please see my review at https://anzlitlovers.com/2022/10/31/a...

[Margareth8537 · Rating 4 out of 5]

My copy in the Australian Classics series was published in 1972, and I read it just after going there. Found it a fascinating history of the early settlements, very well written