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Deep Water Blues
Inspired by a true story, artfully told by the author of Searching for Bobby A Bahamian island becomes a battleground for a savage private war. Charismatic expat Bobby Little built his own funky version of paradise on the remote island of Rum Cay, a place where ambitious sport fishermen docked their yachts for fine French cuisine and crowded the bar to boast of big blue marlin catches while Bobby refilled their cognac on the house. Larger than life, Bobby was really the main a visionary entrepreneur, expert archer, reef surfer, bush pilot, master chef, seductive conversationalist. But after tragedy shatters the tranquility of Bobby’s marina, tourists stop visiting and simmering jealousies flare among island residents. And when a cruel, different kind of self-made entrepreneur challenges Bobby for control of the docks, all hell breaks loose. As the cobalt blue Bahamian waters run red with blood, the man who made Rum Cay his home will be lucky if he gets off the island alive . . . When the Ebb Tide cruises four hundred miles southeast from Fort Lauderdale to Rum Cay, its captain finds the Bahamian island paradise he so fondly remembers drastically altered. Shoal covers the marina entrance, the beaches are deserted, and on shore there is a small cemetery with headstones overturned and bones sticking up through the sand. What happened to Bobby’s paradise?
- GenresLiterary Fiction
162 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 28, 2019
43 people are currently reading
103 people want to read
About the author
Fred Waitzkin
12 books36 followersFred Waitzkin was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1943. When he was a teenager he wavered between wanting to spend his life as a fisherman, Afro Cuban drummer or novelist. He went to Kenyon College and did graduate study at New York University. His work has appeared in Esquire, New York magazine, the New York Times Sunday Magazine, the New York Times Book Review, Outside, Sports Illustrated, Forbes, the Huffington Post, and the Daily Beast, among other publications. His memoir, Searching for Bobby Fischer, was made into a major motion picture released in 1993. His other books are Mortal Games, The Last Marlin, and The Dream Merchant. Recently, he has completed an original screenplay, The Rave. Waitzkin lives in Manhattan with his wife, Bonnie, and has two children, Josh and Katya, and two grandsons, Jack and Charlie. He spends as much time as possible on the bridge of his old boat, The Ebb Tide, trolling baits off distant islands with his family. His novel, Deep Water Blues, will be published in spring 2019. You can find more on Fred Waitzkin at his website or check out some exclusive content on Facebook.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
May 25, 2019
When it’s time for a man to go, he’ll go whether he’s holding’ on or not
What a satisfying novella, a fable of the war over an island paradise that says exactly what it needs to convey without any extra filler. Fred Waitzkin is masterful in bringing to life the paradise of Rum Cay, its importance to the main characters and in a burst of metafiction, inserts himself, his aged fishingboat Ebb Tide, his friends, and the artist John Mitchell who provides the haunting images that enhance the narrative.
What a satisfying novella, a fable of the war over an island paradise that says exactly what it needs to convey without any extra filler. Fred Waitzkin is masterful in bringing to life the paradise of Rum Cay, its importance to the main characters and in a burst of metafiction, inserts himself, his aged fishingboat Ebb Tide, his friends, and the artist John Mitchell who provides the haunting images that enhance the narrative.
July 25, 2019
I remember my first trip to the Bahamas back in the early 80's on the dive boat Sea Dragon out of Ft. Lauderdale cruising the Exumas. Some years later we returned to Bimini for a drift dive in the Gulf Stream along the continental shelf. An amazing experience, hanging on the end of a weighted line at 120 foot depth and looking down into crystal clear water stretching thousands of feet down. Saw huge fish hundreds of feet below me that I thought might have been sharks but were actually large tuna. The fact that I was hanging bait came to mind. Interesting to party where Hemingway used to and see such sights as the plane laying in a lagoon, abandoned by drug dealers. My last trip was sailing on a 40 foot sailboat to get my bareboat certification. Still remember the stacks of Ft. Lauderdale disappearing on 5/20 at 5:20. No longer any trace of land, only water as far as one can see.
During our Exumas trip we made an island stop and found the remains of what was to have been a resort. We ambled around the abandoned buildings and the unfinished swimming pool and barbecue area and mentally made up stories as to what may have happened. Out of money? No demand? Death of a partner? Who knows?
So when I stumbled across this book based, somewhat, on a true happening, my Bahamian memories came flooding back. The book centers on a private "war" about an island development and is extremely well written with great descriptive powers. The prior book I had read by Fred "Searching for Bobby Fischer" was well done so I was anticipating some high quality writing. However, as I settled into the story and things began to unfold, I glanced down at the bottom of the kindle page and noted it said I was 50% through. Say what? I was just getting started! So somewhat of a disappointment to find this is a novella, not a full grown book. I've since noted the paperback is 160 pages.
Still, interesting characters, great setting, and interesting story. Nastier sharks and more of them than I ever encountered. Not sure if I buy the bit about the thumb drive, but, hey, you decide.
During our Exumas trip we made an island stop and found the remains of what was to have been a resort. We ambled around the abandoned buildings and the unfinished swimming pool and barbecue area and mentally made up stories as to what may have happened. Out of money? No demand? Death of a partner? Who knows?
So when I stumbled across this book based, somewhat, on a true happening, my Bahamian memories came flooding back. The book centers on a private "war" about an island development and is extremely well written with great descriptive powers. The prior book I had read by Fred "Searching for Bobby Fischer" was well done so I was anticipating some high quality writing. However, as I settled into the story and things began to unfold, I glanced down at the bottom of the kindle page and noted it said I was 50% through. Say what? I was just getting started! So somewhat of a disappointment to find this is a novella, not a full grown book. I've since noted the paperback is 160 pages.
Still, interesting characters, great setting, and interesting story. Nastier sharks and more of them than I ever encountered. Not sure if I buy the bit about the thumb drive, but, hey, you decide.
June 11, 2019
I enjoyed reading this Bahamian novella, inspired by true events and time spent on the remote island of Rum Cay. The story was well written and painted an entertaining, yet tragic picture of the locals on the island.
April 26, 2019
When I read the summary for this book, I was intrigued. However, when the book came and I was ready to pick it up, I had started to have doubts. Yet, it was apparent early on that I had nothing to fear. Mr. Waitzkin weaves a rich storyline with memorable characters that flows like poetry. This book is a nice escape from my normal reading.
While, I liked all of the characters in this book, it was Bobby that was the shining star of the book. He had this ease and chill vibe attitude about him that made you want to be his friend. In fact, he had a lot of friends. However, when the new guy in town comes and starts threating Bobby; Bobby does not back down. He makes a stand and fights.
This is a quick read. I instantly got a mental image of what Bobby looked like as well as the island and the other people. Like I said this book read kind of like poetry. I am so impressed with this book that I will be checking out more books from Mr. Waitzkin.
While, I liked all of the characters in this book, it was Bobby that was the shining star of the book. He had this ease and chill vibe attitude about him that made you want to be his friend. In fact, he had a lot of friends. However, when the new guy in town comes and starts threating Bobby; Bobby does not back down. He makes a stand and fights.
This is a quick read. I instantly got a mental image of what Bobby looked like as well as the island and the other people. Like I said this book read kind of like poetry. I am so impressed with this book that I will be checking out more books from Mr. Waitzkin.
June 20, 2019
A capturing tale of stories within stories,
brilliant characters, and the drama that unfolds on a small island in the Bahamas. Has the feel of Gatsby in the Caribbean.
brilliant characters, and the drama that unfolds on a small island in the Bahamas. Has the feel of Gatsby in the Caribbean.
August 24, 2019
For a story that runs about 140 pages, there’s a lot going on here. And I’m still putting together what I understand ofit.
This is the story of Bobby Little, an eccentric, entrepreneurial, resourceful, and flawed man who has settled himself into Rum Cay, his own personal little kingdom in the Caribbeean.
Bobby has built Rum Cay into a kind of eclectic dreamscape, with a marina, guesthouses, a bar and restaurant, and Bobby’s own carvings from coral. As haphazard as it may seem, it’s successful in Bobby’s terms. Well-to-do travelers and sport fishermen frequent the Cay, and Bobby is the local celebrity host.
There are other local characters — Bobby’s right-hand man, Rasta, Rasta’s friend Biggy, Mike the reclusive writer living in a derelict sailboat, Flo who sings in an arrestingly beautiful voice while working in Bobby’s kitchen . . . and there’s Dennis, Bobby’s sometimes-partner.
Rum Cay, like any other Bahamian island is always living at the mercy of nature — storms, seas, and sharks. But ultimately, conflict between Bobby’s self-made dream life and Dennis’s less haphazard and massively ego-driven dream of his own blows the story up.
From Bobby’s perspective, Dennis is stealing Rum Cay from him. It’s not just business — it’s Bobby’s dream that Dennis is stealing.
Dennis’s methods are ruthless. And when Bobby strikes back, he does it like a crazed man defending his life’s dream, which is exactly who he is.
There’s a new ingredient in the middle by this time, though. Hannah is Bobby’s much younger bride, and also part of his dream. She’s a kind of enigmatic character. She’s making banana bread while Bobby’s in a life and death struggle. She doesn’t seem to get it, but maybe she does, and maybe something about what she gets is what could save Bobby.
Meanwhile Dennis has his own problems. There’s a “reap what you sow” anvil floating over his head.
I won’t spoil the ending. Some of it is straightforward, but there are pieces to fit together on your own.
The story is told in a first person narrative that I have to admit I found a little awkwardly inserted at times. The narrator is the author himself, and he visits Rum Cay as a nostalgic traveler, with a crew that includes the book’s illustrator, John. Waitzkin has said that several of the other characters are actual people. Rum Cay is a real place as well.
The non-fictional elements — Waitzkin has also said that the story is inspired by a real story — reflect Waitzkin’s way of writing. His best known work, Searching for Bobby Fischer, is a fictionalized memoir. The framing story here brings the author into the story, makes it a part of a reality for us as readers. We know that this is not just something he imagined — in some sense it’s a story he lived.
This is the story of Bobby Little, an eccentric, entrepreneurial, resourceful, and flawed man who has settled himself into Rum Cay, his own personal little kingdom in the Caribbeean.
Bobby has built Rum Cay into a kind of eclectic dreamscape, with a marina, guesthouses, a bar and restaurant, and Bobby’s own carvings from coral. As haphazard as it may seem, it’s successful in Bobby’s terms. Well-to-do travelers and sport fishermen frequent the Cay, and Bobby is the local celebrity host.
There are other local characters — Bobby’s right-hand man, Rasta, Rasta’s friend Biggy, Mike the reclusive writer living in a derelict sailboat, Flo who sings in an arrestingly beautiful voice while working in Bobby’s kitchen . . . and there’s Dennis, Bobby’s sometimes-partner.
Rum Cay, like any other Bahamian island is always living at the mercy of nature — storms, seas, and sharks. But ultimately, conflict between Bobby’s self-made dream life and Dennis’s less haphazard and massively ego-driven dream of his own blows the story up.
From Bobby’s perspective, Dennis is stealing Rum Cay from him. It’s not just business — it’s Bobby’s dream that Dennis is stealing.
Dennis’s methods are ruthless. And when Bobby strikes back, he does it like a crazed man defending his life’s dream, which is exactly who he is.
There’s a new ingredient in the middle by this time, though. Hannah is Bobby’s much younger bride, and also part of his dream. She’s a kind of enigmatic character. She’s making banana bread while Bobby’s in a life and death struggle. She doesn’t seem to get it, but maybe she does, and maybe something about what she gets is what could save Bobby.
Meanwhile Dennis has his own problems. There’s a “reap what you sow” anvil floating over his head.
I won’t spoil the ending. Some of it is straightforward, but there are pieces to fit together on your own.
The story is told in a first person narrative that I have to admit I found a little awkwardly inserted at times. The narrator is the author himself, and he visits Rum Cay as a nostalgic traveler, with a crew that includes the book’s illustrator, John. Waitzkin has said that several of the other characters are actual people. Rum Cay is a real place as well.
The non-fictional elements — Waitzkin has also said that the story is inspired by a real story — reflect Waitzkin’s way of writing. His best known work, Searching for Bobby Fischer, is a fictionalized memoir. The framing story here brings the author into the story, makes it a part of a reality for us as readers. We know that this is not just something he imagined — in some sense it’s a story he lived.
June 1, 2019
Read my full review here: https://mimi-cyberlibrarian.blogspot....
It is always a lovely experience when you open a book with no anticipation, and then find that it matches your reading ideals. Such was the case with the novella, Deep Water Blues by Fred Waitzkin. It is the story of a paradise island in the Caribbean called Rum Cay that becomes paradise lost. It is the story of greed and misplaced expectations, love and lust, and great loss.
While the author himself is a character in the book, the main character is an expat named Bobby Little who has created a small paradise on a remote island in the Caribbean. The boat dock, the restaurant where Bobby is the chef, and the entertainment are all courtesy of Bobby. But then, suddenly, things change. Tragedy strikes when a boat carrying Haitian migrants capsizes in the harbor, and the grisly shark-eaten bodies cast a pall over the island. Bobby struggles to regain his footing and becomes threatened by a business partner, Dennis, who conspires to take over Bobby’s kingdom.
What makes the story unique is the insertion of Fred Waitzkin, the author, into the story line as an observer to the plot. He acts as a quasi-narrator, although he is not in every scene. He is on his fishing boat, the Ebb Tide, with a couple of buddies and an artist, John Mitchell, whose drawings become an integral part of the book. He says, “Many times I’ve made the long ocean voyage to Rum Cay to troll off the southeast corner of the island. But my fishing ardor has often been dwarfed by surprises onshore, where breezy sensuous nights plunge me back into the yearnings of a younger man and where I’ve met maimed and beautiful people on the dock and a few that were evil beyond redemption.”
Somehow, Waitzkin’s addition of himself into the plot lends authenticity to the story. What is true? What isn’t? This is a great plot device and kept me reading through a lot of grisly stuff. What was going to happen next? How would it end?
Deep Water Blues is not a book I would have picked up to read on my own, which made the surprise of good writing and fascinating plot all the more desirable. Thanks to the publicist for introducing me to a a very interesting read.
Fred Waitzkin is the author of the memoir, Searching for Bobby Fischer, which told the story of his son Josh, a child prodigy and chess expert. Many will remember the movie based on his book.
It is always a lovely experience when you open a book with no anticipation, and then find that it matches your reading ideals. Such was the case with the novella, Deep Water Blues by Fred Waitzkin. It is the story of a paradise island in the Caribbean called Rum Cay that becomes paradise lost. It is the story of greed and misplaced expectations, love and lust, and great loss.
While the author himself is a character in the book, the main character is an expat named Bobby Little who has created a small paradise on a remote island in the Caribbean. The boat dock, the restaurant where Bobby is the chef, and the entertainment are all courtesy of Bobby. But then, suddenly, things change. Tragedy strikes when a boat carrying Haitian migrants capsizes in the harbor, and the grisly shark-eaten bodies cast a pall over the island. Bobby struggles to regain his footing and becomes threatened by a business partner, Dennis, who conspires to take over Bobby’s kingdom.
What makes the story unique is the insertion of Fred Waitzkin, the author, into the story line as an observer to the plot. He acts as a quasi-narrator, although he is not in every scene. He is on his fishing boat, the Ebb Tide, with a couple of buddies and an artist, John Mitchell, whose drawings become an integral part of the book. He says, “Many times I’ve made the long ocean voyage to Rum Cay to troll off the southeast corner of the island. But my fishing ardor has often been dwarfed by surprises onshore, where breezy sensuous nights plunge me back into the yearnings of a younger man and where I’ve met maimed and beautiful people on the dock and a few that were evil beyond redemption.”
Somehow, Waitzkin’s addition of himself into the plot lends authenticity to the story. What is true? What isn’t? This is a great plot device and kept me reading through a lot of grisly stuff. What was going to happen next? How would it end?
Deep Water Blues is not a book I would have picked up to read on my own, which made the surprise of good writing and fascinating plot all the more desirable. Thanks to the publicist for introducing me to a a very interesting read.
Fred Waitzkin is the author of the memoir, Searching for Bobby Fischer, which told the story of his son Josh, a child prodigy and chess expert. Many will remember the movie based on his book.
May 28, 2019
This is a story about creating beauty and prosperity in the already gorgeous Bahama Island. On the Island of Rum Cay, Bobby Little uses his popularity to create businesses that offer superb hospitality and atmosphere to welcome rich tourists. He’s very good at it but unconsciously elicits jealousy from those less successful. Fisherman are more than welcome here and Bobby often dreams of catching a huge marlin, yes like something out of the book or movie The Old Man and the Sea.
Tragedy strikes when numerous Haitian refugees around found dead after their boat fails and Bobby and his friends have to find and bury more bodies than anyone could imagine. It changes everything, casting gloom and horror over the whole area. It certainly changes Bobby who takes off for his annual European visit and returns to find someone else has begun to develop the marina at Rum Cay and elsewhere. Bobby at first is friendly about it but when the challenge becomes less than friendly, Bobby meets it head-on. And his nemesis Dennis will come to an untimely demise!
Fred Waitzkin is a highly skilled writer who knows how to depict beautiful scenery, love of water life, marinas and beach life as well as outstanding character development. Bobby is a charismatic individual whose magnanimous nature is what attracts people to his marina. He is never demanding or demeaning and is without grandiose dreams although he could be if financial developer if he chose such a goal. One reads and picks up the peaceful nature of Bobby’s world but then feels the tension when Dennis enters the scene with his grand plans. Islands are places of peace, not meant for violence and competition. Run Cay’s integrity is maintained through the natural development of change and conflict. Finely crafted, Fred Waitzkin!
Tragedy strikes when numerous Haitian refugees around found dead after their boat fails and Bobby and his friends have to find and bury more bodies than anyone could imagine. It changes everything, casting gloom and horror over the whole area. It certainly changes Bobby who takes off for his annual European visit and returns to find someone else has begun to develop the marina at Rum Cay and elsewhere. Bobby at first is friendly about it but when the challenge becomes less than friendly, Bobby meets it head-on. And his nemesis Dennis will come to an untimely demise!
Fred Waitzkin is a highly skilled writer who knows how to depict beautiful scenery, love of water life, marinas and beach life as well as outstanding character development. Bobby is a charismatic individual whose magnanimous nature is what attracts people to his marina. He is never demanding or demeaning and is without grandiose dreams although he could be if financial developer if he chose such a goal. One reads and picks up the peaceful nature of Bobby’s world but then feels the tension when Dennis enters the scene with his grand plans. Islands are places of peace, not meant for violence and competition. Run Cay’s integrity is maintained through the natural development of change and conflict. Finely crafted, Fred Waitzkin!
April 15, 2024
While 'Deep Water Blues' by Fred Waitzkin is eloquently penned, capturing the seductive yet perilous atmosphere of a Caribbean paradise, it ultimately falls short in delivering a compelling narrative. The novel offers reflections on what constitutes the best life, the nature of human desires, and the concept of new beginnings from loss. However, these philosophical musings feel superficial, lacking depth and significant insight. Additionally, the narrative hints that patience might not always be rewarded, but this message is lost in a plot that meanders and fails to produce substantial or satisfying events. Despite the promising setup and thematic ambitions, the book struggles to maintain momentum and leaves the reader wanting more substance.
May 8, 2019
Deep Water Blues by Fred Waitzkin
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked up this book. It is a character study of both the author and the main protagonist, Bobby. The author is a fan of the Bahamas and sailing or perhaps fishing more than sailing. Bobby’s story is fictional but Rum Cay, the story’s location, has had a tumultuous history.
Larger than life Bobby turned his island port into a destination by sheer personality. That led to some problems particularly when Dennis, a questionable character, arrived.
This really is a good character study. There is also some karma involved.
I enjoyed the book.
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked up this book. It is a character study of both the author and the main protagonist, Bobby. The author is a fan of the Bahamas and sailing or perhaps fishing more than sailing. Bobby’s story is fictional but Rum Cay, the story’s location, has had a tumultuous history.
Larger than life Bobby turned his island port into a destination by sheer personality. That led to some problems particularly when Dennis, a questionable character, arrived.
This really is a good character study. There is also some karma involved.
I enjoyed the book.
March 16, 2019
I liked this novella. The fishing stories reminded me of The Old Man and The Sea and the island stories reminded me of the John Steinbeck Monterey stories. There was more action than these other novels though but the characters were familiar.
Read
August 10, 2019A delightful read about an island that seems so full of characters and stories, it has to be fiction, but is in fact real. Fred’s knowledge of fishing and boats + John’s beautiful drawings have created a unique experience.
September 22, 2020
I found the writing disconnected and couldn’t keep all the characters straight, even though the book is really short. Amazing that it’s inspired by real events—the Haitian refugees!—but I didn’t connect with it.
November 12, 2019
Evocative of my years as a live aboard. Those islands are familiar to me as are the voices if not the specific persons. Excellent story.
December 21, 2020
too much deep emotion too quickly...couldn't keep up
June 29, 2019
Sharks beneath the sparkling surface
I started reading Deep Water Blues around midnight thinking I’d dip into it a little and then sleep. I was wrong. I enjoyed the story and the way it was told so much that I lost track of time and read straight through till I finished it at 3.30 a.m! I now have two pleasures to look forward to. Reading Deep Water Blues again. And going deep water fishing with Fred Waitzkin one day!
Most people are comfortably blind to the dramas unfolding in the people whose lives they touch. Not Fred Waitzkin. He sees below the surface of life as if he is snorkeling though it, watching the curling sharks single out their overconfident prey. Whilst some novelists give you characters who are “larger than life” Waitzkin gives you characters that are the very essence of life itself. From his fishing companions to the denizens of Rum Cay the truth of his cast of personalities is beyond question. They people his world and bring life to its dramas and comedies so seamlessly that we understand instinctively what attracts them to him and him to them.
I've not been to Rum Cay but, thanks to Fred I have shared its first beginnings, it’s glory days as an ‘in' spot for the high-ranking deep water fishing set, it’s tragic downfall and the subsequent redemption of its crazed poster-boy king via an unlikely – or perhaps not – life of caring animal husbandry.
Fred Waitzkin has a way of getting inside the people he meets along the path of his extraordinary life and bringing them us lovingly as part of his own ongoing adventure. And then there is the fishing. Without the aggressive machismo of Hemingway Fred brings us aboard his beloved old boat and skippers us from Bimini through the far-flung islands of the Bahamas trolling, spinning, hooking, maneuvering, reeling in generously willing success for his crew of old friends the releasing the magnificent marlins or capturing the succulent mahi mami for a celebratory feast. His love of the sport and his knowledge of the seas that sustain it are a gift he offers us effortlessly and with real affection.
I started reading Deep Water Blues around midnight thinking I’d dip into it a little and then sleep. I was wrong. I enjoyed the story and the way it was told so much that I lost track of time and read straight through till I finished it at 3.30 a.m! I now have two pleasures to look forward to. Reading Deep Water Blues again. And going deep water fishing with Fred Waitzkin one day!
Most people are comfortably blind to the dramas unfolding in the people whose lives they touch. Not Fred Waitzkin. He sees below the surface of life as if he is snorkeling though it, watching the curling sharks single out their overconfident prey. Whilst some novelists give you characters who are “larger than life” Waitzkin gives you characters that are the very essence of life itself. From his fishing companions to the denizens of Rum Cay the truth of his cast of personalities is beyond question. They people his world and bring life to its dramas and comedies so seamlessly that we understand instinctively what attracts them to him and him to them.
I've not been to Rum Cay but, thanks to Fred I have shared its first beginnings, it’s glory days as an ‘in' spot for the high-ranking deep water fishing set, it’s tragic downfall and the subsequent redemption of its crazed poster-boy king via an unlikely – or perhaps not – life of caring animal husbandry.
Fred Waitzkin has a way of getting inside the people he meets along the path of his extraordinary life and bringing them us lovingly as part of his own ongoing adventure. And then there is the fishing. Without the aggressive machismo of Hemingway Fred brings us aboard his beloved old boat and skippers us from Bimini through the far-flung islands of the Bahamas trolling, spinning, hooking, maneuvering, reeling in generously willing success for his crew of old friends the releasing the magnificent marlins or capturing the succulent mahi mami for a celebratory feast. His love of the sport and his knowledge of the seas that sustain it are a gift he offers us effortlessly and with real affection.
June 3, 2019
Deep Water Blues is a cinematic gem, blurring the lines between fiction and reality, that weaves a cautionary tale about the price of unchecked ambition. From the opening pages, which juxtapose a Gatsby-like opulent feast with deadly catastrophe in the shark-infested sea, I knew that this compact novel would be difficult to put down. I ended up devouring it in two short sittings.
The characters are vivid and nuanced. Many of their portraits, drawn by the artist John Mitchell -- who is also a character in the story -- accompany Waitzkin's prose. Perhaps most captivating of all is the protagonist, Bobby Little, a self-proclaimed pirate who finds himself in the middle of a bloody power struggle for the island paradise he has cultivated.
Drawing thematically and stylistically from classic ocean adventures of the past, such as Lord Jim and The Old Man and the Sea, Deep Water Blues feels refreshingly modern with Waitzkin's eye for character, color, and narrative arch. It's best enjoyed on a quiet summer evening, preferably by or on a body of water, with an adventure planned for the next morning.
The characters are vivid and nuanced. Many of their portraits, drawn by the artist John Mitchell -- who is also a character in the story -- accompany Waitzkin's prose. Perhaps most captivating of all is the protagonist, Bobby Little, a self-proclaimed pirate who finds himself in the middle of a bloody power struggle for the island paradise he has cultivated.
Drawing thematically and stylistically from classic ocean adventures of the past, such as Lord Jim and The Old Man and the Sea, Deep Water Blues feels refreshingly modern with Waitzkin's eye for character, color, and narrative arch. It's best enjoyed on a quiet summer evening, preferably by or on a body of water, with an adventure planned for the next morning.
November 11, 2019
Audible Audiobook: Incredible novel: luscious literary scenery; deep, well-developed characters; acts of selfless heroism, friendship, betrayal, deception, a tropical paradise, a desecrated graveyard, greed, redemption: it’s all here in beautiful lyrical poetic prose, excellently narrated. Highly recommended.
July 27, 2019
Wonderful characters and very well written. Two intertwined stories involving a fishing trip and a marina on Rum Cay. A great beach read.
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April 15, 2019Deep Water Blues is a remarkably well-written story by Fred Waitzkin. A lovely read with gorgeous illustrations throughout. The characters are well-developed with a depth to them that makes it easy to picture yourself being friends with them. Waitzkin has a way of writing that is vivid and real making it hard to put down. Deep Water Blues is a wonderful fast-paced read.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews