For the Term of His Natural Life

Perhaps Australia's most significant and most famous 19th-century colonial novel, For the Term of His Natural Life is a narrative of great suffering-of whips, chains, and man's inhumanity. There is no attempt to soften the truth of the degradation and cruelty in convict Australia. Yet the novel is peopled with vivid characters—Rufus Dawes, condemned to transportation for a crime he did not commit, is one of the most unforgettable characters in Australian literature.

Set in the colonial Australia, For the Term of His Natural Life is a powerful tale of human brutality and enduring love. Marcus Clarke peoples his novel with some of the most memorable characters in literature. Rufus Dawes, a man condemned to transportation for a murder he did not commit. Sylvia Vickers, loved by Rufus Dawes, and married to the sadistic jailer Maurice Frere. Shrewd Sarah Purfoy who risks everything for the murderer John Rex. As memorable as Victor Hugo's Les Miserables, For the Term of His Natural Life is a classic across time and borders. For the Term of His Natural Life has achieved widespread international acclaim and deserves to be called a classic.