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The Jinker: A novel
Hard Cover; Very Good; Dust Jacket - Very Good; MacMillian of Toronto First Edition / First Printing. Hardcover, Very Good cloth covered boards with light edge bumping. DJ is Very Good; light edge wear and bumping.
172 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1968
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About the author
Joseph Schull
43 books3 followersJoseph Schull was a Canadian playwright and historian who wrote more than two dozen books and 200 plays for radio and television.
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November 29, 2024
Alternative title: Men will do anything to avoid talking about their boyhood trauma. Like And then? Oh, then
For context: this was a $1 random boat novel picked up in a local secondhand bookstore earlier this year, as has become my summer tradition. I did not know what a “jinker” was and to be honest, I was too afraid to ask... but apparently it’s a Newfoundland term for a “Jonah”. It all makes sense now!
And I guess “villainous gay sailors” are kind of my shtick usually, but this one may have taken things too far with the irredeemably sadistic tortured gay man and the (OBVIOUSLY REPRESSED) Good Straight Guy Who Gets To Live. Also the villain is called Tim. But I admire Tim’s commitment to the bit, esp. with the “kiss me now, Robbie” in the midst of their Great Polar Showdown.
Anyway, it may sound like I did not enjoy this, but that would be a lie, I read it in two sittings and had a great time. For one, it was my first sealing novel, I have done lots of whaling voyages but never gaffing seals before! For two, it was actually pretty well-written, in spite of the whatever-the-fuck-was-that-plot. Apparently Schull is a well-known Canadian playwright and historian. Love this for him, I guess? And I would recommend it to nobody, but I truly can’t give it less than a 2.5 stars.
For context: this was a $1 random boat novel picked up in a local secondhand bookstore earlier this year, as has become my summer tradition. I did not know what a “jinker” was and to be honest, I was too afraid to ask... but apparently it’s a Newfoundland term for a “Jonah”. It all makes sense now!
And I guess “villainous gay sailors” are kind of my shtick usually, but this one may have taken things too far with the irredeemably sadistic tortured gay man and the (OBVIOUSLY REPRESSED) Good Straight Guy Who Gets To Live. Also the villain is called Tim. But I admire Tim’s commitment to the bit, esp. with the “kiss me now, Robbie” in the midst of their Great Polar Showdown.
Anyway, it may sound like I did not enjoy this, but that would be a lie, I read it in two sittings and had a great time. For one, it was my first sealing novel, I have done lots of whaling voyages but never gaffing seals before! For two, it was actually pretty well-written, in spite of the whatever-the-fuck-was-that-plot. Apparently Schull is a well-known Canadian playwright and historian. Love this for him, I guess? And I would recommend it to nobody, but I truly can’t give it less than a 2.5 stars.
Displaying 1 of 1 review