While the Billy Boils

Name: While the Billy Boils
Author: Henry Lawson

While the Billy Boils is a collection of stories by Henry Lawson that vividly depicts the lives of Australian bushmen, exploring themes of hardship, camaraderie, and the struggles inherent in rural life. Through rich storytelling, Lawson captures the essence of the bush and the resilience of its inhabitants.

By Henry Lawson · First published 1896 · Genre: Short Stories, Realism, Literary Fiction · 52 chapters · 101,799 words

First lines

You remember when we hurried home from the old bush school how we were sometimes startled by a bearded apparition, who smiled kindly down on us, and whom our mother introduced, as we raked off our hats, as "An old mate of your father's on the diggings, Johnny. " And he would pat our heads and say we were fine boys, or girls -- as the case may have been -- and that we had our father's nose but our mother's eyes, or the other way about; and say that the baby was the dead spit of its mother, and then added, for father's benefit: "But yet he's like you, Tom. " It did seem strange to the children to hear him address the old man by his Christian name -- considering that the mother always referred to him as "Father. " She called the old mate Mr. So-and-so, and father called him Bill, or something to that effect.

What this Textopian page supports

While the Billy Boils is listed on Textopian as a novel by Henry Lawson, dated 1896 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

Work type: Novel
Author: Henry Lawson
Date: 1896 CE
Language: English
Genres: Short Stories, Realism, Literary Fiction, Regional Literature, Naturalism
Length: 101,799 words
Structure: 52 chapters, 1,946 paragraphs
Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)

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Similar titles

Genres

Short Stories — The book is a collection of short stories that depict Australian life and culture.
Realism — The stories portray realistic depictions of the struggles and experiences of rural Australians.
Literary Fiction — The work focuses on character development and thematic depth, characteristic of literary fiction.
Regional Literature — The narratives are deeply rooted in the Australian landscape and social context.