The North Water by Ian McGuireMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
The cover of this book drew me in even more than the fact that it's now been nominated for the Booker longlist. The ominous look of a ship caught in inclement weather with the threat of whales and danger surrounding it is quite an apt summary of this book.
I've never read anything by this author before, but 'The North Water' is a vivid and compelling tale. It is the first of the 2016 Booker nominees that I actually revelled in reading. The book is an account of the voyages of The Volunteer, a whaling ship, trying its best to make a good catch late into the season.
We follow surgeon Sumner, a young man just back from India, desperate to make some money and sustain himself. Him taking this position on this ship is beneath him, and he is reminded of this fact by many of his crewmates. But, instead of alienating himself from them, he tries his best to fit in. Trouble is, he has secrets to keep, secrets that will come back to haunt him.
The first two acts of the book are essentially a murder mystery, one that is derailed by poor planning. The identity of the criminal is given to us in the beginning, which detracts from the investigation carried out by Sumner. Had the first act been written as is but without the name of the eventual culprit, we would have had a breathtaking mystery to solve.
But that was not the author's intent, and it shows. The author's intent was to shine a light on the difficulties of nineteenth-century whaling. And hence the entire third act is devoted to the same. And this is the act that brings down the book. What should have been a five-star book, gets only three stars because the last act is overlong, tedious and at times ridiculous. Where two-thirds of the book was marked by its realism and grit, the final part descends into fantasy and mysticism.
Add to that you have a protagonist who is invincible. Nothing can kill him even though he suffers an incredible amount. There's no end to what Sumner goes through - if it has to happen, it will happen to him. Which makes it all even more ludicrous.
The writing is superb. The descriptions are detailed and thorough, so much so that you often can't stand what you're reading, it is so vile. Yet, there is no denying what a vivid picture it all draws. This world is rich and alive through the author's words.
You will sense a feeling of familiarity when reading this book. There is an underlying tone of classic novel 'Moby Dick' as well as the 'The Revenant' and the film 'The Heart of the Sea' throughout, yet the book is elevated by its own separate story and ambition.
Despite its troubling and disturbing subject-matter, the book is compelling. The pace and tone are perfect for the first two acts - making it a gripping read. Had the third act been more practical and less meandering, this book would have rated much higher.
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