You Shall See the Beautiful Things: A Novel & A Nocturne

by Steve Amick

Envisioned as a “nocturne,” Steve Amick’s playful, multilayered novel expansively retells Eugene Field’s famed verse “Wynken, Blynken, and Nod.”

In the fishing village of Scheveningen in 1889, three men build and secretly launch an unorthodox fishing vessel, departing from the long tradition of netting herring using massive boats and large crews. Collaborating in this venture are Wyn van Winkel, a cavalier joker and opium addict currently AWOL from the Aceh War in Sumatra; Ned Nodder, a seasoned fisherman trying to support his family while plagued by narcolepsy and prophetic dreams; and Luuk Blenkin, a scattered young troubadour failing at love and searching for his place in the world.

As formally innovative as the “picarooner” this mismatched trio construct, the narrative lifts off into the fantastical, flitting between reality and irreality. Sparked by lines of the “Dutch lullaby,” the inexplicable adventure unfolds—and along the way, we learn of Wyn’s romantic recklessness, his broken relationship with his father, and the tragedies of war that scarred and changed him. We witness Ned’s unconventional path toward matrimony, as well as the painful loss that made his marriage a true union. We follow Luuk’s fumblings for purpose and fulfillment beyond the disgrace that befell his family and marred both his outlook and his prospects.

In the spirit of a nocturne, Steve Amick envelops his characters in the world of night and dreams. Lyrical, historical, surprising, magical, heartwarming, and heartbreaking, You Shall See the Beautiful Things will make readers look at the stars—and herring—in a new light.

300 pages, Paperback

Published May 26, 2023

Reviews

[April Baer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. The gently hypnotic beats of the story eased me along. I’m always interested in stories that address subjects like aging and war from different cultural perspectives, and Steve really did his homework on this one. The guiding principle….it wasn’t whimsy exactly. Maybe wonder? Or openness to what life sends your way? I would not have called myself a fan of19th century Dutch culture and what it did to the rest of the world, but this was such a lovely story that showed the west and tear within the country, as well. Just a great way to turn pages in the summer, when my brain needs a stretch.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magical!

[Bernie Hafeli · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a fan of Steve Amick’s previous novels, I was unprepared for the dreamlike, fantastical narrative that is "You Shall See the Beautiful Things." Realism is replaced by magical realism in this inventive, richly textured novel that reimagines Eugene Field’s “Wynken, Blynken and Nod.” In the Dutch fishing village of Scheveningen, Field’s characters take on flesh and blood as three men who build an unlikely fishing vessel and set off on an otherworldly fishing trip that takes them from the moonlit North Sea up to the stars. Amick calls his book a nocturne and a novel, and in that spirit the action slips seamlessly between dreamscape and reality. The voyage among the stars is countered by the real-life drama of opium addiction, Dutch life in 1889, and the brutal Aceh War in Sumatra.
It is a credit to Amick’s gifts as a writer that we’re never left adrift between what’s real and what’s magical. The course runs true and the effect is transcendent. The fantasy feels like a necessary ingredient in a lesson about the possibilities inherent in the world, and the messy, hopeful business of being human. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Count me in for Amick’s next journey.

[Fred Melton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I tend to be reticent about reading books with glossaries (I'm too lazy). And I nearly always avoid "fantasy."

I am SO GLAD I didn't follow my instincts.

Amick's book, at its conclusion, had me tearing up. The love he exudes for his characters, for storytelling, permeates his book. The twist at the end I never saw coming. And the craving to get there--to arrive at such a perfect ending--is what made me read this nocturne/love story in four days.

Please don't miss such an opportunity.

[Kim Landris · Rating 4 out of 5]

The world between the lines of the Wynken, Blynken and Nod lullaby is beautifully conjured as the fishermen embark on their expedition. Each character and the community they live in is slowly and interestingly developed and full of connections with historical events and people.

[Sharyl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous writing. The characters are beautifully developed and the story is intriguing. I always loved the poem it’s inspired by. So cool to read about the fishermen 3.

[Meg Delaney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! It’s playful, imaginative, and poignant. Amick’s story-behind-the-story took me exactly where I wanted to be…floating among the moon and stars!