Historical fiction book · Curated
The Narrow Road to the Deep North
Richard Flanagan · historical fiction
In 1943, Tasmanian surgeon Dorrigo Evans tries to keep Australian POWs alive on the Thai-Burma Death Railway—cholera, beatings, and a Japanese command that measures men in sleepers laid—while the memory of an affair with his uncle’s wife follows him from the jungle into a decorated postwar life he cannot inhabit. Richard Flanagan’s 2013 novel is WWII military historical fiction of the Pacific war, and the Booker Prize winner readers still search by its long title.
Why read it: A widely searched Booker-winning WWII historical novel—the Burma Railway title readers look up by name, and a Pacific-theater counterpart to European camp and occupation stories already on the shelf.
About this historical novel
The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan is historical fiction set around 1943–1944 in the World War II era period with key settings including Thai-Burma Railway, Siam, Burma, Tasmania. In 1943, Tasmanian surgeon Dorrigo Evans tries to keep Australian POWs alive on the Thai-Burma Death Railway—cholera, beatings, and a Japanese command that measures men in sleepers laid—while the memory of an affair with his uncle’s wife follows him from the jungle into a decorated postwar life he cannot inhabit. Richard Flanagan’s 2013 novel is WWII military historical fiction of the Pacific war, and the Booker Prize winner readers still search by its long title.
On HisFic we tag it under 5. Military & war and 1. Literary historical fiction so you can pair it with similar story types. Recurring themes include war, survival, memory, love, and guilt. A widely searched Booker-winning WWII historical novel—the Burma Railway title readers look up by name, and a Pacific-theater counterpart to European camp and occupation stories already on the shelf.
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Plot summary
In 1943, Tasmanian surgeon Dorrigo Evans tries to keep Australian POWs alive on the Thai-Burma Death Railway—cholera, beatings, and a Japanese command that measures men in sleepers laid—while the memory of an affair with his uncle’s wife follows him from the jungle into a decorated postwar life he cannot inhabit. Richard Flanagan’s 2013 novel is WWII military historical fiction of the Pacific war, and the Booker Prize winner readers still search by its long title. A widely searched Booker-winning WWII historical novel—the Burma Railway title readers look up by name, and a Pacific-theater counterpart to European camp and occupation stories already on the shelf.
Subgenres
Eras
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Regions & places
Asia · Oceania
Thai-Burma Railway · Siam · Burma · Tasmania · Australia
Themes
- war
- survival
- memory
- love
- guilt
Tags
award-winner · war · literary