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The Oxford Book of the Sea
Truly the source of eternal fascination, the sea is one of the enduring subjects of literature, and certainly the most protean. Indeed, the sea in literature is as liquid and as volatile as the sea in life, shaping itself anew for every writer and every generation. For Addison and Burke, it
was the realm of the sublime, of "foaming billows and floating mountains," of agreeable horror." For Romantics such as Turner, it was pure, unpent nature at its wildest and most magnificent, and for Coleridge, a mysterious and hallucinogenic place. And if for Melville it was a bountiful sea of
metaphor, for Ben Franklin it was devoid of metaphor but teeming with natural wonders, curiosities, and lessons.
Truly the source of eternal fascination, the sea is one of the enduring subjects of literature, and certainly the most protean. Now, inveterate sailor and bestselling author of Hunting Mister Heartbreak , Jonathan Rabam, has compiled a remarkable anthology of our changing visions of the sea, a rich
treasury of writings as varied and enthralling as the ocean itself. Arranged chronologically, and spanning everything from Anglo-Saxon poetry to modern oceanography, these excerpts capture the work of poets, novelists, scientists, explorers, in a collection that blends the practical with the
beautiful, the comic with the terrifying. Readers can savor Samuel Eliot Morison's picture of October spring tides on the coast of Maine, "when the blueberry bushes on top of the granite cliffs turn a brilliant crimson and the maple near shore sends up torches of gold and scarlet among the
evergreen, all reflected in the quiet waters." Or James Boswell's intimate portrait of Samuel Johnson below deck, "lying in philosophical tranquillity, with a greyhound of Col's at his back, keeping him warm." Or Dickens' comic memoir of being seasick on a rolling deck ("I found myself
standing...holding on to something. I don't know what. I think it was the or it may have been the or possibly the cow").
Those who love nature writing will find that Raban includes a wide selection, such as Darwin's account of the Beagle surging through a glimmering, phosphorescent nighttime sea, Rachel Carson's explanation of the color of the sea, and David Lewis's discovery that Pacific islanders navigate more
by feel than by sight, by the roll and pitch of their vessels as they corkscrew over the waves. And for everyone who loves great writing, Raban includes not only passages from the great sea classics--such as Moby Dick, The Old Man and the Sea, and Two Years Before the Mast --but also lesser-known
gems by writers such as Virginia Woolf, James Joyce, Elizabeth Bishop, E.B. White, Emily Dickinson, and John Barth.
Whether you love Darwin or Rachel Carson, Joseph Conrad or Robert Lowell, The Oxford Book of the Sea is as bountiful and alluring as its subject. For everyone interested in the sea, from sailors and beachcombers to armchair voyagers, and for everyone drawn to fine writing, this book is an
excursion you won't want to miss.
was the realm of the sublime, of "foaming billows and floating mountains," of agreeable horror." For Romantics such as Turner, it was pure, unpent nature at its wildest and most magnificent, and for Coleridge, a mysterious and hallucinogenic place. And if for Melville it was a bountiful sea of
metaphor, for Ben Franklin it was devoid of metaphor but teeming with natural wonders, curiosities, and lessons.
Truly the source of eternal fascination, the sea is one of the enduring subjects of literature, and certainly the most protean. Now, inveterate sailor and bestselling author of Hunting Mister Heartbreak , Jonathan Rabam, has compiled a remarkable anthology of our changing visions of the sea, a rich
treasury of writings as varied and enthralling as the ocean itself. Arranged chronologically, and spanning everything from Anglo-Saxon poetry to modern oceanography, these excerpts capture the work of poets, novelists, scientists, explorers, in a collection that blends the practical with the
beautiful, the comic with the terrifying. Readers can savor Samuel Eliot Morison's picture of October spring tides on the coast of Maine, "when the blueberry bushes on top of the granite cliffs turn a brilliant crimson and the maple near shore sends up torches of gold and scarlet among the
evergreen, all reflected in the quiet waters." Or James Boswell's intimate portrait of Samuel Johnson below deck, "lying in philosophical tranquillity, with a greyhound of Col's at his back, keeping him warm." Or Dickens' comic memoir of being seasick on a rolling deck ("I found myself
standing...holding on to something. I don't know what. I think it was the or it may have been the or possibly the cow").
Those who love nature writing will find that Raban includes a wide selection, such as Darwin's account of the Beagle surging through a glimmering, phosphorescent nighttime sea, Rachel Carson's explanation of the color of the sea, and David Lewis's discovery that Pacific islanders navigate more
by feel than by sight, by the roll and pitch of their vessels as they corkscrew over the waves. And for everyone who loves great writing, Raban includes not only passages from the great sea classics--such as Moby Dick, The Old Man and the Sea, and Two Years Before the Mast --but also lesser-known
gems by writers such as Virginia Woolf, James Joyce, Elizabeth Bishop, E.B. White, Emily Dickinson, and John Barth.
Whether you love Darwin or Rachel Carson, Joseph Conrad or Robert Lowell, The Oxford Book of the Sea is as bountiful and alluring as its subject. For everyone interested in the sea, from sailors and beachcombers to armchair voyagers, and for everyone drawn to fine writing, this book is an
excursion you won't want to miss.
542 pages, Paperback
First published May 7, 1992
About the author
Jonathan Raban
59 books193 followersBritish travel writer, critic and novelist
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan...
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 1, 2013
This a great book to have around when you're looking for a short read. I love literature and the sea, and I've probably read all of the stories several times.
January 8, 2022
"The sea is as near as we come to another world."
From the Anglo-Saxon poem, "The Seafarer" to 20th century literature, this volume serves as a particularly vast anthology of English literature concerning the sea. The hundreds of poems and excerpts from larger works where the sea plays a role illustrate the variety and depth literary depictions of marine world. Many of the "big hits" for maritime literature are included like Coleridge's "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," Poe's "A Descent into the Maelstrom," and excerpts from Melville's Moby Dick as well more obscure works. Raban's introduction chapter, meanwhile, draws out some of the overarching themes of the sea throughout the long history of its use in English literature. The Oxford Book of the Sea, is, then, helpful for any writing on the sea in any period to be reminded of the varied ways in which people have thought of the sea, and how that changes with the passage of time.
From the Anglo-Saxon poem, "The Seafarer" to 20th century literature, this volume serves as a particularly vast anthology of English literature concerning the sea. The hundreds of poems and excerpts from larger works where the sea plays a role illustrate the variety and depth literary depictions of marine world. Many of the "big hits" for maritime literature are included like Coleridge's "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," Poe's "A Descent into the Maelstrom," and excerpts from Melville's Moby Dick as well more obscure works. Raban's introduction chapter, meanwhile, draws out some of the overarching themes of the sea throughout the long history of its use in English literature. The Oxford Book of the Sea, is, then, helpful for any writing on the sea in any period to be reminded of the varied ways in which people have thought of the sea, and how that changes with the passage of time.
June 21, 2023
A wonderful collection of essays, poetry, and excerpts from classic and modern literature, on the fascination and magnetic appeal bodies of water have had on the human psyche throughout time. The collection was very thoughtfully put together, contains a wide array of classic authors.
I was disappointed there was not a Kindle version of this book, I would love it for when I go to the beach. (Hardback is heavy for a beach tote, no paperback version.)
I was disappointed there was not a Kindle version of this book, I would love it for when I go to the beach. (Hardback is heavy for a beach tote, no paperback version.)
June 14, 2012
If you love prose, and the sea, and aren't quite sure where to begin- here is the answer. Great excerpts, well choreographed, an excellent introduction to the sea and authors who have known her.
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June 26, 2010The Oxford Book of the Sea (Oxford Books of Prose) (2002)
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews