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Nate House. Aqueous Books (Ingram, dist.), $14 trade paper (236p) ISBN 978-0-9826734-7-8 "In this gorgeous debut, everything--physical and metaphysical--is a metaphor: the sea, the desert, thirst, motion, and stillness. A man wakes up in an island hospital after surviving a trans-Atlantic sailing accident and 18 days alone on a life raft. He tells the authorities that a whale bumped into his 36-foot sailboat and that his wife went down with the ship, hands gripping the wheel. A reporter who grew up in a family of modest means and immodest acts, his father a drunk who abused his mother, the protagonist is haunted by the ghost of his wife, who appears in flashbacks as a beautiful, monstrous, snobbish nag. The stress of everyday life seems like it would kill them both, since they were only happy together when they were on the boat. When the man is released from the hospital, he flees, possibly away from the truth, but mostly from himself. As much prose poem as novel, this is a melodious, eerie wisp of a book." (Oct.)
Reviewed on: 10/10/2011 (Publisher's Weekly)
Nate House. Aqueous Books (Ingram, dist.), $14 trade paper (236p) ISBN 978-0-9826734-7-8 "In this gorgeous debut, everything--physical and metaphysical--is a metaphor: the sea, the desert, thirst, motion, and stillness. A man wakes up in an island hospital after surviving a trans-Atlantic sailing accident and 18 days alone on a life raft. He tells the authorities that a whale bumped into his 36-foot sailboat and that his wife went down with the ship, hands gripping the wheel. A reporter who grew up in a family of modest means and immodest acts, his father a drunk who abused his mother, the protagonist is haunted by the ghost of his wife, who appears in flashbacks as a beautiful, monstrous, snobbish nag. The stress of everyday life seems like it would kill them both, since they were only happy together when they were on the boat. When the man is released from the hospital, he flees, possibly away from the truth, but mostly from himself. As much prose poem as novel, this is a melodious, eerie wisp of a book." (Oct.)
Reviewed on: 10/10/2011 (Publisher's Weekly)
236 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 7, 2013
This is a very interesting book. The mystery is almost secondary to the story. We know fairly early what happened, in general, although the specifics of it kept me guessing. Regardless of that, the back story and the present happenings kept me interested to the end.
It’s a quiet book. The writing is beautiful, and it takes us closely into the various situations and into the mind of the protagonist. Mechanically, it is almost flawless, which made it a pleasure to read.
I recommend it and give it 4 stars.
It’s a quiet book. The writing is beautiful, and it takes us closely into the various situations and into the mind of the protagonist. Mechanically, it is almost flawless, which made it a pleasure to read.
I recommend it and give it 4 stars.
March 13, 2012
A great psychological thriller. House does a fantastic job of describing the malaise and hum-drum existence that can creep into any relationship. Really enjoyed his descriptive writing style.
September 18, 2013
SUPERB WRITING MESHING SYMBOLISM OF THE DOLDRUMS TO HIGHLIGHT THE STAGNANT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HUSBAND AND WIFE.
April 27, 2017
A fictional survival story in two settings and multiple time periods. I enjoyed the book on several levels. It is well told and preserves a partial mystery till the end. The main character is well-developed, and I felt like I was part of the story. In addition, I am sure there is an ocean of symbolism hidden under the surface. Some of it is revealed, but I think this would make a good book club discussion topic as it feels like there are many more layers. Is it a book about marriage, a well-written thriller or a dark, psychological drama? You decide.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews