What do you think?
Rate this book
The Collector of Lost Things
I felt the worlds of ocean and ice were meeting in a frontier of rage, as if the Earth had torn in two along this line.This was a place if there ever was a place, where you could disappear. The year is 1845 and young researcher Eliot Saxby is paid to go on an expedition to the Arctic in the hope of finding remains of the by now extinct Great Auk. He joins a regular hunting ship, but the crew and the passengers are not what they seem. Caught in the web of relationships on board, Eliot struggles to understand the motivations of the sociopathic, embroidery-loving Captain Sykes, the silent First Mate French, the flamboyant laudanum-addicted Bletchley and, most importantly of all, Bletchley's beautiful but strange 'cousin' Clara. As the ship moves further and further into the wilds of the Arctic sea, Eliot clings to what he believes in, desperate to save Clara but drawn irrevocably back into the past that haunts him. The first historical novel from an author who has been critically acclaimed for his two contemporary novels ( Salt and The Wake ), The Collector of Lost Things is a compulsive, beautifully writtten read.
384 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2013
34 people are currently reading
764 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 137 reviews
May 7, 2020
Out narrator is a naturalist who seeks the last of the Great Auks who may or may not survive on an island in the arctic which is why he becomes a passenger on the Amethyst. Sailing towards the arctic, we get to know the other people aboard. The captain is crude and diabolical, the officers, venal and insane, the crew, coarse and dirty. The other passengers include a woman, which seems highly unlikely knowing the strict code of conduct for women in Victorian times.
This voyage of the damned continues apace. The naturalist and the woman become fast friends as they are united by their abhorrence of the violence and cruelty of the other men who seem to grotesquely kill all the animals they encounter just for fun. What the author does is put a modern sensibility into a Victorian setting. The concept of extinction was known at the time, but was hardly seen with any alarm. The British saw themselves as masters of the universe and had dozens of exotic animal purveyors in London and would stuff any animal, domestic or foreign, for middle and upper class homes.
What is lovely about the novel is the descriptions of life at sea and in the ice. There is where the author triumphs and not in the anachronistic views of the two doomed passengers.
This voyage of the damned continues apace. The naturalist and the woman become fast friends as they are united by their abhorrence of the violence and cruelty of the other men who seem to grotesquely kill all the animals they encounter just for fun. What the author does is put a modern sensibility into a Victorian setting. The concept of extinction was known at the time, but was hardly seen with any alarm. The British saw themselves as masters of the universe and had dozens of exotic animal purveyors in London and would stuff any animal, domestic or foreign, for middle and upper class homes.
What is lovely about the novel is the descriptions of life at sea and in the ice. There is where the author triumphs and not in the anachronistic views of the two doomed passengers.
April 5, 2017
When I picked up The Collector of Lost Things, I expected an adventure-filled historical fiction. The audiobook delivered a heavy-handed treatment of man vs. nature with some truly disturbing scenes of mass animal slaughter. Not for the faint of heart or stomach.
The story beyond these stomach churning scenes was nothing to write home about. I was very disappointed.
I found myself drawing parallels between The Collector of Lost Things and James Fenimore Cooper's Leatherstocking Tales, particularly the book, The Pioneers.
In The Pioneers, Chapter 3 depicts settlers shooting a cloud of pigeons so vast that it nearly blocks out the sky. They fire repeatedly into the flock, killing far beyond what they'll need or consume. The mindless slaughter is categorized as sport.
The hero of the story, Natty Bumppo, expresses disgust at the behavior. The reader understands the author's point and the story moves on.
In this book, not only is there an homage to the pigeon scene, but the reader has to endure the repeated abuse of whales, walruses (walrii?), seals, and the possible extinction of an entire species of bird. I felt like the point wasn't just driven home- it smashed me in the face.
My stomach was so turned by the slaughter that I couldn't enjoy the book anymore. It was a shame because the prose used to describe the arctic scenery was some of the most expressive and beautiful that I have ever read. It puts you there, but then it drowns you in seas of blood.
If you enjoyed this book, you should read James Fenimore Cooper. The topic is the same, but the treatment in Cooper's novels is far superior.
The story beyond these stomach churning scenes was nothing to write home about. I was very disappointed.
I found myself drawing parallels between The Collector of Lost Things and James Fenimore Cooper's Leatherstocking Tales, particularly the book, The Pioneers.
In The Pioneers, Chapter 3 depicts settlers shooting a cloud of pigeons so vast that it nearly blocks out the sky. They fire repeatedly into the flock, killing far beyond what they'll need or consume. The mindless slaughter is categorized as sport.
The hero of the story, Natty Bumppo, expresses disgust at the behavior. The reader understands the author's point and the story moves on.
In this book, not only is there an homage to the pigeon scene, but the reader has to endure the repeated abuse of whales, walruses (walrii?), seals, and the possible extinction of an entire species of bird. I felt like the point wasn't just driven home- it smashed me in the face.
My stomach was so turned by the slaughter that I couldn't enjoy the book anymore. It was a shame because the prose used to describe the arctic scenery was some of the most expressive and beautiful that I have ever read. It puts you there, but then it drowns you in seas of blood.
If you enjoyed this book, you should read James Fenimore Cooper. The topic is the same, but the treatment in Cooper's novels is far superior.
March 8, 2014
I simply cannot finish this book. The violence to animals is bad enough to make me want to stop reading it, but the absolute lack of redeeming qualities in any of the characters sealed it. The narrator is a whiny fool and maybe it becomes clear why Clara/Celeste is really on board but at page 199 I realize I don't care.
April 21, 2016
“The great auk is extinct. However, there’s a part of me that refuses to believe it. I suppose that’s the part of me that is known as hope.”
It is 1845 and English naturalist Eliot Saxby has set out on Captain Sykes’s Arctic-bound vessel to search for the last remaining traces of the great auk, a bird presumed extinct. His patrons are a group of London collectors with money riding on whether this penguin-like bird is actually gone without trace. Saxby’s task is to bring back evidence that will prove the birds’ fate once and for all.
On board the Amethyst are many salty characters, including Sykes himself, a jovial but possibly sadistic leader; Talbot, the taciturn and frostbitten second mate; Edward Bletchley, a gentleman coming along for hunting adventures; and Clara Gould, his ‘cousin.’ (The relationship between Bletchley and Clara is rather unsettling, with the hint of incest bringing to mind A.S. Byatt’s Angels and Insects.)
Curiously, Saxby is convinced that he has known Clara before, nearly a decade ago – except then she was known as Celeste Cottesloe, daughter of a Norfolk country squire whose bird egg collection he was busily repairing and cataloguing. Celeste seemed to be a prisoner in her room; she would whisper out to Eliot from the keyhole, begging him to help her escape – which he did, but to disastrous effect. Is Clara actually Celeste? Saxby seems certain, but when he recounts the tale for Clara she receives it as just that: an interesting story, but one that has no bearing on her personal life. The idea that Saxby might be delusional, or at least emotionally disturbed, makes him a deliciously unreliable narrator.
En route to the distant rocks where the great auk was last seen, the crew stops at many points for what seems like arbitrary and gratuitous hunting. They harpoon a mother and baby whale for fun, behead a walrus just to keep its tusks, and club dozens of seals. Sykes remains a fairly impartial narrator through it all; Page, though, clearly finds the Victorian sailors’ brutal legacy troubling. Through Bletchley, who spends the rest of the voyage traumatized after a wounded baby seal looks directly into his eyes, Page delivers a sobering message: “We have filled the hull of this ship with dead things. It is the weight of their souls that has caused us all to suffer.”
Some may find this animal rights message too obvious, but after such distressing material it is hard to disagree that our relationship with nature has for centuries been unhealthy and exploitative. The harrowing nature of this Victorian-era narrative also reminded me of Carol Birch’s Jamrach’s Menagerie, another seafaring novel that descends into gory tragedy.
The story of Saxby’s fictional great auks is engrossing (if slightly unlikely), so I won’t spoil it here. Page’s descriptions of his Arctic setting and fauna are very evocative. At one point during a landing, Saxby leaves the others behind and walks out onto an ice sheet, where he soon gets lost. Even though I happened to be reading this book while riding through Tuscan wine country, I still felt the sense of vastness and isolation keenly; I even fancied I could feel the searing cold. As Talbot asserts, “They say hell is flames, but I disagree. It is this — it is frozen.”
(This review originally appeared at Bookkaholic.)
It is 1845 and English naturalist Eliot Saxby has set out on Captain Sykes’s Arctic-bound vessel to search for the last remaining traces of the great auk, a bird presumed extinct. His patrons are a group of London collectors with money riding on whether this penguin-like bird is actually gone without trace. Saxby’s task is to bring back evidence that will prove the birds’ fate once and for all.
On board the Amethyst are many salty characters, including Sykes himself, a jovial but possibly sadistic leader; Talbot, the taciturn and frostbitten second mate; Edward Bletchley, a gentleman coming along for hunting adventures; and Clara Gould, his ‘cousin.’ (The relationship between Bletchley and Clara is rather unsettling, with the hint of incest bringing to mind A.S. Byatt’s Angels and Insects.)
Curiously, Saxby is convinced that he has known Clara before, nearly a decade ago – except then she was known as Celeste Cottesloe, daughter of a Norfolk country squire whose bird egg collection he was busily repairing and cataloguing. Celeste seemed to be a prisoner in her room; she would whisper out to Eliot from the keyhole, begging him to help her escape – which he did, but to disastrous effect. Is Clara actually Celeste? Saxby seems certain, but when he recounts the tale for Clara she receives it as just that: an interesting story, but one that has no bearing on her personal life. The idea that Saxby might be delusional, or at least emotionally disturbed, makes him a deliciously unreliable narrator.
En route to the distant rocks where the great auk was last seen, the crew stops at many points for what seems like arbitrary and gratuitous hunting. They harpoon a mother and baby whale for fun, behead a walrus just to keep its tusks, and club dozens of seals. Sykes remains a fairly impartial narrator through it all; Page, though, clearly finds the Victorian sailors’ brutal legacy troubling. Through Bletchley, who spends the rest of the voyage traumatized after a wounded baby seal looks directly into his eyes, Page delivers a sobering message: “We have filled the hull of this ship with dead things. It is the weight of their souls that has caused us all to suffer.”
Some may find this animal rights message too obvious, but after such distressing material it is hard to disagree that our relationship with nature has for centuries been unhealthy and exploitative. The harrowing nature of this Victorian-era narrative also reminded me of Carol Birch’s Jamrach’s Menagerie, another seafaring novel that descends into gory tragedy.
The story of Saxby’s fictional great auks is engrossing (if slightly unlikely), so I won’t spoil it here. Page’s descriptions of his Arctic setting and fauna are very evocative. At one point during a landing, Saxby leaves the others behind and walks out onto an ice sheet, where he soon gets lost. Even though I happened to be reading this book while riding through Tuscan wine country, I still felt the sense of vastness and isolation keenly; I even fancied I could feel the searing cold. As Talbot asserts, “They say hell is flames, but I disagree. It is this — it is frozen.”
(This review originally appeared at Bookkaholic.)
Read
March 6, 2015What a struggle this book was. The writing was very good. Some fantastic descriptions but that was part of the problem. The detail on the destruction of seals, whales etc was so heartrending it made me not want to read on. I know it happened. I think it still does to some extent. I'm not hiding my head under a blanket but it's not a subject of choice for me to want to read about. And yet, the writing as I said was very good. There was a tenseness in the style, a claustrophobic feeling that matched life on the ship. I really did believe I was there with them. Not a pleasant place.
The storyline - such as it was - did tie the thing together but the characters were grim and unattractive, even the narrator. He was so passive - well until he wasn't but even that action was ineffective. It was a slow read and while I admire the style of writing, it was subject matter that I found it difficult to cope with.
The storyline - such as it was - did tie the thing together but the characters were grim and unattractive, even the narrator. He was so passive - well until he wasn't but even that action was ineffective. It was a slow read and while I admire the style of writing, it was subject matter that I found it difficult to cope with.
November 28, 2013
The Collector Of Lost Things by Jeremy Page
It is 1850, Mr. Saxby has been hired by influential acquaintances to venture out on a merchant ship that makes routine trips to the Arctic to deliver supplies and trade with Esquimaux groups. The purpose for Mr. Saxbys participation is to collect eggs and natural artifacts from a rare and extinct bird. He finds himself isolated on the craft with men driven by profit only. The journey quickly turns horrific as the crew begin their obsessed greedy actions of slaughter upon seals, walruses, and whales for their valuable animal parts. The expedition becomes one of great imbalance by filling the ships hull with skins, feathers, and bones against the belief all animals have a soul and are connected by a continuation of life that man has little understanding of. A struggle between guarding the legacy of the scarce bird species and selfishness of the Captain to capitalize on the rarity of the breed escalates into a deadly feud that will surely end in tragedy.
This story is written with a heavy hearted important message. The difficult task of protecting natural wildlife and their habitat is a constant underlying idea that is told brilliantly through characterization that is guaranteed to move the heart and emotions of the reader. The shroud of doom that follows the vessel from island to island destroys everything Mother Nature has built with one objective, wealth. Mankind's failure to be anything other than a beast of greed and its desire for possessions results in destruction and heartlessness that will be repeated time and time again across decades upon all creatures. Having the courage to stand and make the effort to fight will save the Arctic along with its habitat before its too late. The significance and commentary to this tale is that perhaps one day man will save the Arctic and all of its extraordinary life before further nature is undone. This has been laid out in a wonderful piece of fiction entitled The Collector Of Lost Things written by Jeremy Page.
August 31, 2016
This was a really hard book to get through. The book is very well written, but the subject was hard to read. There was a lot of senseless violence/killing towards animals that was unexpected based on the posted summary here. The summary mentions a hunting ship, so one might expect some killing, but not to this extent. It was very violent, very graphic, and very common throughout the book. I would not be surprised if this is how things were back then, but it was very, very hard to read. The main character did not partake in these activities, but he observed them and therefore we get/had to read about them. This book is not for the animal lovers or the squeamish.
As for the story, the first half was brutal. I wanted to put it down several times, but I kept thinking it might get better. In fact, it did. The hunting ship heads out to do their hunting and on the way back, they stop at the island of the last known sighting of the great auk. Eliot was hired to search the island for remains of the extinct bird, including bones, eggshells, feathers, or refuse. Anything. What he finds is quite interesting. There is still some senseless, brutal slaughtering of animals, but much less than in the first half of the book. At least the ending leaves the reader somewhat hopeful. As for the character interactions and this mysterious "Clara", it was not really the main focus of the book. Just something to get you between the various killings and island at the end.
As for the story, the first half was brutal. I wanted to put it down several times, but I kept thinking it might get better. In fact, it did. The hunting ship heads out to do their hunting and on the way back, they stop at the island of the last known sighting of the great auk. Eliot was hired to search the island for remains of the extinct bird, including bones, eggshells, feathers, or refuse. Anything. What he finds is quite interesting. There is still some senseless, brutal slaughtering of animals, but much less than in the first half of the book. At least the ending leaves the reader somewhat hopeful. As for the character interactions and this mysterious "Clara", it was not really the main focus of the book. Just something to get you between the various killings and island at the end.
January 16, 2016
Чудесно написан роман, който ни връща в духа на морските пътешествия от средата на 19-ти век, насищайки с мистерия, романтика и приключения увлекателния си сюжет. Романът описва пътуването на млад изследовател на борда на риболовен кораб през Северния Атлантически океан към труднодостъпната Арктика в търсене на изгубен вид птици. Истински готически сблъсък между надеждата да откриеш оазис на изгубения свят и абсурда на човешката жестокост, с която сме готови да го оскверним.
Колекция от добри образи ни предлага романът. Сред тях се нареждат не само главните персонажи - колекци��нерът Елиът Саксби, тайнствената Клара и налудничавия Блечли, но и твърде интересните Куинлан Френч, капитан Сайкс и екзотичните лица на моряци ирландци и на местни обитатели. Задължително е да спом��нем образите на природата и животинския свят, изваяни с познание и прецизност, така че да останат до края важен акцент в сюжета и посланието на романа.
Повече: http://knizhka-s-mishka.eu/index.php/...
Колекция от добри образи ни предлага романът. Сред тях се нареждат не само главните персонажи - колекци��нерът Елиът Саксби, тайнствената Клара и налудничавия Блечли, но и твърде интересните Куинлан Френч, капитан Сайкс и екзотичните лица на моряци ирландци и на местни обитатели. Задължително е да спом��нем образите на природата и животинския свят, изваяни с познание и прецизност, така че да останат до края важен акцент в сюжета и посланието на романа.
Повече: http://knizhka-s-mishka.eu/index.php/...
July 30, 2017
In 1845, young researcher Eliot Saxby embarks on an expedition to the Arctic in hopes of finding a bird supposedly extinct since the previous year. Travelling on a hunting ship, he is surrounded by an assortment of odd characters in both crew and fellow passengers, including a mysterious young woman he is convinced is someone from his past, although she appears to have no memory of any such thing.
The writing is hauntingly beautiful and atmospheric, taking on a dreamlike quality at times, and the settings are described so vividly you can easily feel the freezing wind upon your skin even when reading this at the height of summer. However, the tale is so full of despicable characters and brutal scenes of mass slaughter of animals that it makes for a thoroughly unpleasant read at times, with some passages a stomach-turning struggle to get through.
The writing is hauntingly beautiful and atmospheric, taking on a dreamlike quality at times, and the settings are described so vividly you can easily feel the freezing wind upon your skin even when reading this at the height of summer. However, the tale is so full of despicable characters and brutal scenes of mass slaughter of animals that it makes for a thoroughly unpleasant read at times, with some passages a stomach-turning struggle to get through.
December 19, 2012
I finished a few weeks ago, and I'm still not sure how I feel about this book. The writing is brilliant, and it drew me in completely... but then the storyline took a turn for the gruesome, with Page demonstrating the very worst in human nature, and it upset me so much that I had to put it down for a few days before going back to it. Definitely some scenes that should be sealed for the animal lovers. The ending brought it all together perfectly, but I'm still not sure I've recovered from the bumps along the way. Would be a great for book clubs, as you really need to talk it through with other people.
** disclosure: I work for the publisher & had early access to this title **
** disclosure: I work for the publisher & had early access to this title **
February 22, 2014
Heb een dubbel gevoel over dit boek. Vandaar maar 3 sterren. Het is wel mooi geschreven. De beschrijvingen van het poolgebied zijn prachtig en dat is ook wat mij aansprak in dit boek. Maar het is zo naargeestig en gruwelijk. Het geweld dat de dieren wordt aangedaan houdt maar niet op en de ene daad is nog gruwelijker dan de andere. Ik moest het boek regelmatig wegleggen om wat te bekomen. Het geeft je wel een heel ander beeld van de geromanticeerde 19 e eeuwse expedities. Maar het heeft wel zijn mooie passages en is heel poetisch geschreven dus ik wil het zeker niet afraden.
September 4, 2016
A haunting, passionate story that would touch the heart of anyone who loves animals.
July 15, 2017
This is one of those books I appreciate rather than enjoy.
It will take a little settling to be able to muster a review - it's beautifully written, but peopled with awful characters doing unpleasant things and narrated by a damaged man whose weakness of character and sad obsession is confused for a strength of purpose.
Not one to cheer you up. Some teeth grinding to be expected. Avoid at all costs if you cannot bear cruelty to animals (the writing is strong and your imagination will be given enough suggestion to provide yourself the gory detail it explicitly avoids).
Full review to follow.
It will take a little settling to be able to muster a review - it's beautifully written, but peopled with awful characters doing unpleasant things and narrated by a damaged man whose weakness of character and sad obsession is confused for a strength of purpose.
Not one to cheer you up. Some teeth grinding to be expected. Avoid at all costs if you cannot bear cruelty to animals (the writing is strong and your imagination will be given enough suggestion to provide yourself the gory detail it explicitly avoids).
Full review to follow.
October 28, 2017
What a remarkable book. The ending is staying with. Haunting sadness and a glimmer of hope.
That said (and as many readers pointed out), it was hardly an enjoyable read, unless you find pleasure in the details of the wanton violence and cruelty that humans can wreak on the fauna of the arctic and told by a narrator who hardly fits anyone's notion of a courageous hero.
But if you read on, it turns out that finding the courage to take a stand for what's right or the willingness to sacrifice oneself for the greater good is not necessarily the province of pleasant looking characters from central casting. In this case, a mild mannered young man and a sickly young woman rise to the occasion (though not in any way that anyone in their own world would ever know or appreciate).
Add to that the author's incredibly livid descriptions of the starkly cruel beauty of the arctic and the juxtaposition of mankind's capacity to ravage and despoil, and it can be a gruesome journey. But it was one I was glad I took.
That said (and as many readers pointed out), it was hardly an enjoyable read, unless you find pleasure in the details of the wanton violence and cruelty that humans can wreak on the fauna of the arctic and told by a narrator who hardly fits anyone's notion of a courageous hero.
But if you read on, it turns out that finding the courage to take a stand for what's right or the willingness to sacrifice oneself for the greater good is not necessarily the province of pleasant looking characters from central casting. In this case, a mild mannered young man and a sickly young woman rise to the occasion (though not in any way that anyone in their own world would ever know or appreciate).
Add to that the author's incredibly livid descriptions of the starkly cruel beauty of the arctic and the juxtaposition of mankind's capacity to ravage and despoil, and it can be a gruesome journey. But it was one I was glad I took.
March 6, 2018
I’m fascinated by stories of the Arctic. Maybe that is why I rated this higher than most Goodreads participants. The main character is a naturalist (Saxby)hired (in 1845 by men placing wagers) to see if he can find any Great Auks - a possibly extinct species. The book shows the brutal slaying of many creatures - whales, walruses, seals, birds - mostly for profit but sometimes just for sport or out of boredom. When the naturalist objects, the Captain tells him, “It is the way of the Arctic. If there is profit, it will be taken, no matter the cost.” Additionally, there is a mystery about the passengers aboard. Saxby thinks he recognizes a woman from his past - is it Celeste or is Clara a different woman? Can he trust certain members of the crew or will they betray him?
November 11, 2016
В една утрин на 1845 г. младият изследовател и колекционер Елиът Саксби се качва от ливърпулското пристанище на борда на кораба „Аметист”. Той има за задача да открие екземляри от голямата гагарка, известна още като „северен пингвин”.
Според официалната версия през 1844 г. трима мъже убили двойка влюбени безкрили гагарки (последните от този вид) и счупили яйцето, което едната от тях мътела. Трофеите продали.
Историята, която разказва романът „Колекционерът на изгубени неща” на Джеръми Пейдж започва от този момент нататък. След запой няколко богаташи се хващат на бас относно съществуването на птицата. За целта решават да наемат кораб и да изпратят специален човек, който да докаже, че тя е напълно унищожена като биологичен вид. Така Саксби предприема пътешествие до Арктика, смятайки, че няма да открие нищо, но поне ще обогати познанията си за животните в най-северните райони на планетата. На кораба той се запознава с помощник-капитана Куинлан Френч, капитан Келвин Сайкс, пасажерите Едуард Блечли и красивата Клара, които ще изиграят ключови роли в мисията и живота на колекционера. Те заедно ще бъдат част от едно приключение, пълно с тайнственост, напрежение и сурова красота.
Всеки един от тях има своята лична причина да бъде там – било за пари, било като бягство от самия себе си или за благородна кауза.
„Колекционерът на изгубени неща” е великолепно написан роман, който буквално ще потопи читателя в друг свят, в друго време, и ще го направи пряк свидетел на шокиращи събития и прекрасен арктически пейзаж, на безграничната човешка алчност и на жизненоважната човешка любов.
Джеръми Пейдж пише с усет към детайла, с изключителна деликатност и дълбочина на изказа, с обич към живота и природата.
„Докато се препъвах нататък, то вдигна поглед към мен. В големите му очи нямаше страх. Спрях рязко, прикован от нетрепващия течен поглед. Очите бяха тъмни като оникс, но в същото време някак меки – като кехлибар. И понеже бяха съвършено кръгли, придаваха на животното доверчиво, развеселено изражение, а също така обезоръжаващо състрадание. Изправен пред тяхната толкова човешка интелигентност, разбрах, че този кратък, невъзможен контакт с тюлена ще ме преследва постоянно занапред. Не можех да откъсна поглед от него, очите му ме бяха омагьосали: те ме караха да се запитам от какви ли дълбини идва подобно спокойствие, също както, ако надникнеш в дълбок кладенец. Не бях виждал друго животно, тъй близко до човешкото съзнание.”
Покъртителна история, обагрена с насилие и жестокост:
„Но там, на скалите, докато осъзнавах факта на унищожението, ме озари нещо трансцендентно: тази сцена на човешката разрушителност щеше неизбежно да се повтаря отново и отново с десетилетия, с векове, с всички създания по света. Човекът ще убива китовете и тюлените с хиляди, ще отвлича птиците от техните скали и ще ги отстрелва от небето.”
А посланието, което носи „Колекционерът на изгубени неща”, е необходимо днес на този свят повече от всякога:
„За какво сме човеци, ако не за да се постараем да бъдем пазители на онова, което ни е дадено, и да го съхраним за следващите поколения?”
Краят е наистина непредсказуем и все пак… Все пак има надежда!
Браво на Ангел Игов за превода!
(Забележка към издателството:
Моля ви, полагайте повече старание и грижа в коректорската и редакторската си работа.)
Според официалната версия през 1844 г. трима мъже убили двойка влюбени безкрили гагарки (последните от този вид) и счупили яйцето, което едната от тях мътела. Трофеите продали.
Историята, която разказва романът „Колекционерът на изгубени неща” на Джеръми Пейдж започва от този момент нататък. След запой няколко богаташи се хващат на бас относно съществуването на птицата. За целта решават да наемат кораб и да изпратят специален човек, който да докаже, че тя е напълно унищожена като биологичен вид. Така Саксби предприема пътешествие до Арктика, смятайки, че няма да открие нищо, но поне ще обогати познанията си за животните в най-северните райони на планетата. На кораба той се запознава с помощник-капитана Куинлан Френч, капитан Келвин Сайкс, пасажерите Едуард Блечли и красивата Клара, които ще изиграят ключови роли в мисията и живота на колекционера. Те заедно ще бъдат част от едно приключение, пълно с тайнственост, напрежение и сурова красота.
Всеки един от тях има своята лична причина да бъде там – било за пари, било като бягство от самия себе си или за благородна кауза.
„Колекционерът на изгубени неща” е великолепно написан роман, който буквално ще потопи читателя в друг свят, в друго време, и ще го направи пряк свидетел на шокиращи събития и прекрасен арктически пейзаж, на безграничната човешка алчност и на жизненоважната човешка любов.
Джеръми Пейдж пише с усет към детайла, с изключителна деликатност и дълбочина на изказа, с обич към живота и природата.
„Докато се препъвах нататък, то вдигна поглед към мен. В големите му очи нямаше страх. Спрях рязко, прикован от нетрепващия течен поглед. Очите бяха тъмни като оникс, но в същото време някак меки – като кехлибар. И понеже бяха съвършено кръгли, придаваха на животното доверчиво, развеселено изражение, а също така обезоръжаващо състрадание. Изправен пред тяхната толкова човешка интелигентност, разбрах, че този кратък, невъзможен контакт с тюлена ще ме преследва постоянно занапред. Не можех да откъсна поглед от него, очите му ме бяха омагьосали: те ме караха да се запитам от какви ли дълбини идва подобно спокойствие, също както, ако надникнеш в дълбок кладенец. Не бях виждал друго животно, тъй близко до човешкото съзнание.”
Покъртителна история, обагрена с насилие и жестокост:
„Но там, на скалите, докато осъзнавах факта на унищожението, ме озари нещо трансцендентно: тази сцена на човешката разрушителност щеше неизбежно да се повтаря отново и отново с десетилетия, с векове, с всички създания по света. Човекът ще убива китовете и тюлените с хиляди, ще отвлича птиците от техните скали и ще ги отстрелва от небето.”
А посланието, което носи „Колекционерът на изгубени неща”, е необходимо днес на този свят повече от всякога:
„За какво сме човеци, ако не за да се постараем да бъдем пазители на онова, което ни е дадено, и да го съхраним за следващите поколения?”
Краят е наистина непредсказуем и все пак… Все пак има надежда!
Браво на Ангел Игов за превода!
(Забележка към издателството:
Моля ви, полагайте повече старание и грижа в коректорската и редакторската си работа.)
February 3, 2017
A cautionary tale... There are some things that never change, including greed. Many people still think that resources are here to be used and there is no need to preserve anything.
The image of the Great Auk on the cover of this book caught my attention. There is something about the big white oval on the head, it's shape and stance, that it is flightless, and somehow unknowable that has drawn me to these birds, and I have made several drawings which include them. To find a book about Great Auks, especially fiction, was unexpected.
This book is set in Victorian times, narrated by Saxby, a young naturalist on a trip to the Arctic in search of the Great Auk. The ship is not equipped for passengers, of which there are three. It is a collection ship. The hunts and killings are depicted in great detail. There is no doubt that this was the attitude of ships like this, and that tragedy will ensue when they encounter the Great Auks.
The other two passengers are Bletchley and his cousin Clara, the only woman the ship. The captain, Sykes, and first mate French, are the main protagonists among the crew. The interplay of the characters heightens the tension, as Saxby witnesses what he believes to be wanton killing of defenseless animals. He finds a support in the sensitive soul Clara.
The plot is not complicated, and the ending, apt and satisfying.
The image of the Great Auk on the cover of this book caught my attention. There is something about the big white oval on the head, it's shape and stance, that it is flightless, and somehow unknowable that has drawn me to these birds, and I have made several drawings which include them. To find a book about Great Auks, especially fiction, was unexpected.
This book is set in Victorian times, narrated by Saxby, a young naturalist on a trip to the Arctic in search of the Great Auk. The ship is not equipped for passengers, of which there are three. It is a collection ship. The hunts and killings are depicted in great detail. There is no doubt that this was the attitude of ships like this, and that tragedy will ensue when they encounter the Great Auks.
The other two passengers are Bletchley and his cousin Clara, the only woman the ship. The captain, Sykes, and first mate French, are the main protagonists among the crew. The interplay of the characters heightens the tension, as Saxby witnesses what he believes to be wanton killing of defenseless animals. He finds a support in the sensitive soul Clara.
The plot is not complicated, and the ending, apt and satisfying.
February 8, 2014
One of my main issues with historical fiction is that it often doesn't feel like it was actually written or narrated by someone who lived in that time. This book did not suffer from that problem.
I really enjoyed this book.
It was very hard to read. There is a lot of violence towards animals, some of which are now endangered or extinct. And to hear of the wanton massacre of those animals today is heart wrenching.
There were also some unresolved issues.
But, the writing was very good, and I was completely absorbed in the story the whole time. This is the kind of book that stays with you.
I really enjoyed this book.
It was very hard to read. There is a lot of violence towards animals, some of which are now endangered or extinct. And to hear of the wanton massacre of those animals today is heart wrenching.
There were also some unresolved issues.
But, the writing was very good, and I was completely absorbed in the story the whole time. This is the kind of book that stays with you.
June 21, 2014
Most reviewers comment on the many birds, seals, whales, and polar bear killed by the seafarers in this Arctic exploration novel. I know those hunting practices go on, though the accounts of it did almost overwhelm any other plot. What bothered at least as much was the obsession the main male focuses on the hidden female passenger, whom he had formerly seen in a similar state of captivity at her father's mansion. She's another mysterious object of beauty to be collected: he even refers to her as a "lost" thing (see: title). As of Part 6/11, neither of them has acknowledged that they've previously met, that she's using a fake name and he knows it, or that neither of them know much else about the other. Can we quit it with the creepy male gaze and locking fragile, beautiful, silent women in their rooms already? Oh yeah, and I think she was 13 or 14 when he came to 'sort her father's egg collection.' Ugh.
I'm quitting it now, before they kiss or whatever. Since there isn't much else for plot and I'm not exactly thrilling with anticipation for that.
I'm quitting it now, before they kiss or whatever. Since there isn't much else for plot and I'm not exactly thrilling with anticipation for that.
May 31, 2017
From the book jacket: "An Arctic adventure story fueled by obsession, passion, and Gothic influence. The year is 1845 and young researcher Eliot Saxby is paid to go on an expedition to the Arctic in the hope of finding remains of the extinct Great Auk, an enigmatic creature of mythical status."
The narrator is Eliot Saxby. Along with a English gentleman wanting to trophy hunt in the Arctic and his female cousin, who Saxby is convinced is a woman from his past, he is booked on what is normally an Arctic hunting ship. The story builds relational tension by having the passengers and crew spending months together on an Arctic voyage, each having differences of opinion on their purpose on the voyage.
I enjoyed the description of life aboard the ship and of the ice shelf, sea life, and coastal villages visited during the story. The story unfolds slowly, and time sailing allows much introspection. The details given of the hunting could disturb some.
The narrator is Eliot Saxby. Along with a English gentleman wanting to trophy hunt in the Arctic and his female cousin, who Saxby is convinced is a woman from his past, he is booked on what is normally an Arctic hunting ship. The story builds relational tension by having the passengers and crew spending months together on an Arctic voyage, each having differences of opinion on their purpose on the voyage.
I enjoyed the description of life aboard the ship and of the ice shelf, sea life, and coastal villages visited during the story. The story unfolds slowly, and time sailing allows much introspection. The details given of the hunting could disturb some.
April 15, 2018
after so long waiting to read this book, it was ultimately a disappointment. the main character is an over-sensitive naturalist on a boat full of capitalist marauders, who makes friends with a mentally ill woman he's convinced he knew in the past. they're looking for the extinct great auk and what follows is mostly a lot of unfortunate nonsense, including resolution to a long-teased mystery that just had me wanting to fling the book.
by the end of it all you have to wonder what the point was, since none of what happened ultimately matters and pretty much everyone is greedy, stupid, or crazy.
the writing is capable otherwise, though entirely too in love with describing every centimeter of the boat and of sailing jargon. it's nice to know the writer did his research, but all those details don't really add much to the plot or in terms of building this world in an interesting fashion.
by the end of it all you have to wonder what the point was, since none of what happened ultimately matters and pretty much everyone is greedy, stupid, or crazy.
the writing is capable otherwise, though entirely too in love with describing every centimeter of the boat and of sailing jargon. it's nice to know the writer did his research, but all those details don't really add much to the plot or in terms of building this world in an interesting fashion.
December 16, 2014
I liked the naturalist tone to the plot but I was disturbed by all the needless slaughter of precious animals. However this is based on what probably happened during the time when this story was set. A time of massive slaughter of whales, clubbing of seals and collection of anything that moved or didn't move. The story was upsetting and the hero the only saving grace but even he was odd with a mixed up psyche laden with guilt. The mix of characters on board the ship was strange and even though the author made a reasonable attempt to create some mystery, the story remained light. It was readable but not riveting and I was relieved to get to the end. The ending was strangely at odds with the rest of the story and seemed as if the author was making an attempt to placate the reader after all the previous carnage and chaos of characters. Not realistic at all.
July 20, 2016
I wanted to like this book, but I really couldn't get into it. It didn't feel real to me -- not that the things it described weren't -- the descriptions of hunting, trade, ships, etc all tallied with what I already know -- but it just didn't sound like it was really being written in 1850 about events that took place five years earlier. I'm not sure why, it just didn't.
I thought a lot of the plot points that come as a total surprise to the narrator are pretty much a foregone conclusion from the early part of the book, so I didn't really feel any suspense as to the outcomes either.
Perhaps it would have been better written from Edward Bletchley's point of view...maybe the opium haze would have added some mystery to the chain of events.
I thought a lot of the plot points that come as a total surprise to the narrator are pretty much a foregone conclusion from the early part of the book, so I didn't really feel any suspense as to the outcomes either.
Perhaps it would have been better written from Edward Bletchley's point of view...maybe the opium haze would have added some mystery to the chain of events.
December 24, 2013
16 DEC 2013 - read through to Chapter 3 during lunch break today. Lovely and I am captivated. Did you know that it took almost an entire forest (well not exactly but you understand what I mean) to build one sailing vessel in the 1800s?
23 DEC 2013 - An historical fiction novel which has so much relevancy to the present-day environmental concerns, e.g., the diminishing ice cap of the Arctic, the slow disappearance of the polar bear, etc. I enjoyed this novel tremendously with the exception of the love interest. I just did not "get" this interest. I wish the story would have been written without this love interest.
23 DEC 2013 - An historical fiction novel which has so much relevancy to the present-day environmental concerns, e.g., the diminishing ice cap of the Arctic, the slow disappearance of the polar bear, etc. I enjoyed this novel tremendously with the exception of the love interest. I just did not "get" this interest. I wish the story would have been written without this love interest.
July 13, 2014
This book is very well-written. The underlying theme is difficult: man's indiscriminate and wanton cruelty and destruction of nature and in particular of other animal species. The story is a microcosm of human destruction of nature over the centuries, taking place aboard a sailing ship in the Artic and told through the eyes of a naïve, yet dedicated ornithologist and features the extinction story of the great auk. Redemption is possible, but as we see every day around us, there is still much work and education to be done. For this reason, I highly recommend this book.
August 6, 2016
Loved, loved, loved this book. Some passages are thick with a below-deck gothic foreboding, others sparkle in their luminous descriptions of the Arctic. The Great Auk is so compellingly brought to life in Page's hands that I'm convinced he has a flock of them in his backyard. Rich, multi-layered characters, a mysterious back story, and the glorious open sea-- Thank you, Jeremy Page, for writing the book I've always wanted to read.
September 4, 2018
На пръв поглед обикновена, скучновата история. Това, обаче, е само привидно. С всяка измината страница се разгръщат все повече емоции, дълбочина на характерите, многолики герои. Понякога нещо те хваща за гърлото и те стиска, в други моменти се връща вярата ти в доброто у човека, а се случва и да си казваш, че алчността е непреходна. Шарена, в ледени краски. При всички случаи, страхотна творба. Нямам обяснение защо не е в светлините на прожекторите.
September 22, 2015
An unusual story narrated by Michael Healy.
March 18, 2023
Wonderfully written. A gripping, evocative, and mysterious tale.
January 17, 2014
Like another reader, go bored 2/3 of the way through and skimmed the last 1/3.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 137 reviews