Maybe there is a previous reference to this question, as Fodorites seem to enjoy learning about the land, people and culture through fiction before we travel .

Are there any novels or short-stories set in NZ you can recommend I read before travelling to South Island ?

Thanks.

The Bone People by Keri Hulme

I don't know about a book...but there are several movies you can watch:
The World's Fastest Indian
Whale Rider

Also, I believe that the movie Whale Rider is actually based on a book, either a novel or a series of short stories by a New Zealander. I would look into that.

Good question!

The World's Fastest Indian is based on a man from Invercargill. Was this based on a book, does anybody know?

"Once Were Warriors" by Alan Duff.

World's Fastest Indian was based on the life of Burt Munro. There was a script, but no book.

Whale Rider was based on the book by Witi Ihimaera.

How did I survive before Google?

Also "The Colour" by Rose Tremain (historical fiction) and, I suspect, anything you can get your hands on by Maurice Gee. I have only read "Plumb" and it was memorable. He also wrote the book of the same name, on which the movie "In My Father's Den" (with the wonderful Matthew Macfadyen) was based.

Good movie too, to go along with others mentioned, and "The Piano" which hasn't been.

And there's Janet Frame too.

Wonderful !

Is anybody familiar with author Dan Davin and his writings ?

Hi, I just did a quick search using the topic "books" and got a lot of our recent discussions of books with Australian settings and even guide book reccs. Check it out!
Sally in Seattle

I agree with Melnq8 The Bone people is a wonderful book - see the link
http://www.english.emory.edu/Bahri/Maori.html

I'll plug Janet Frame (twice short listed for the Nobel Prize) but she isn't really an easy read. The autobiography is probably the most accessible. Jane Campion made a film/TV series of the autobiography (An Angel at My Table) which you can probably get on Netflix.

I want to put in another vote for The Bone People. It takes a bit to get used to her writing style, but it's a "can't put it down" book. I actually ended up reading while we were in New Zealand and it was a perfect way to really feel a part of the country. You will LOVE the South Island.

Katherine Mansfield wrote short stories. She emigrated to London in the early part of the 20th century but she was born in New Zealand.

Also try Graeme Lay or Sir Peter Buck's Vikings of the Sunrise.

Thanks for helping with the reading list.

Is anybody familiar with Dan Davin and his new book The Gorse Blooms Pale- short stories of the Southland ?

We watched and thoroughly enjoyed the World's Fastest Indian tonight.

The movie was set in 1967- I hear New Zealand is still today much like the US was in the 60's.

lol...except in the case of Invercargill make that the '30's.

Now okoshi to have the perfect holiday amongst the kiwis...

buy a gold rugby jersey and repeat your statement above to every kiwi you meet.

<i>Lord of the Rings</i> ??

I really enjoyed <i>Payment for the Piper</i> (1985) by Frances Murray, with mid-1800s Scotland as background and early 1900s pioneer settlers in New Zealand, with lots of history embedded in the storyline and vivid descriptions of 'back country' early sheepfarming.

Jackie

john au

To say it reminds one of the sixities in the US is, at least in my book, a complement !