The Width of the Sea

by Michelle Chalfoun

Follows John and Chris, friends since high school, as they struggle to survive as fishermen in their dying New England town.

Genres: Fiction

336 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2001

Reviews

[Aricia Gavriel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is far from my usual reading, but once I began -- well, one had to keep turning pages, which is a rather unusual remark to make of a book which falls into the "literary" bracket. I normally read "genre" fiction, but I'd just finished The Perfect Storm (Sebastian Junger), and The Hungry Ocean (Linda Greenlaw), and was still "in the mood" for tales of the ocean, and particularly regarding fishing boats off the American northeast coast. I'd picked this title up on a remainder-sale table years before, so -- what more natural than to close the back cover on Captain Greenlaw and go for the next somewhat-similar title on the shelf?

The Width of the Sea isn't a thriller or bio, but a raft of character portraits in words. The prose is often glorious, the characters so well drawn, the reader feels an almost clannish familiarity with them. I don't often read "lit" as such, and when I do, authors must persuade me to accompany them on a trip to a place or time where I'm merely the tourist, passing through, ravenous for experience to take home with me. Michelle Chalfoun invited me along and didn't disappoint. Years after I finished this book, I still recall it vividly -- it lives and breathes through its characters and the uncanny detail in the portrayal of people who could easily be real. Chalfoun crafts an absolutely believable scenario. (In "taste" or "feel" the book reminds me somewhat of Chocolat (Joanne Harris) and Practical Magic (Alice Hoffman), though it has nothing whatsoever in common with either of those books.)

Note to self -- read this one again. Soon. I actually want to give it five stars, but a reviewer is always holding back that fifth star for something earth-shattering, life-changing, or at least mind-blowing. Admittedly, Width was nothing of those things ... but I found it a wonderful, and memorable, read.

Highly recommended for the armchair traveler, or the reader looking for sea stories, or tales of fisher folk, boats and harbors far from home.

[Jeanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok Michelle here I go; I found this book hard to get into at first. I am not sure what it was it was not flowing right at first it may be Michelle's style of writting, but when I got about 1/2 way I found I wanted to see what happened. I feel the detail on some area's could have been more and others less. All and all it was a good story just felt like it was missing something but not quite sure what.


Michelle is my fist cousin and that is why I wanted to read the book, even though I have not seen her in 15 years I still feel that family connection and I am darn proud she had 2 books publised. I think the first book was the best its too bad they never made a movie of it because its a great story.

[Gwen Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why don't more authors make better use of our sense of smell in descriptive passages? Chalfoun's use of all five senses in this novel is so powerful, you feel like you're right there living through the decline of the New England fisheries along with the characters.

[Donald Stevens · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a good read. The end was a little disappointing. But it was fun.

[Jess · Rating 2 out of 5]

Found it slow and a wee bit boring.