{"product_id":"2026200015555-secondhand-for-the-term-of-his-natural-life","title":"For The Term Of His Natural Life","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition remarks:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBook: Good\u003cbr\u003eJacket: No dust jacket\u003cbr\u003ePages: Yellowed\u003cbr\u003eCondition remarks: Condition as shown in image\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOne of the most harrowing and enduring works in Australian literary history, For the Term of His Natural Life chronicles the brutal ordeal of Rufus Dawes, an English nobleman unjustly transported to the convict settlements of Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) in the nineteenth century. Marcus Clarke's unflinching narrative immerses the reader in the savage penal colonies of Port Arthur and Macquarie Harbour, where Dawes endures unspeakable cruelties at the hands of sadistic overseers, corrupt officials, and a merciless colonial system — all while concealing a devastating secret about his true identity that could set him free.\n\nClarke constructs a sweeping moral epic that argues passionately against the barbarism of convict transportation, drawing on meticulous historical research to expose the systemic inhumanity sanctioned by the British Empire. First serialised in the *Australian Journal* between 1870 and 1872, the novel stands as a cornerstone of Australian literature, its Dickensian scope and gothic intensity placing it alongside the great social protest novels of the Victorian era. This edition — the only complete illustrated edition — presents Clarke's full, unabridged vision, making it an essential acquisition for any serious reader who dares confront the dark foundations upon which a nation was built.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Secondhand Stock","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49203199607003,"sku":"2026200015555-SECONDHAND","price":12.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0523\/7646\/9701\/files\/3e8a60af-9738-499c-a489-9c98c31c634f.png?v=1788145489","url":"https:\/\/bookgrocer.com\/products\/2026200015555-secondhand-for-the-term-of-his-natural-life","provider":"Book Grocer","version":"1.0","type":"link"}