Erewhon: Or, over the Range

This book was originally written in 1872 by Samuel Butler and is considered a New Zealand classic novel. An unconventional novel, `Erewhon' tells of its hero's travels in the imaginary land of `nowhere'. Set in New Zealand, Biggs' journey through the mountains and rivers of Canterbury to the mysterious land beckoning in the distance is vividly described. In telling of the loneliness of the explorer and colonist Samuel Butler draws heavily on his own experiences during the 1860s. Over the mountain range Biggs discovers the fantastic land of Erewhon where criminals are treated as sick people and where sick people are treated as criminals and where machines are outlawed. The land of Erewhon is a background for Samuel Butler's ideas about marriage, religion, education, crime and a world dominated by machines. Butler conveyed these ideas with such originality and shrewd humour that Erewhon has become a classic which remains as fresh as it was when it was first published 100 years ago.