Oy vey. A death match between Stoner and Moby Dick was never going to work for me, and nearly pitched my reading slump into a full blown coma. All I wanted was a book about Svalbard! Can someone please write a chick lit novel set in modern times on the island, please? Miserable white men need not apply and definitely no animal cruelty ('hey, here's a vomit-inducing description of a baby seal being skinned alive, which will be repeated later on in the book because grr, two for one deal on the macho bullshit'). The author gets a bonus point for fully embracing the nineteenth century style of drawn out expositional narrative, however - I hated every page, but the dedication was full on. ( )

Spoilers:

Author chose to show authenticity by graphic detail of torture/destruction of animals. I wanted to read the rest of the book but I couldn't. I recommend not trying. ( )

Arctic whaler Thomas Cave, took up a wager to spend the winter of 1616 alone at the whaling station. He was given generous provisions that would last until the following summer when the appropriately named ship Heartsease would return. Darkness and solitude played with Cave's mind bringing visions of his wife and child who both died at the birth, explaining the heartache that moved him to take on this self-induced penance. Harding's writing is poetic and sonorous, recreating 17th century style. Descriptions of the gory whaling compares starkly with the pristine icy wilderness coinciding with a revelation of sorts to Cave who recognizes the repellent nature of the work. In beautiful prose, Harding has created a moody, thought-provoking story with foreshadowing of modern ecological danger. ( )

One of the fascinations of this novel is the constantly changing point of view. Although the theme is solitude, or perhaps because of that, the tale is not left to one voice. There is the journal of the crewman of a whaling ship who spends a winter in the Arctic, the narrative of that episode, and the view of a companion sailor beforehand and afterwards. Solitude changes Thomas Cave, but it is perhaps in the observation of him, rather than by him, that the effect is best seen. This, of course, raises the question of how well we see ourselves, and allows comparative views of attitudes and behaviour.

The Arctic descriptions stand out, and the mental battles during the winter are given a good portrait. Perhaps the final third of the book drags somewhat in an attempt to add tension to our discovery of what the experience has done to the eponymous hero. Perhaps the age, the early-to-mid 17th century, could be given better detail and atmosphere. But this is certainly a worthwhile read. ( )

A superb book - I wasn't at all sure what to expect with this, and it's outside my normal parameters for a book to pick up, but I was glad I did. This manages to be original, gripping, thought provoking, easily read but deeply rewarding. Read it. ( )