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Swell
Reminiscent of Christopher Moore’s ‘Fluke’ and Neil Gaiman’s ‘American Gods,’ this slightly fantastical tale is told from the perspective of ever reluctant Orange Whippey, the story of his involvement in the comically unnecessary Whale Network unfolds as rival whaling factions, Korean smugglers/ultra tourists/storytellers, and a privacy advocating talking head all do their best to keep him from doing what he would ultimately prefer to do: Nothing. Set on the tiny, fictional island of Bismuth, it moves at a languid pace as Orange is dragged, far too often, to writhing lagoons, rusted ship hulks, hellish saunas, and private islands, creating a subtly farcical, always absurd setting for numerous misadventures.
386 pages, Paperback
First published September 20, 2011
16 people are currently reading
330 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
February 3, 2012
To me, this was just okay. I had heard some interesting things about this book and I was expecting a lot. It fell way short. I think the biggest disappointment about this was that I thought it had so much potential, especially in terms of concepts: whale cell phone networks; deep, weird and unique forms of intercultural understanding; a Lebowski-esque slacker named Orange as the main character. Mostly, though, I felt that all of the great concepts were underdeveloped. Maybe I read too fast, but I was always waiting for something to happen, for some clarity in the story line, for some reason for all of these moving pieces to be up in the air.
The story is almost exactly opposite of its protagonist, Orange. Where Orange is shiftless, this novel is ambitious, but where Orange manages to succeed despite the odds, this novel reaches and falls a bit short.
One thing I did enjoy about this book was the high-level vocabulary Ericson uses. On one hand, it adds to the grandiose tone of the story, but on the other I do enjoy learning new words. So, I guess there's that.
The story is almost exactly opposite of its protagonist, Orange. Where Orange is shiftless, this novel is ambitious, but where Orange manages to succeed despite the odds, this novel reaches and falls a bit short.
One thing I did enjoy about this book was the high-level vocabulary Ericson uses. On one hand, it adds to the grandiose tone of the story, but on the other I do enjoy learning new words. So, I guess there's that.
June 4, 2017
This book is what Moby-Dick would be if Ishmael were the Big Lebowski. Ahab is two characters here: a laid-back Finlindian (with an "i") whale herder who was married to a bear, and the terrifying and maybe-mythical Yankee Circumciser. I adored this.
February 6, 2013
Based on the cover art and the description - Christopher Moore meets Neil Gaiman? Sign me up! - I thought I'd enjoy this novel.
I was wrong.
That's not because of a lack of skill on the author's part, which is why I didn't give it my traditional 1-star rating for a DNF. No, the author is skilled enough; I just absolutely could NOT get into the book.
Basically, if you like this sort of thing, this is the sort of thing you'll like.
Which is to say, it's a rambling, shambling, postmodernist semi-farce with a slightly AU setting that I found the most engaging part of the novel. It uses all of the "talk about nothing, and then talk about sex, and then talk about high-minded intellectual concepts that seem out of kilter with the narrator's background and current predicament" tricks of modern literary fiction, plus that feeling of dissociative ennui that typically annoys the hell out of me when I read said modern literary fiction.
Which is why I couldn't actually finish the book, despite being vaguely interested in finding out more about the mystery that's supposedly at its heart. The characters pissed me off, the constant asides and discursions and "I'm smarter than you" tidbits distracted from what plot there was, and the strange sexual fantasies and hijinks were annoying.
All of them were technically adept and well-written, but I just could NOT get into the story.
The background and worldbuilding are interesting - imagine a world where Native Americans followed the "whale roads" to Scandinavia and founded civilizations that became "the Northern Indies," replete with populations like the Estonindians, who hunt whales, and the Finlandians, who ranch them. Yup, okay, that's awesome.
But use that framework to create a rambling postmodern tale of personal ennui and the occasional lamprey-chucking, and it seems like that's where you lose me.
I was wrong.
That's not because of a lack of skill on the author's part, which is why I didn't give it my traditional 1-star rating for a DNF. No, the author is skilled enough; I just absolutely could NOT get into the book.
Basically, if you like this sort of thing, this is the sort of thing you'll like.
Which is to say, it's a rambling, shambling, postmodernist semi-farce with a slightly AU setting that I found the most engaging part of the novel. It uses all of the "talk about nothing, and then talk about sex, and then talk about high-minded intellectual concepts that seem out of kilter with the narrator's background and current predicament" tricks of modern literary fiction, plus that feeling of dissociative ennui that typically annoys the hell out of me when I read said modern literary fiction.
Which is why I couldn't actually finish the book, despite being vaguely interested in finding out more about the mystery that's supposedly at its heart. The characters pissed me off, the constant asides and discursions and "I'm smarter than you" tidbits distracted from what plot there was, and the strange sexual fantasies and hijinks were annoying.
All of them were technically adept and well-written, but I just could NOT get into the story.
The background and worldbuilding are interesting - imagine a world where Native Americans followed the "whale roads" to Scandinavia and founded civilizations that became "the Northern Indies," replete with populations like the Estonindians, who hunt whales, and the Finlandians, who ranch them. Yup, okay, that's awesome.
But use that framework to create a rambling postmodern tale of personal ennui and the occasional lamprey-chucking, and it seems like that's where you lose me.
August 29, 2015
The book started off slowly, and I was worried it was just going to be some dull, gray portrait of life on an island off the northeast coast of America. However, Orange's (the protagonist) oyster rant around page 60 (detailing the battle between the oyster and the shucker and, eventually, between the oyster and the human digestive system) was where the story and storytelling style started to reel me in. To say that it's understated would be... an understatement. Orange's narrations are extremely dry and sarcastic, and it's easy to miss a lot of the humor if you're not paying attention, but that makes this a rewarding read.
Ericson creates an interesting semi-fictitious setting and intricate mythologies, but his unique characters and the crazy things that happen to them are what make the book so difficult to put down. There's Orange, a natural shirker who keeps getting conned out of relaxing at home, which seems to be all he wants to do; Waldena, who is some sort of aquatic temptress; and the two Koreans, who can't seem to get their American idioms right.
I also loved that the book touched on some interesting ethical issues without explicitly calling them out, and that it usually presented both sides of the issues, often in debates between Waldena and Snorri. What is the ethical limit of technological advancement? What is the most ethical way of treating animals that we know we're eventually going to hunt and kill? These and other questions aren't really answered in the book, but the way they're explored is still enjoyable.
Ericson creates an interesting semi-fictitious setting and intricate mythologies, but his unique characters and the crazy things that happen to them are what make the book so difficult to put down. There's Orange, a natural shirker who keeps getting conned out of relaxing at home, which seems to be all he wants to do; Waldena, who is some sort of aquatic temptress; and the two Koreans, who can't seem to get their American idioms right.
I also loved that the book touched on some interesting ethical issues without explicitly calling them out, and that it usually presented both sides of the issues, often in debates between Waldena and Snorri. What is the ethical limit of technological advancement? What is the most ethical way of treating animals that we know we're eventually going to hunt and kill? These and other questions aren't really answered in the book, but the way they're explored is still enjoyable.
February 9, 2020
I have tried (several times... ok 3) to read this book. I thought it was just my timing that was off. However, as interesting as this book seems to be... I Can Not Get Into It! This time around, I think I give up. I think that somehow the writing and character development is *too* good. The main character, Orange, is so apathetic (which is the point and its funny when I think about it...). but I think his apathy is catching in my case.. and I don't care what happens to him or what the stupid thing is everyone is looking for. I really don't care. The writing is good, very good. I'm learning lots of new words. The side stories are interesting and imaginative, the bear bride had my attention fully. And the world being created is fantastic in its history. The ridiculous escapades and situations that Orange is stuck in through no fault of his own are hilarious when I think about them out of context. Seriously, when I analyze it, I should LOVE this book. But I just am not interested enough to pick it up again and again. If I could read it in one sitting I'd have finished it long ago. Maybe it IS me. But wether its the book, or me... i'm putting it down for the last time.
June 6, 2013
I loved this book. Like, LOVED IT LOVED IT. It's the first book I've read in years that I still think about on a regular basis about a year after I closed it. (Literally, one year, so sayeth Goodreads.) This book is fundamentally a picaresque - like Candide, but with less heretic-burning and more boats. I imagine it's sort of an acquired taste; it's got too many ways to label it "inaccessible" if you don't get the jokes. Whatever, Dan Brown's gotta eat.
If you like the following passage, you will probably like the book:
"Donny launched himself at me, more bellowing manatee than tiger. Later, the bruises and cuts would remind me of his assault, but my initial impression was only of my face being pressed into the soft and stinking blubber of his chest, his sulfurous breath, and the sting of his saliva in my eyes, as his flippers bashed my head side to side."
If that doesn't pique your interest much, or you don't like fish stories, maybe it's not for you.
If you like the following passage, you will probably like the book:
"Donny launched himself at me, more bellowing manatee than tiger. Later, the bruises and cuts would remind me of his assault, but my initial impression was only of my face being pressed into the soft and stinking blubber of his chest, his sulfurous breath, and the sting of his saliva in my eyes, as his flippers bashed my head side to side."
If that doesn't pique your interest much, or you don't like fish stories, maybe it's not for you.
Want to read
November 18, 2011How can I not read a book with a charactor named Angie Bombardier who is described as fetching and forthright
September 6, 2021
I love the first line: “From my bunk, I found myself staring at the weepy ink of the Blue Oyster Cult tattoo that stained Donny’s buttock.” Now how could this book not end up a classic? It starts off strong with an original story and there were a few occasions I laughed out loud, but it gets mired in too much silliness, which among other things includes a cell phone network based on migrating whales. It’s frustrating that the storyline of the Korean smugglers and their mysterious package doesn’t really go anywhere, and about midway through the book was no longer funny or interesting.
Quotes:
On cell phones; hey I’m waiting for the Whale Network too:
“When I answered, she told me how proud she was that I’d finally got a phone and was impressed I had reception. I told her it was a new network, and tried to imply that I’d been on top of the whole cell thing for years and was just waiting for the technology to meet my exacting standards. I didn’t mention the whales.”
On children:
“Children, of course, are the new gods. All must be made respectable and earnest before them. Persons such as myself were forbidden to enter their sacred groves. Only their parents – their parents – could interpret the cryptic commandments they uttered, but we all had to obey.”
Quotes:
On cell phones; hey I’m waiting for the Whale Network too:
“When I answered, she told me how proud she was that I’d finally got a phone and was impressed I had reception. I told her it was a new network, and tried to imply that I’d been on top of the whole cell thing for years and was just waiting for the technology to meet my exacting standards. I didn’t mention the whales.”
On children:
“Children, of course, are the new gods. All must be made respectable and earnest before them. Persons such as myself were forbidden to enter their sacred groves. Only their parents – their parents – could interpret the cryptic commandments they uttered, but we all had to obey.”
November 20, 2017
I found my attention wandering trying to read this. Not for me.
March 13, 2013
so i was thinking last night about what differentiates a book like this from a book by Kurt Vonnegut or by Tom Sharpe. they're all funny--Kurt in his deadpan glory, Sharpe wicked and relentless. Ericson is funny, but it's like stand-up--a bunch of what are basically one-liners that don't really connect to the larger story.
whether there is a larger story here is the big question. our protagonist Orange Whippey is an island-dwelling slacker, which might be ok if the island were tropical. but his is a New England-ish island, and 30-ish men who live for beer and excel only in the avoidance of paid labor are not admired.
i can admire those skills, personally. but even Orange didn't seem to really want to do his utmost at them. he keeps getting pulled in one direction or another by people using him for their own schemes.
maybe it's not possible to write an interesting book about someone who has no drive in any direction, nor is looking for one. aimless and feckless could be made interesting, i suppose, but not only as byproducts. anyway the crows of the literary establishment will witter on about how a protagonist must want something, be willing to sacrifice his/her/its all for that something. Orange doesn't, and there's nothing he really loves, and in the end, his aimlessness just makes him profoundly uninteresting.
i got about 2/3 of the way through this one and threw it in the resell pile. it's not a bad book in a lot of ways, and it was the very funny one-liners that got me as far as i did. i did enjoy the quite bent humor. but i like my novels to have a story in them, too, and this one does not.
whether there is a larger story here is the big question. our protagonist Orange Whippey is an island-dwelling slacker, which might be ok if the island were tropical. but his is a New England-ish island, and 30-ish men who live for beer and excel only in the avoidance of paid labor are not admired.
i can admire those skills, personally. but even Orange didn't seem to really want to do his utmost at them. he keeps getting pulled in one direction or another by people using him for their own schemes.
maybe it's not possible to write an interesting book about someone who has no drive in any direction, nor is looking for one. aimless and feckless could be made interesting, i suppose, but not only as byproducts. anyway the crows of the literary establishment will witter on about how a protagonist must want something, be willing to sacrifice his/her/its all for that something. Orange doesn't, and there's nothing he really loves, and in the end, his aimlessness just makes him profoundly uninteresting.
i got about 2/3 of the way through this one and threw it in the resell pile. it's not a bad book in a lot of ways, and it was the very funny one-liners that got me as far as i did. i did enjoy the quite bent humor. but i like my novels to have a story in them, too, and this one does not.
November 21, 2013
This is about as fictional as fictions get. Although the portrayal of island life is interesting (but most likely, erroneous - I don't trust this writer), the ugly rumors spread about the Finns and Estonians are appalling! Sure, yeah, in the book they're called Finlaindians and Estonindians, but if I were Estonian I'd be tempted to sue for defamation of character!
However, this book is, as much as I hate to admit it, a really fun read. It's funny, entertaining and plotless (not always a good thing, but it works here). But no... There isn't and really never has been a whaling culture in Finland or Estonia (there aren't even any whales in the Baltic Sea), Finns do not mate with bears and there aren't any fjords there either. Trust me.
So, as long as you don't mind learning a bunch of made up mythology (mythology is made up to begin with, I know, but this mythology is completely fabricated by Mr. Ericson), this is a pretty good read.
However, this book is, as much as I hate to admit it, a really fun read. It's funny, entertaining and plotless (not always a good thing, but it works here). But no... There isn't and really never has been a whaling culture in Finland or Estonia (there aren't even any whales in the Baltic Sea), Finns do not mate with bears and there aren't any fjords there either. Trust me.
So, as long as you don't mind learning a bunch of made up mythology (mythology is made up to begin with, I know, but this mythology is completely fabricated by Mr. Ericson), this is a pretty good read.
February 18, 2016
I started out not knowing how to feel about this novel. I wanted to give it a good review, but I just can't. Part Melville, part Christopher Moore, and part Douglas Adams, it starts out funny and quirky but lacks the follow through to make it a fully developed novel. It is as if the author picked up a portion of a story and dumped in on the page without giving it a coherent beginning and ending. The vocabulary makes it even more disconcerting because the main character, a preeminent slacker, has a better vocabulary than my Kindle dictionary. The cultural and metaphysical issues raised in the book are impossible to follow and ultimately make no sense. I feel like this novel is some kind of joke, and I just don't get the punchline. Consequently, I am left wondering if I am lacking in the capacity to understand the novel or if it is completely obtuse.
Read
February 12, 2013If I am a fourth of the way through your book and I still don't know what it's about, if every single one of your sentences is close to a paragraph long, and you write like you're pretentiously puking a thesaurus, I cannot finish your book.
Flowery sentences and big words do not a good writer make.
Good grief.
(Yes, I found this significant enough to temporarily break my internet hiatus. I just about never, ever, ever give up on books and this is the second in a week. I'm kind of more than a little irked.)
(Also, reminiscent of American Gods? Literally get. the. frick. out. Absolutely not.)
Flowery sentences and big words do not a good writer make.
Good grief.
(Yes, I found this significant enough to temporarily break my internet hiatus. I just about never, ever, ever give up on books and this is the second in a week. I'm kind of more than a little irked.)
(Also, reminiscent of American Gods? Literally get. the. frick. out. Absolutely not.)
January 25, 2016
I was mostly entertained, but I was also just waiting for it to be over so I could get to the next book on my list. I see the comparisons to Christopher Moore, and they're valid -- but it's a comparison to Moore's earliest work, and it wasn't quite as good as that. I might have given it more stars, but the ending just spiraled out of control and then stopped. I kept thinking "how is he going to wrap up the brand-new weird thing in only this many pages?" But it didn't, it just handwaved and then ended on a main-character-hasn't-earned-it-but-let's-go-out-on-a-happy-note. Disappointing.
October 1, 2012
Swell is a book about a charismatic loser named Orange Whippey living on an island in New England who may or may not be able to talk to whales.
While I appreciated the Christopher Moore style humor and nutty characters, there was a tad more rambling whale mythology than I usually prefer. Orange's inner monologue and description of his world and life were amusing enough, but I never felt any of the events really mattered or built to anything, and it's hard to care about even the funniest characters if there are no stakes to the story.
While I appreciated the Christopher Moore style humor and nutty characters, there was a tad more rambling whale mythology than I usually prefer. Orange's inner monologue and description of his world and life were amusing enough, but I never felt any of the events really mattered or built to anything, and it's hard to care about even the funniest characters if there are no stakes to the story.
December 29, 2016
A swell little adventure (see what I did there?) about an island slacker named Orange who gets caught up in a controversial WhaleNet phone network, in which whales are fitted with mobile phone antennae. Orange reminded me a lot of Fry from Futurama. Not AS ridiculous of course but definitely similar. All in all it was a very quick and enjoyable read. Lots of funny stuff to chuckle over.
P.S. this book has fantastic artwork and design.
P.S. this book has fantastic artwork and design.
February 11, 2012
4.5 a near perfect romp--reminded me a bit of Confederacy of Dunces--a little. Smart, funny, pathetic and just a pleasure to read. The language was near pitch perfect--some reviewers classify this as young adult. I say sure but that young adult should carry a dictionary. Delightful read. It's not a 5 simply because at times I had to suspend a little bit of belief but really that's no reason to not read this book.
May 18, 2012
I really wanted to like this book more. And after the first third I thought it was going to be great. The middle third was rather ho-hum and the final third was an absolute stinker. I felt very disappointed after the blazingly fantastic start - hence the two lonely stars.
This is Ericson's first novel and I think he has a very bright future; I'm very much looking forward to his next work. I just hope it's much tighter and he has a better editor.
This is Ericson's first novel and I think he has a very bright future; I'm very much looking forward to his next work. I just hope it's much tighter and he has a better editor.
February 15, 2013
This frequently-hilarious novel (set on a fictitious island off the coast of Maine) reminded me a pit of Thomas Pynchon, with a higher degree of snark. The final act meanders a bit too much, but if you like the postmodern-satirical-prose (Pynchon, Walker Percy, Vonnegut and others) you will probably enjoy this book. If you like that style AND live (or have ever lived) in coastal New England, you will probably LOVE this book.
February 1, 2012
I think I'm paraphrasing a couple other reviews here, but take Douglas Adams, substitute New England for English humor and you've kind of got the feel for this book. A real page turner (despite how long it took me to finish... I've been busy) I really wanted to know what was going to happen to Orange next.
July 1, 2012
This is a good looking book, obviously painstakingly crafted. Sometimes, it is awesome and really funny and well done. Sometimes, I think it is too much. I don't like the main character's name (it keeps throwing me: Orange Whippey??), and the plot IS pretty aimless (albeit VERY creative), but the playful language is a sight to behold, even if this book is sort of insane.
August 19, 2012
I started this book, but couldn't continue. It really feels like the author went through the text and used the thesaurus function to change as many of the normal words into $5 words as possible. What resulted wasn't high-brow or intelligent as much as clunky and ridiculous (not in a good way). I've given up on this one and I'm not sure I'll pick it back up.
April 23, 2013
I'm not sure how far into this book I got before I gave up looking for a plot. I'm all about character development, world creation, and historical context, but only if it accompanies an actual storyline. I don't know if maybe later on the author actually gets to the story, but I'm not sure I want to wade through any more to find out.
March 14, 2012
This started off strong for me & then foundered a bit. I'd like to revisit it at some point - it definitely wasn't helped by the fact that I put it down to read another book so there was a two-week gap between reading the first third of it & reading the rest.
February 25, 2012
Parts brilliant, tedious, hilarious, over the top.
February 22, 2012
Douglas Adams channels Herman Melville. Odd, but fun.
September 26, 2014
It reminded me a lot of Christopher Moore's Fluke, except instead of being set in Hawaii it takes place on a thinly veiled Nantucket. Entertaining, but gets tiresome after a few hundred pages.
March 18, 2012
Deeply, deeply weird, and completely fascinating. Orange mostly has things done to him, rather than does things, which slows down the middle section some, but it comes together in the end.
March 15, 2013
I thought this book had potential, but just never held my interest. I may force myself to finish reading it later at some point.
Currently reading
May 31, 2012It is amazing so far
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