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Trustee From The Tool Room
When his sister’s boat is wrecked in the Pacific, Keith Steward becomes the trustee for his little niece. In order to save her from destitution he has to embark on a voyage in a small yacht in inhospitable waters.
Paperback
First published January 1, 1960
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About the author
Nevil Shute
111 books1,360 followersNevil Shute Norway was a popular British novelist and a successful aeronautical engineer.
He used Nevil Shute as his pen name, and his full name in his engineering career, in order to protect his engineering career from any potential negative publicity in connection with his novels.
He lived in Australia for the ten years before his death.
He used Nevil Shute as his pen name, and his full name in his engineering career, in order to protect his engineering career from any potential negative publicity in connection with his novels.
He lived in Australia for the ten years before his death.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 725 reviews
November 14, 2018
This was such a pleasure to read. It is a simple story about an uncomplicated man who is required to perform some difficult tasks. He has to step way beyond his comfort zone and in doing so discovers his own inner strengths. Even better, it becomes a bit of a fairy story as he discovers he has friends he never knew about who step in and make his life better.
I have always enjoyed Nevil Shute's writing. I read most of his books as a teenager when I read my way through my parent's bookshelves. After all this time I do not really know which ones I have read but I am sure I had not come across Trustee from the Toolroom before. It is not a short book and it has plenty of pages of technical detail but even that, written by this author, is very readable.
So nice to read a book with no over the top drama, no hysterics or anguish, just sensible, ordinary people making the best of their lives - with a little bit of special good luck as their reward.
I have always enjoyed Nevil Shute's writing. I read most of his books as a teenager when I read my way through my parent's bookshelves. After all this time I do not really know which ones I have read but I am sure I had not come across Trustee from the Toolroom before. It is not a short book and it has plenty of pages of technical detail but even that, written by this author, is very readable.
So nice to read a book with no over the top drama, no hysterics or anguish, just sensible, ordinary people making the best of their lives - with a little bit of special good luck as their reward.
March 14, 2023
An engineer is a man who can do for five bob what any bloody fool can do for a quid.
Keith Stewart is one of Nevil Shute’s wonderful, down-to-earth, smarter than they seem, characters. He invents miniature engineering marvels and writes articles and instructions for a magazine titled Miniature Mechanic. When, on the death of her parents, he is left as trustee to his niece, he finds himself faced with a tremendous task that he feels he must perform to fulfill the obligation. The novel is really the story of his fulfillment of that task and how it reveals who Keith Stewart is to himself and to the world at large.
I loved every moment of this book. Keith is a marvelous character, and there are several side characters that are also captivating, among them the wealthy financier, Sol Hirzhorn, and the unpredictable self-taught seaman, Jack Donelly. Shute knows how to spin a tale that is both informative (I know a bit more about engineering and sailing now) and enjoyable. Some of his books are emotionally stirring, like A Town Like Alice, but some are just good fun, like this one. He writes both kinds beautifully, making him one of my favorite authors to read.
Keith Stewart is one of Nevil Shute’s wonderful, down-to-earth, smarter than they seem, characters. He invents miniature engineering marvels and writes articles and instructions for a magazine titled Miniature Mechanic. When, on the death of her parents, he is left as trustee to his niece, he finds himself faced with a tremendous task that he feels he must perform to fulfill the obligation. The novel is really the story of his fulfillment of that task and how it reveals who Keith Stewart is to himself and to the world at large.
I loved every moment of this book. Keith is a marvelous character, and there are several side characters that are also captivating, among them the wealthy financier, Sol Hirzhorn, and the unpredictable self-taught seaman, Jack Donelly. Shute knows how to spin a tale that is both informative (I know a bit more about engineering and sailing now) and enjoyable. Some of his books are emotionally stirring, like A Town Like Alice, but some are just good fun, like this one. He writes both kinds beautifully, making him one of my favorite authors to read.
November 18, 2015
Oh my, I did like this. It is light, but cute and fun and will make you smile. I certainly do recommend it.
So what is this about? On the surface it is about a Mr. Ordinary, an unpretentious little guy, but he is honest and hardworking. He is kind. He is happy with little. He doesn't need a big fancy house or a flashy job or fancy clothes. It is an adventure story too. Travel on airplanes and boats - a trip that you would not imagine!
There is a peculiar characteristic to this book. The details. Nevil Shute was an aeronautics engineer. You can tell. The book is filled with detailed descriptions of machines and mechanical gadgets - for airplanes, for boats, for lumber mills. Parts of machines - coil winders and plate fittings and gear boxes and hydraulic jacks and roller chains and sprockets and lathes and heat transfer gizmos and…. I don't know what all these things are but they sure make the story told feel thoroughly authentic. Yet you are not confused. You do understand what is going one through all the jumble of details.
So do all the details bore you? No, because the message conveyed is about people. The message conveyed is so simple and so obvious, but one we often forget. The scenarios drawn are not believable, but they will make you smile.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Frank Muller. He reads pretty darn quickly. He lavishly impersonates; let's say exaggerates the different characters. The Scott sounds very Scottish, the American very American, the women sweet, the dumb guys sounds a bit like a moron. Still this is all kind of appropriate because it makes you smile even more. It is funny because Jack, the one who is supposed to be so stupid....well, is he really? The book andthe narration will make you smile. The two fit each other.
This book is fun. The story is cute. I guarantee it will put a smile on your face. Do you need to smile? Go read it!
So what is this about? On the surface it is about a Mr. Ordinary, an unpretentious little guy, but he is honest and hardworking. He is kind. He is happy with little. He doesn't need a big fancy house or a flashy job or fancy clothes. It is an adventure story too. Travel on airplanes and boats - a trip that you would not imagine!
There is a peculiar characteristic to this book. The details. Nevil Shute was an aeronautics engineer. You can tell. The book is filled with detailed descriptions of machines and mechanical gadgets - for airplanes, for boats, for lumber mills. Parts of machines - coil winders and plate fittings and gear boxes and hydraulic jacks and roller chains and sprockets and lathes and heat transfer gizmos and…. I don't know what all these things are but they sure make the story told feel thoroughly authentic. Yet you are not confused. You do understand what is going one through all the jumble of details.
So do all the details bore you? No, because the message conveyed is about people. The message conveyed is so simple and so obvious, but one we often forget. The scenarios drawn are not believable, but they will make you smile.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Frank Muller. He reads pretty darn quickly. He lavishly impersonates; let's say exaggerates the different characters. The Scott sounds very Scottish, the American very American, the women sweet, the dumb guys sounds a bit like a moron. Still this is all kind of appropriate because it makes you smile even more. It is funny because Jack, the one who is supposed to be so stupid....well, is he really? The book andthe narration will make you smile. The two fit each other.
This book is fun. The story is cute. I guarantee it will put a smile on your face. Do you need to smile? Go read it!
Read
March 12, 2019You know, I love this book with all my heart, it is the story of an ordinary unassuming man going on an unusual trip and winning out because of his ordinary life in which he designs miniature engineering models and people make them. Men, that is, hmm. Anyway, it's an adorable and unusual book. Read it, you'll like it, it has SF sensibility without being SF.
But.
It's 1960. And because of what Shute takes to be the horrible socialist government in Britain, British people cannot legally take all their capital (25,000 pounds, at a time where a house in London costs 2000 and 1000 a year is a reasonable private income) out of the country without being taxed on it. But the characters and the authorial voice, think this is wrong, and do it anyway, and getting it back is a lot of what the book is about. But but but -- the reason given, over and over, for getting it back, is so that Janice can have an education. Has it escaped your notice, Mr Shute, that in 1960 if Janice was bright enough to go to Oxford she could have done it without the money? That this was what the taxes were for? So not just lucky Janice but the bright kids who didn't have a rich parent could go to university? The plot doesn't work at any other time either -- in times of horrible inequality and university out of reach for ordinary people, like the 30s and oh yes, RIGHT NOW, nobody cares what rich people do with their money, they can turn it into dollars at will, so there'd be no need for it. And yes, it's great that you see how people who "raised themselves" (in class) by their own efforts are deserving, but you know why we need free education at all levels even for people whose parents didn't do that is because they're kids, they're children, even if their parents are an utter waste these are new people and all of us owe them the future because they're going to see it and we aren't.
On the plus side, positive portrayal of non-white characters and Jews. He was really making an effort on that front.
Nevil Shute is dead. I wasn't even born when he wrote this book. I couldn't ever have yelled at him about it. And anyway, I genuinely do love it despite the fact that reading it turns me into a raving 1944 settlement socialist.
Also, a classic example of an utterly readable unputdownable book in which nothing happens. Well, I guess there is a shipwreck. But even so.
But.
It's 1960. And because of what Shute takes to be the horrible socialist government in Britain, British people cannot legally take all their capital (25,000 pounds, at a time where a house in London costs 2000 and 1000 a year is a reasonable private income) out of the country without being taxed on it. But the characters and the authorial voice, think this is wrong, and do it anyway, and getting it back is a lot of what the book is about. But but but -- the reason given, over and over, for getting it back, is so that Janice can have an education. Has it escaped your notice, Mr Shute, that in 1960 if Janice was bright enough to go to Oxford she could have done it without the money? That this was what the taxes were for? So not just lucky Janice but the bright kids who didn't have a rich parent could go to university? The plot doesn't work at any other time either -- in times of horrible inequality and university out of reach for ordinary people, like the 30s and oh yes, RIGHT NOW, nobody cares what rich people do with their money, they can turn it into dollars at will, so there'd be no need for it. And yes, it's great that you see how people who "raised themselves" (in class) by their own efforts are deserving, but you know why we need free education at all levels even for people whose parents didn't do that is because they're kids, they're children, even if their parents are an utter waste these are new people and all of us owe them the future because they're going to see it and we aren't.
On the plus side, positive portrayal of non-white characters and Jews. He was really making an effort on that front.
Nevil Shute is dead. I wasn't even born when he wrote this book. I couldn't ever have yelled at him about it. And anyway, I genuinely do love it despite the fact that reading it turns me into a raving 1944 settlement socialist.
Also, a classic example of an utterly readable unputdownable book in which nothing happens. Well, I guess there is a shipwreck. But even so.
December 28, 2021
Such an uninviting title for a terrific novel. It does fit the story and perhaps when it was written it wouldn't have been a turn off. Anyway, Nevil Shute's name came up recently and I decided to read something by him which I hadn't read yet and I'm so glad that I found this book and looked beyond the title.
I've read many novels by Nevil Shute and this is the first that does not take place during war time. We have the usual Shute set up with a man living his life until something happens and he must go on a journey or take on a task that is risky and way out of his comfort zone. And that is just what happens in this story. He must get to a small island somewhere off the coast of Tahiti but has no idea how to get there. He finds a plane which will take him as close as possible, which is still quite far away, hoping that there will be a boat going to or near the island soon. No such luck. He finds a drunken "sailor" who has a small boat in poor condition without a motor. Given no other options he learns navigation as quickly as possible (the sailor doesn't know navigation) and off they go. I loved this shipboard relationship. Our clever protagonist must take orders from the apparently not so clever skipper. He doesn't mind a bit and finds that the skipper knows something about sailing, he just doesn't use the usual navigational methods. Plus, our protagonist has such a positive and can-do spirit about every obstacle that comes along; he stays calm and figures out what to do whenever a situation arises (and of course situations arise this being a Shute novel).
I loved almost every minute of this story; I say almost because I could have done a bit less with the "toolroom" talk about building instruments and aeronautics, etc. I'll say no more so as not to spoil the story. Let's just say that I had a smile on my face while reading and after turning the last page.
I've read many novels by Nevil Shute and this is the first that does not take place during war time. We have the usual Shute set up with a man living his life until something happens and he must go on a journey or take on a task that is risky and way out of his comfort zone. And that is just what happens in this story. He must get to a small island somewhere off the coast of Tahiti but has no idea how to get there. He finds a plane which will take him as close as possible, which is still quite far away, hoping that there will be a boat going to or near the island soon. No such luck. He finds a drunken "sailor" who has a small boat in poor condition without a motor. Given no other options he learns navigation as quickly as possible (the sailor doesn't know navigation) and off they go. I loved this shipboard relationship. Our clever protagonist must take orders from the apparently not so clever skipper. He doesn't mind a bit and finds that the skipper knows something about sailing, he just doesn't use the usual navigational methods. Plus, our protagonist has such a positive and can-do spirit about every obstacle that comes along; he stays calm and figures out what to do whenever a situation arises (and of course situations arise this being a Shute novel).
I loved almost every minute of this story; I say almost because I could have done a bit less with the "toolroom" talk about building instruments and aeronautics, etc. I'll say no more so as not to spoil the story. Let's just say that I had a smile on my face while reading and after turning the last page.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 2, 2022
Oh My, I must admit that sometimes I just want to hear a good story read by a great narrator. I've been listening to audio books on my daily walks for over 40 years and one of my all time favorite narrators is Frank Muller. His is a voice that can lend enchantment to almost any story. Unfortunately he is no longer alive and finding his books gets harder and harder but every once in awhile I long to hear him again. So I stumbled on this. I'm sure I probably read this long ago as it was published in 1960. I love Nevil Shute and at one time read many of his novels but it was great fun to hear this story read by Muller.
In this the trustee is Keith an engineer who builds tiny engines and models and is so good at it he has many followers in the magazine articles he writes for "The Miniature Mechanic". He is a man who has kept his life small as well but is forced out of his little world and workshop to go find a treasure that belongs to his niece. This quest sends him to the South Seas and back. Along the way he makes and finds many friends who help him along the way and help to make what I can only describe as a, "jolly good story". It was so fun and enjoyable to listen to I finished it in just a few days and it enhanced every bit of my morning walks.
I recommend it highly for both the narrator and the feel good story. It was 5 stars all the way for me and over all too soon.
In this the trustee is Keith an engineer who builds tiny engines and models and is so good at it he has many followers in the magazine articles he writes for "The Miniature Mechanic". He is a man who has kept his life small as well but is forced out of his little world and workshop to go find a treasure that belongs to his niece. This quest sends him to the South Seas and back. Along the way he makes and finds many friends who help him along the way and help to make what I can only describe as a, "jolly good story". It was so fun and enjoyable to listen to I finished it in just a few days and it enhanced every bit of my morning walks.
I recommend it highly for both the narrator and the feel good story. It was 5 stars all the way for me and over all too soon.
September 9, 2011
A personal note:
Before reading this book, my only exposure to the works of Nevil Shute had been watching the delightful movie A Town Like Alice. I used to watch that movie over and over as a kid, especially whenever my father (who has a workaholics dream job) had a little time to spend with me. Nevil Shute has always been one of his favorite authors and as such, that movie has always been a source of fond feelings. This month, I have a rare opportunity to spend time with my dad, as he's taking a rare vacation to go to the Shute convention in Seattle and he wanted me to come along. So this week I started reading this book.
And now, down to the review:
From the size of Shute's books, I figured that it was going to be a light read, amusing probably, but not very engaging. Boy was I wrong! I just finished Trustee From the Tool Room and I'm going to have to start my next Shute book right away. His writing style is concise - he wastes no words and yet manages to describe things thoroughly. His characters are engaging and believable. I found them to be intelligent, with their own strengths and weaknesses. It's rare to find an author who can ensure that though his character's may know a lot in a field of their interest (engineering in this case) it does not mean that they know everything on the subject and are super-human like most books. All characters are treated with sympathy for personal faults, understanding of their limitations and pride for their strengths. Shute is quick to point out that there are many ways to overcome obstacles, and the simple act of doing your job professionally, competently and courteously can have long reaching effects on other people and help in a time of need.
Keith Stewart is the main character - a sensible average British citizen who has never gone far in life in either distance or career. However, though he has little money and little experience outside his town and job he's quite happy. When his wealthy sister and brother-in-law ask him to take care of their daughter for a few months while they settle into a new home in Canada - he readily agrees. When they're both killed in a horrible accident, Keith finds himself the new Trustee of their fortune until his niece is old enough to claim it. When he finds out the fortune has mysteriously gone missing, cash strapped Keith must travel halfway across the world to try and recover his niece's fortune for her - no matter the danger.
The story is written in the British fashion, understated but highly enjoyable. Even the parts that go into engineering difficulties are accessible to the average reader. I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys relaxing reads about average people forced out of their comfort zone. Not the fastest paced novel out there, but the way Shute writes, he managed to keep me interested even so.
Before reading this book, my only exposure to the works of Nevil Shute had been watching the delightful movie A Town Like Alice. I used to watch that movie over and over as a kid, especially whenever my father (who has a workaholics dream job) had a little time to spend with me. Nevil Shute has always been one of his favorite authors and as such, that movie has always been a source of fond feelings. This month, I have a rare opportunity to spend time with my dad, as he's taking a rare vacation to go to the Shute convention in Seattle and he wanted me to come along. So this week I started reading this book.
And now, down to the review:
From the size of Shute's books, I figured that it was going to be a light read, amusing probably, but not very engaging. Boy was I wrong! I just finished Trustee From the Tool Room and I'm going to have to start my next Shute book right away. His writing style is concise - he wastes no words and yet manages to describe things thoroughly. His characters are engaging and believable. I found them to be intelligent, with their own strengths and weaknesses. It's rare to find an author who can ensure that though his character's may know a lot in a field of their interest (engineering in this case) it does not mean that they know everything on the subject and are super-human like most books. All characters are treated with sympathy for personal faults, understanding of their limitations and pride for their strengths. Shute is quick to point out that there are many ways to overcome obstacles, and the simple act of doing your job professionally, competently and courteously can have long reaching effects on other people and help in a time of need.
Keith Stewart is the main character - a sensible average British citizen who has never gone far in life in either distance or career. However, though he has little money and little experience outside his town and job he's quite happy. When his wealthy sister and brother-in-law ask him to take care of their daughter for a few months while they settle into a new home in Canada - he readily agrees. When they're both killed in a horrible accident, Keith finds himself the new Trustee of their fortune until his niece is old enough to claim it. When he finds out the fortune has mysteriously gone missing, cash strapped Keith must travel halfway across the world to try and recover his niece's fortune for her - no matter the danger.
The story is written in the British fashion, understated but highly enjoyable. Even the parts that go into engineering difficulties are accessible to the average reader. I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys relaxing reads about average people forced out of their comfort zone. Not the fastest paced novel out there, but the way Shute writes, he managed to keep me interested even so.
July 4, 2010
I think the reason I liked this book so much, is that like Remainder, it's a book about logistics. A very complicated thing needs to happen (In this case, a mild-mannered engineer who has never left England needs to get to a tiny island near Tahiti) and the book is about how people find creative solutions to get it done. For some reason, I am completely fascinated by this kind of story. Maybe it's all the years I spent playing "initiative games" at camp?
This is not the best book ever written. The style is kind of clunky, and the attitudes to women, ethnic groups, etc. are outdated as you might expect for a book written in 1960.
HOWEVER, I'm giving it 5 stars because while I was reading it, I didn't want to be doing anything else.
Some people would also probably hate the huge sections of technical details about sailing and building miniature engines and airplane design and sawmill construction and on and on, but I actually like that kind of stuff.
Thanks for recommending it, Liz!
This is not the best book ever written. The style is kind of clunky, and the attitudes to women, ethnic groups, etc. are outdated as you might expect for a book written in 1960.
HOWEVER, I'm giving it 5 stars because while I was reading it, I didn't want to be doing anything else.
Some people would also probably hate the huge sections of technical details about sailing and building miniature engines and airplane design and sawmill construction and on and on, but I actually like that kind of stuff.
Thanks for recommending it, Liz!
February 23, 2013
The #9 bestseller from 1960 took me completely by surprise. The title invoked boredom and also made little sense. But On The Beach, Shute's bestseller from 1957, had made a big impression on me and gave me hope.
The trustee of the title is Keith Stewart, one of those unprepossessing fellows from postwar England who bumbles along, doesn't expect much, but is an honest and honorable sort. These days he would be considered a world class nerd.
In his basement workshop he makes miniature models of engines, clocks, motorcycles, etc, carefully milling and lathing his own machine parts. He also writes a column for a niche magazine, the "Miniature Mechanic." Though he receives letter from all over the world and conscientiously answers every one, his take home pay is as minuscule as his models.
Then, in the way of any good story, upheaval arrives when his sister and her fairly wealthy husband perish at sea, leaving Keith and his long suffering but supremely practical wife as guardians for their nine-year-old niece. Keith is also named trustee for the little girl's inheritance which turns out to include a valuable stash of diamonds lost on a corral island near Hawaii.
Soon enough this man who has never left England and rarely ventures from his hometown, has an adventure by air and sea the likes of which he had never imagined. Somehow, despite the unlikelihood of several coincidences, the story hooked me.
It is one of those tales where uprightness and hard work pay off. In our current world where dishonesty pays until it doesn't, where our heroes usually turn out to be false, I fell for the heartwarming simplicity of a guy who faces hardship to do the right thing and who, because he is skilled and clever and willing to go every extra mile required, wins in the end.
I made my husband read it. He is an engineer of sorts himself and a practical guy. It brought a tear to his one good eye, as we like to say about him when he (rarely) gets emotional, and pronounced it great.
The trustee of the title is Keith Stewart, one of those unprepossessing fellows from postwar England who bumbles along, doesn't expect much, but is an honest and honorable sort. These days he would be considered a world class nerd.
In his basement workshop he makes miniature models of engines, clocks, motorcycles, etc, carefully milling and lathing his own machine parts. He also writes a column for a niche magazine, the "Miniature Mechanic." Though he receives letter from all over the world and conscientiously answers every one, his take home pay is as minuscule as his models.
Then, in the way of any good story, upheaval arrives when his sister and her fairly wealthy husband perish at sea, leaving Keith and his long suffering but supremely practical wife as guardians for their nine-year-old niece. Keith is also named trustee for the little girl's inheritance which turns out to include a valuable stash of diamonds lost on a corral island near Hawaii.
Soon enough this man who has never left England and rarely ventures from his hometown, has an adventure by air and sea the likes of which he had never imagined. Somehow, despite the unlikelihood of several coincidences, the story hooked me.
It is one of those tales where uprightness and hard work pay off. In our current world where dishonesty pays until it doesn't, where our heroes usually turn out to be false, I fell for the heartwarming simplicity of a guy who faces hardship to do the right thing and who, because he is skilled and clever and willing to go every extra mile required, wins in the end.
I made my husband read it. He is an engineer of sorts himself and a practical guy. It brought a tear to his one good eye, as we like to say about him when he (rarely) gets emotional, and pronounced it great.
May 7, 2020
5/6/2020 - Just finished another re-read ... some moist eyes from being with a wonderful character again.
***
'Trustee ...' has the highest average rating of Shute's books on Goodreads.
It's the last book Nevil Shute wrote. For me, it's his best.
Many positive and informative reviews have been posted.
***
Here's how it starts :
"West Ealing is a suburb to the west of London, and Keith Stewart lives there in lower part of No. 56 Somerset Road. No. 56 is an unusual house and a peculiarly ugly one ..."
Keith is a cherished old fictional friend, one of the special ones.
***
On about re-read #5, I noted this quote :
"He traced the route from Panama to Tahiti with his finger ... 'That's right,' he said. 'It is a long way.' He studied the longitudes with an eye well accustomed to calculations. 'It's--it's seventy-five degrees. That's more than a fifth of the way round the world.' He checked the figures in in wonder."
***
(The French freighter I rode from Sydney to Panama with stops in the New Hebrides, to load copra, Tahiti, and the Marquesas, served horrible red wine, and didn't feed the dozen of us in the forward cabins' very well, but there was a tiny steel swimming pool bolted to the forward deck. And the bow area was often unoccupied for hours. Still have mental images of the flying fish, sea turtles, etc. And playing chess with the Dane ... a man not speaking English but exceptional in his chess, usually having his little board and pieces set on the tiny deck table.)
February 5, 2011
My very favorite Nevil Shute novel. A seemingly simple man who writes articles about scale models must go on a quest. To say it simply, he must retrieve valuable gems from a ship-wrecked boat to support his niece. There are many adventures on the way to Polynesia (I think) andhe discovers that his life is not so small, after all. It's a quiet novel, no villains, but such a read. I have been looking for my own copy for years. Pick one up for me if you ever see one.
Update...just got the Kindle copy. Ever so good. I enjoyed it all the more. Go...interlibrary loan it, read it. You'll enjoy this simple tale.
Update...just got the Kindle copy. Ever so good. I enjoyed it all the more. Go...interlibrary loan it, read it. You'll enjoy this simple tale.
November 21, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Trustee from the Toolroom is my third Nevil Shute in three years. And it’s even more special when you’re buddy reading with a friend. I’ve found an author I really enjoy who has many novels to his credit. In fact, this one was his last novel and it was published posthumously.
The setting is late 50’s/early 60’s in England. Keith and Joanna are brother and sister. Joanna married a naval officer and Keith married a shop girl. Keith and his wife have no children but have a very compatible and loving relationship. Joanna and her man have one daughter. Upon a forced early retirement the sister and brother-in-law, who are quite financially successful, decide they are going on a whirlwind sailing adventure with hopes of finally settling on the western coast of British Columbia. They ask Keith and Kate to keep Janice for them until they send for her.
That’s how this story begins. Keith is an accomplished engineer who’s never been out of England and is a writer for a magazine for engineering buffs. His salary is nothing to write home about, but he’s living his dream building miniature machinery in his basement workshop. They don’t blink twice assuming care of their nine year old niece. And of course the unthinkable happens.
Such a great story. I read and listened. The narrator was Frank Muller who unfortunately passed away in 2007. The narration was excellent.
Thank you, Val for reading with me. Hope there are more buddy reads in our future.
Goodreads 2025 Challenge - Book #106 of 115
Trustee from the Toolroom is my third Nevil Shute in three years. And it’s even more special when you’re buddy reading with a friend. I’ve found an author I really enjoy who has many novels to his credit. In fact, this one was his last novel and it was published posthumously.
The setting is late 50’s/early 60’s in England. Keith and Joanna are brother and sister. Joanna married a naval officer and Keith married a shop girl. Keith and his wife have no children but have a very compatible and loving relationship. Joanna and her man have one daughter. Upon a forced early retirement the sister and brother-in-law, who are quite financially successful, decide they are going on a whirlwind sailing adventure with hopes of finally settling on the western coast of British Columbia. They ask Keith and Kate to keep Janice for them until they send for her.
That’s how this story begins. Keith is an accomplished engineer who’s never been out of England and is a writer for a magazine for engineering buffs. His salary is nothing to write home about, but he’s living his dream building miniature machinery in his basement workshop. They don’t blink twice assuming care of their nine year old niece. And of course the unthinkable happens.
Such a great story. I read and listened. The narrator was Frank Muller who unfortunately passed away in 2007. The narration was excellent.
Thank you, Val for reading with me. Hope there are more buddy reads in our future.
Goodreads 2025 Challenge - Book #106 of 115
August 13, 2012
This is my second favorite Nevil Shute story, after "A Town Like Alice."
My Dad flew full-sized airplanes and sailplanes, and also model airplanes; especially small rubber-band powered "Peanut" scale airplanes. He was known among the world-wide model airplane community as the "Ol' Professor" for the informative quality he incorporated into his numerous scale model airplane designs and instructions.
My Dad and Keith Stewart were so alike that many of his friends would point out the similarity between the two of them after they discovered this Nevil Shute tale of a supremely contented designer and model builder, who journeys from England to a deserted South Pacific atoll to keep faith with his dead sister and brother-in-law and return with his neice's inheritance from the wreckage of their sailboat.
Like Keith Stewart, my Father was always "perfectly, supremely, happy" with the way his work and his hobbies meshed together.
My Dad flew full-sized airplanes and sailplanes, and also model airplanes; especially small rubber-band powered "Peanut" scale airplanes. He was known among the world-wide model airplane community as the "Ol' Professor" for the informative quality he incorporated into his numerous scale model airplane designs and instructions.
My Dad and Keith Stewart were so alike that many of his friends would point out the similarity between the two of them after they discovered this Nevil Shute tale of a supremely contented designer and model builder, who journeys from England to a deserted South Pacific atoll to keep faith with his dead sister and brother-in-law and return with his neice's inheritance from the wreckage of their sailboat.
Like Keith Stewart, my Father was always "perfectly, supremely, happy" with the way his work and his hobbies meshed together.
November 29, 2014
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 23, 2025
This was the second of Shute's books I've read and I enjoyed very nearly as much as that first. Charming, engrossing, funny and very human.
May 9, 2024
This is nothing less than a modern fairy tale and truly wonderful from start to finish.
I read this book simply because I love the audio books narrated by Frank Muller. I had never heard of Nevil Shute nor of this novel but I was willing to give it a go on the strength of Frank Muller’s reading. I love tearing through a book on audio on my two hour bike rides and walks around the city. When I return home I find the spot on my eBook and continue which allowed me to finish this in a couple days.
This is such an odd little story, a narrative of vast technical scope and a plot driven by a simple yet somewhat outlandish concept.
I was just about ready to put this down when the story took a drastic change. A couple go on a sea voyage on a private sailing yacht. I was a bit of a sailor myself so I was mesmerized by this passage with all of its technical jargon and his incredible description of a hurricane and the terrors that this involves for sailors. It was one of the best passages about sailing that I've ever encountered.
I read this book simply because I love the audio books narrated by Frank Muller. I had never heard of Nevil Shute nor of this novel but I was willing to give it a go on the strength of Frank Muller’s reading. I love tearing through a book on audio on my two hour bike rides and walks around the city. When I return home I find the spot on my eBook and continue which allowed me to finish this in a couple days.
This is such an odd little story, a narrative of vast technical scope and a plot driven by a simple yet somewhat outlandish concept.
I was just about ready to put this down when the story took a drastic change. A couple go on a sea voyage on a private sailing yacht. I was a bit of a sailor myself so I was mesmerized by this passage with all of its technical jargon and his incredible description of a hurricane and the terrors that this involves for sailors. It was one of the best passages about sailing that I've ever encountered.
April 20, 2025
Have you ever discovered a writer and then proceeded to read everything they've ever written? Kind of like falling in love i suppose.
I discovered Nevil Shute a few years back and this is the sixth (i think) book of his i've read and i've thoroughly enjoyed them all. It is a mystery to me why Shute is somewhat neglected these days, his books are great.
In this novel Nevil Shute manages to combine family saga, engineering manual, epic sea journeys and a meditation on life all in one entertaining package. No small achievement. This is the story of a simple man, a humble man, who undertakes a great duty on behalf of his orphaned niece and discovers the wider world and the people in it.
I loved every minute of this and would highly recommend it to anyone. I will continue to work my way through the back catalogue of Nevil Shute's work and when i finish it i will be deeply satisfied but also somewhat sad to have exhausted such a great writer.
I discovered Nevil Shute a few years back and this is the sixth (i think) book of his i've read and i've thoroughly enjoyed them all. It is a mystery to me why Shute is somewhat neglected these days, his books are great.
In this novel Nevil Shute manages to combine family saga, engineering manual, epic sea journeys and a meditation on life all in one entertaining package. No small achievement. This is the story of a simple man, a humble man, who undertakes a great duty on behalf of his orphaned niece and discovers the wider world and the people in it.
I loved every minute of this and would highly recommend it to anyone. I will continue to work my way through the back catalogue of Nevil Shute's work and when i finish it i will be deeply satisfied but also somewhat sad to have exhausted such a great writer.
August 19, 2023
Keith Stewart is an unassuming engineer living in England with his wife. His hobby is model making, and he writes about it for a magazine. His life is rather uneventful until a tragedy strikes. The tragedy leads him to undertake a long journey. Along the way, he receives help from people who have enjoyed his magazine articles. It was published in 1960 and reflects the technologies of the time period. Nevil Shute is skilled at portraying “regular people” with positive character traits. Keith Stewart is one such individual. He is a man of integrity doing the best he can with few resources for a good cause. It is easy to root for him to succeed. This is a feel-good story, and a nice break between heavier reads. It contains many details about sailing and engineering. These topics add texture to the story without overwhelming it. It reads almost like a fairy tale or a myth featuring a regular guy rather than a “hero.” There are a few elements that seem rather far-fetched, but it is engaging and entertaining.
November 24, 2014
I loved this book! There is nothing special about it, but it tells the story of very ordinary people rising to the occasion and doing what needs to be done. What that shows about their characters, plus the detailed information about mechanical engineering and sailing and logging and international politics made it un-put-downable for me. I can't wait to read it all over again!
May 30, 2022
Trustee From the Toolroom was Nevil Shute's last book. It tells the tale of a mild mannered, unremarkable man who made a remarkable journey to fulfill his responsibility as trustee for his niece.
In addition to being a gifted writer of adventure, historical fiction, post-apocalyptic and many other novels, Shute was an engineer, a pilot, the owner of an aircraft company, a designer of secret weapons for the British during World War II, a sailor and a pilot. All these vocations, hobbies and interests find a way into his books. Even though I am not a sailor or pilot or have any engineering knowledge, I find all these elements in his books fascinating. They never drag on too long or become boring.
Keith Roberts, a mild mannered Scots-Englishman who loves creating miniature mechanical models and writing about them, lives with his wife, Katie, in West Ealing, England. He has never been outside of Britain, but is suddenly thrust into an amazing adventure, a journey to Tahiti and an outlying island in the Tuamotus to rescue a treasure of diamonds. This book was a page turner (even though much of the help Keith got along the way seemed a bit too convenient.)
Shute was a champion of the middle and lower classes. You can tell he despised the class system and I think he may have had some issues with the Royal Navy as well. He also loved telling the stories of self-made men. In this book two American multi-millionaires, industrial titans, who started from the ground up, play prominent roles in the story. One in particular helps Keith complete his adventure and fulfill his duty as trustee.
This was a wonderful story of an ordinary, decent man, leading an unremarkable, quiet life, thrust into the adventure of his life and succeeding - one of Nevil Shute's best!
In addition to being a gifted writer of adventure, historical fiction, post-apocalyptic and many other novels, Shute was an engineer, a pilot, the owner of an aircraft company, a designer of secret weapons for the British during World War II, a sailor and a pilot. All these vocations, hobbies and interests find a way into his books. Even though I am not a sailor or pilot or have any engineering knowledge, I find all these elements in his books fascinating. They never drag on too long or become boring.
Keith Roberts, a mild mannered Scots-Englishman who loves creating miniature mechanical models and writing about them, lives with his wife, Katie, in West Ealing, England. He has never been outside of Britain, but is suddenly thrust into an amazing adventure, a journey to Tahiti and an outlying island in the Tuamotus to rescue a treasure of diamonds. This book was a page turner (even though much of the help Keith got along the way seemed a bit too convenient.)
Shute was a champion of the middle and lower classes. You can tell he despised the class system and I think he may have had some issues with the Royal Navy as well. He also loved telling the stories of self-made men. In this book two American multi-millionaires, industrial titans, who started from the ground up, play prominent roles in the story. One in particular helps Keith complete his adventure and fulfill his duty as trustee.
This was a wonderful story of an ordinary, decent man, leading an unremarkable, quiet life, thrust into the adventure of his life and succeeding - one of Nevil Shute's best!
April 18, 2021
I think I have now read all of Shute's books and this might be one of my favorites. So many fabulous corny things that defy credulity and a few extra turns that seemed beside the point, but such a good read.
March 16, 2022
Reading a new (only for me as Nevil Shute has been dead since 1960) book by Shute is like putting on a cardigan, comfy pj's and slippers and cozying up on the couch. It's comforting, even though astounding things can happen. Trustee from the Toolroom was Shute's last book. As soon as I started reading it, I fell comfortably into the fantastic world that he created for my reading enjoyment.
Like many of Shute's stories, it focuses on a normal, unassuming man (or woman) who finds him/ herself involved in a situation so far out of his comfort zone that you find yourself following him, holding your breath to see how it will resolve. Now, I'm not saying that it's page after page of heart-stopping action. Because it isn't that. It's just that you find yourself amazed at how this mild-mannered person deals with this situation so out of his comfort zone.
Keith Stewart is a middle-aged Englishman living in London in the 1960's. Many years ago he gave up his wartime job as a rigger at an aircraft factory and now works from home, creating miniature engines and such and writing articles for a magazine called Miniature Mechanic. The magazine is shipped to people around the world who try to create Keith's designs and correspond with him. He makes little money and his wife makes a bit more so they can live a relatively comfortable life, nothing extravagant. They have never really traveled and live very insular lives.
Keith sister, Jo and her husband, an ex-Navy officer have decided to travel by sailing boat to Vancouver. They ask Keith and Katie to look after their young daughter, Janice until they get settled. They die on the way. So that's the basic story, except that as well, they have designated Keith and Katie as trustees to their daughter. They had Keith install a jewelry box in concrete in the hull of their ship; Janice's inheritance. Keith decides that if they are to ensure Janice the life she deserves, he needs to get the jewels.
This leads to Keith journeying to Tahiti, with little to no money to try and achieve his aim. This is the crux of this fascinating story. There are so many rich elements that develop. Keith might seem an ordinary man who lives on his street, but we gradually discover hidden elements to him that make him more and more interesting and also links to so many people around the world, that even he doesn't realize. Like all of the other stories by Shute that I've read, I was instantly drawn into the characters and the story and ultimately so satisfied with the ending. If you've never read anything by Shute, you are missing out on one of the great story tellers. (4 stars)
Like many of Shute's stories, it focuses on a normal, unassuming man (or woman) who finds him/ herself involved in a situation so far out of his comfort zone that you find yourself following him, holding your breath to see how it will resolve. Now, I'm not saying that it's page after page of heart-stopping action. Because it isn't that. It's just that you find yourself amazed at how this mild-mannered person deals with this situation so out of his comfort zone.
Keith Stewart is a middle-aged Englishman living in London in the 1960's. Many years ago he gave up his wartime job as a rigger at an aircraft factory and now works from home, creating miniature engines and such and writing articles for a magazine called Miniature Mechanic. The magazine is shipped to people around the world who try to create Keith's designs and correspond with him. He makes little money and his wife makes a bit more so they can live a relatively comfortable life, nothing extravagant. They have never really traveled and live very insular lives.
Keith sister, Jo and her husband, an ex-Navy officer have decided to travel by sailing boat to Vancouver. They ask Keith and Katie to look after their young daughter, Janice until they get settled. They die on the way. So that's the basic story, except that as well, they have designated Keith and Katie as trustees to their daughter. They had Keith install a jewelry box in concrete in the hull of their ship; Janice's inheritance. Keith decides that if they are to ensure Janice the life she deserves, he needs to get the jewels.
This leads to Keith journeying to Tahiti, with little to no money to try and achieve his aim. This is the crux of this fascinating story. There are so many rich elements that develop. Keith might seem an ordinary man who lives on his street, but we gradually discover hidden elements to him that make him more and more interesting and also links to so many people around the world, that even he doesn't realize. Like all of the other stories by Shute that I've read, I was instantly drawn into the characters and the story and ultimately so satisfied with the ending. If you've never read anything by Shute, you are missing out on one of the great story tellers. (4 stars)
October 6, 2016
What a wonderful treat. In this story, people are happy and kind and reliable even though this is written at a time when the public had been through both World Wars, the Great Depression, and post-war rationing. I've seen "do what you love, the money will follow" happen to people so I don't think this story is crazy. In fact, a less exaggerated version of this is what happens systematically when society more or less functions properly instead of hyper-rewarding cheaters.
Accessory rant:
Book critics today seem to give prizes for depressing dross where everyone is whiney or evil and the "sentences are beautiful." This is all part of the surface over substance cultural disease. Nihilism and meaninglessness are not forms of sophistication.
Accessory rant:
Book critics today seem to give prizes for depressing dross where everyone is whiney or evil and the "sentences are beautiful." This is all part of the surface over substance cultural disease. Nihilism and meaninglessness are not forms of sophistication.
May 20, 2017
3.5 stars. Shute's novels have become a kind of literary comfort food for me. There's something dependable and relaxing about his quiet, solid style and down-to-earth characters, and even the multitude of technical and mechanical details usually found in his stories.
February 20, 2017
I'm a Nevil Shute fan so my rating is really in relation to other Shute novels - I liked it but it really isn't one of my favorites. It's so methodical and detailed in it's slow progression of actions. Our hero Keith Stewart is a simple man and the book walks through every step he takes over the better part of year after his sister and brother in law are killed in a boat crash. (Actually that boat crash was a pretty good section and was a bit of a diversion from the rest of the book's tone.)
But what I found interesting was that multiple times Shute talks about Stewart in terms of being satisfied by a simpler life without money. "He would have made more money in a toolroom progressing up from the charge-hand to the foreman; he would have made more money as an instructor in a technical college. He would not have made more happiness than he had now attained." This theme is repeated through out the book and others are aghast at how little money he makes etc. Since the action of the book is driven by his quest for a treasure that sunk with his sister's boat I wonder if this is emphasized to show that he was doing it for his niece and not out of greed or if Shute is really trying to promote a minimalist lifestyle.
Either way, the book was enjoyable but fell a bit flat for me.
But what I found interesting was that multiple times Shute talks about Stewart in terms of being satisfied by a simpler life without money. "He would have made more money in a toolroom progressing up from the charge-hand to the foreman; he would have made more money as an instructor in a technical college. He would not have made more happiness than he had now attained." This theme is repeated through out the book and others are aghast at how little money he makes etc. Since the action of the book is driven by his quest for a treasure that sunk with his sister's boat I wonder if this is emphasized to show that he was doing it for his niece and not out of greed or if Shute is really trying to promote a minimalist lifestyle.
Either way, the book was enjoyable but fell a bit flat for me.
October 16, 2011
I was lucky enough to stumble across a box containing all 24 of Nevil Shute's novels in paperback. After putting them all in copyright date order, I have been able to read my way through most of his books while "watching" him progress as a writer. Such fun!
March 12, 2023
Another subtly entertaining tale from the engineer/author Nevil Shute, the last of his career and published posthumously. Like several of his novels, this one involves machines/engineering/mechanics and centers on an expedition by someone. The protagonist is Keith Stewart, an unassuming English engineer/mechanic who writes articles for Miniature Mechanic magazine and is especially appreciated for his creation of mechanical machine models, which are then built as a hobby by many of the magazine subscribers. He, with his devoted wife Katie, becomes the titled “Trustee” for his young niece when his sister and brother-in-law die in a plane crash in the South Seas, The story is about his expedition that he feels he needs to make to fulfill his responsibilities as trustee. The specific details about the why and how of the expedition are best left to the reader to discover.
This is a wonderfully creative plot that is a very rewarding read. I was smiling often during the book, especially during the instances when Stewart runs into fellow mechanical geeks, and they express their regard for his modelling work. In that world, this unassuming little man is a giant, and it is great to see his appreciation and world-wide fame in that world. At almost every stage of Stewart’s trek, he meets various and interesting characters, all well-drawn. An odd-ball, self-reliant American sailor named Jack Donnelly is especially memorable, as is his romantic life.
Although this is not nearly as emotionally stirring as A Town Like Alice, Shute did manage to get my eyes watering again. Besides that instance, though, the overall tone of this book is definitely upbeat, and I did smile through much of it. While some passages may have been a bit over-technical, they were short and didn’t greatly impair the overall easy flow of the read.
Shute wrote an excellent book to leave to the world at the time of his departure from us.
Immediately after finishing the book, I considered this a borderline 5-star book and chose to 'round down' my rating to 4 stars. After evaluating all of my year's read at the end of 2022, I rated this as my 6th favorite book of the year. As that is out of the more than 100 books I read in 2022, I think I'll put this book on the other side of the border as it is worthy of a 5-star rating.
This is a wonderfully creative plot that is a very rewarding read. I was smiling often during the book, especially during the instances when Stewart runs into fellow mechanical geeks, and they express their regard for his modelling work. In that world, this unassuming little man is a giant, and it is great to see his appreciation and world-wide fame in that world. At almost every stage of Stewart’s trek, he meets various and interesting characters, all well-drawn. An odd-ball, self-reliant American sailor named Jack Donnelly is especially memorable, as is his romantic life.
Although this is not nearly as emotionally stirring as A Town Like Alice, Shute did manage to get my eyes watering again. Besides that instance, though, the overall tone of this book is definitely upbeat, and I did smile through much of it. While some passages may have been a bit over-technical, they were short and didn’t greatly impair the overall easy flow of the read.
Shute wrote an excellent book to leave to the world at the time of his departure from us.
Immediately after finishing the book, I considered this a borderline 5-star book and chose to 'round down' my rating to 4 stars. After evaluating all of my year's read at the end of 2022, I rated this as my 6th favorite book of the year. As that is out of the more than 100 books I read in 2022, I think I'll put this book on the other side of the border as it is worthy of a 5-star rating.
June 18, 2015
Nevil Shute is my all time favorite author. His stories and characters are just wonderful. Very easy reading and you don't want the story to end.
This one is about Keith Stewart who lives quietly in suburban London, working free-lance for a model mechanic magazine. His sister and brother-in-law have him hide a jewel box aboard their sailboat just before they emigrate to Vancouver. But when the ship goes down in the South Pacific with them aboard, Keith must not only raise their young daughter, but must seek to retrieve the jewel box from the wreck.
He has never been outside of England before so faces many difficulties but people all along his path are quite willing to help him and he helps them also.
This one is about Keith Stewart who lives quietly in suburban London, working free-lance for a model mechanic magazine. His sister and brother-in-law have him hide a jewel box aboard their sailboat just before they emigrate to Vancouver. But when the ship goes down in the South Pacific with them aboard, Keith must not only raise their young daughter, but must seek to retrieve the jewel box from the wreck.
He has never been outside of England before so faces many difficulties but people all along his path are quite willing to help him and he helps them also.
September 15, 2024
Nevil Shute may not be the most technically competent novelist but boy, what a storyteller!
September 21, 2017
What a pleasant surprise this novel was! Beginning to read without expectations or even a kind of unpleasant memory of
helped me appreciate this. Don't let the "popular mechanics" aspect deter you from enjoying this wonderful story.
helped me appreciate this. Don't let the "popular mechanics" aspect deter you from enjoying this wonderful story.Displaying 1 - 30 of 725 reviews