The Voyage of the Narwhal (Paperback, New Ed)

There's nothing as stirring as a good seafaring tale. The beckoning horizon, the unfathomable depths, the battle between man and the sea, all lend themselves to fabulous fiction. But this book is far more than an adventure yarn. Erasmus Darwin Wells is a naturalist on the Narwhal. It's the 1850s, and they're heading North to determine what happened to polar explorer Franklin and his men. Erasmus is our narrator and our eyes. We sail along with him, burying fellow crew members, suffering scurvy and getting trapped through the sunless winter in the never-ending ice. Erasmus is the best kind of hero, because he is flawed and horribly human. Just when he is supposed to be proving his Victorian manliness as a member of an exploratory expedition, he is scared, troubled and unsure. As dense and as detailed as Moby Dick, The Voyage of the Narwhal takes a classic tale of exploration and turns it into an intimate account of one man's personal journey. (Kirkus UK)

"Zeke Voorhies is commanding an expedition which sets sail from Massachusetts to discover the fate of Sir John Franklin who vanished in the far north. In his company of disgruntled sailors and misfits is Erasmus Darwin Wells, a middle-aged naturalist whose life, until now, has been a series of frustrations and disappointments. It is nit quite right to call Erasmus the hero of this story; heroism is not his line. Yet it is his vision which shapes the novel. Barrett's treatment of character is subtle and powerful. The awkward Erasmus, the dashing Zeke, thoughtful surgeon Dr Boerhaave: all are brought to alive with tenderness and insight. Andrea Barrett has an original, memorable voice. 'The Voyage of the Narwhal' is strange and rare, a journey to the unexplored lands that lie in the distant latitudes and exist inside us all. Wrap up warm and come aboard."
ERICA WAGNER 'The Times'

"This is a fabulous novel…exciting, sensual, brilliantly executed and, as I the great novels, the exterior voyage becomes the metaphor for the unfolding of the human spirit."
ELIZABETH BUCHAN

"Half boy's adventure story of the highest class, half a kind of meditation on the nature of human curiosity, 'The Voyage of the Narwhal' is wonderful stuff. The first thing I did on finishing it was to sit down and start again."
D.J.TAYLOR 'Spectator'

"Full of blood-freezing surprises, a score of indelible characters and heart-stopping mysteries. It is amazing the most emotionally wrenching, subtle works of the century."
AMAZON.COM

"A twisting novel…subtle and deft…shadowing and ambiguous."
JOANNA GRIFFITHS, 'Observer'

General

Imprint:	Flamingo
Country of origin:	United Kingdom
Release date:	March 2000
Authors:	Andrea Barrett
Dimensions:	198 x 129 x 24mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Paperback
Pages:	400
Edition:	New Ed
ISBN-13:	978-0-00-655141-6
Categories:	Books > Fiction > General
LSN:	0-00-655141-6
Barcode:	9780006551416

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