What do you think?
Rate this book
Mackenzie
an ambitious novel based on the life of a legendary sheep-stealer who discovered a huge rich pasture in central Otago. Its strength lies less in the heroic portrayal of the protagonist, however, than in its study of the tensions and ambitions in small-town and rural settler communities. There is a suggestion of a symbolic or mystical perception, somewhat obscured by an imprecision of style.
- GenresFiction
Paperback
Published January 1, 1974
1 person is currently reading
12 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 12, 2021
One of those second-hand purchases that, upon coming online to check, ends up being almost forgotten -- at least by Goodreads standards. As usual, there's no justice in what books get forgotten and what gets remembered, as this is a wonderful novel. A fictional account of the real James Mackenzie, whose name lives on in the Mackenzie Basin in New Zealand. A sheep-stealer, in short, but also, despite a total lack of education, possessed of great thoughts on theology and philosophy, filtering them through his experiences into something unique. I hesitate to drop the word 'mystical', but I think that's what he is, and what this book is at times.
The book itself sometimes has that sort of tone, which could alienate -- I think before 100 pages you'll realise whether this is for you or not. The story has two basic modes: sections with one character alone and sections with more than one character. Those with more than one, mostly down in Christchurch, are filled with delightful figures bouncing off one another, each with their own completely constructed worldviews intertwined with and chipping away at each other. Amos Polson and his daughter Frances are a delight to spend time with.
Frances' story is more personal, perhaps, more internal, as she ages into this world where she must make decisions of her own, watching her father's decline, as well as the introduction of this new shepherd, Mackenzie, equal parts appealing and repelling. Amos gets into wider, more political arguments, arguing with the other settlers about their methods, about their goals, about their thirst for imperial expansion and the blood it costs. The whole book, though inevitably not squeaky clean by today's standards, stands firm in its belief that to continue the practice of colonialism is to be a party to the end of the world.
And during the sections where a character is alone, McNeish lapses into frequently extraordinary descriptions of nature, of the light moving down the valleys, of dogs moving the sheep in great waves, of lightning revealing the heart of a tree that might be a god. Of particular note is the sequence where the snowstorm comes, and the characters have to scramble to save their flocks from vanishing completely under the snow, eventually trapped inside the house by walls of ice.
McNeish's other work seems to include books of true crime, biographies, and social history, as well as other novels. Most of them are only slightly less obscure than this one, or else more so. The best resource I found from a cursory search on what the others are actually about was here, in case anyone else seeks more information. I'm also going to put my two favourite passages down in the comments.
The book itself sometimes has that sort of tone, which could alienate -- I think before 100 pages you'll realise whether this is for you or not. The story has two basic modes: sections with one character alone and sections with more than one character. Those with more than one, mostly down in Christchurch, are filled with delightful figures bouncing off one another, each with their own completely constructed worldviews intertwined with and chipping away at each other. Amos Polson and his daughter Frances are a delight to spend time with.
Frances' story is more personal, perhaps, more internal, as she ages into this world where she must make decisions of her own, watching her father's decline, as well as the introduction of this new shepherd, Mackenzie, equal parts appealing and repelling. Amos gets into wider, more political arguments, arguing with the other settlers about their methods, about their goals, about their thirst for imperial expansion and the blood it costs. The whole book, though inevitably not squeaky clean by today's standards, stands firm in its belief that to continue the practice of colonialism is to be a party to the end of the world.
And during the sections where a character is alone, McNeish lapses into frequently extraordinary descriptions of nature, of the light moving down the valleys, of dogs moving the sheep in great waves, of lightning revealing the heart of a tree that might be a god. Of particular note is the sequence where the snowstorm comes, and the characters have to scramble to save their flocks from vanishing completely under the snow, eventually trapped inside the house by walls of ice.
McNeish's other work seems to include books of true crime, biographies, and social history, as well as other novels. Most of them are only slightly less obscure than this one, or else more so. The best resource I found from a cursory search on what the others are actually about was here, in case anyone else seeks more information. I'm also going to put my two favourite passages down in the comments.
November 15, 2025
Not for me. Slogged through to the end, but only through sheer bloody mindedness. Some of the last quarter was ridiculous
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews