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Group Reads -> January 2020 -> Nomination thread (A nautical book won by Typhoon by Joseph Conrad)
So many great ideas for this theme. I can't wait to see what others nominate.
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HMS Ulysses (1955) by Alistair MacLean
The story of heroism which sold millions globally.
HMS Ulysses is up there with The Caine Mutiny and The Cruel Sea as one of the classic novels of the navy at war.
Alistair MacLean takes his inspiration from his own extensive experience as an RN sailor in the Atlantic and Arctic convoys.
Ulysses is a ship with a broken and troubled crew, close to mutiny and exhausted beyond recall from previous forays into the Arctic. Alistair MacLean continues to increase the tension on the ship by appalling weather conditions and the privations of a ruthless, determined and resourceful enemy.
An unrelentingly compelling and deeply moving page-turner of a novel
I already know which I will support - I think it's been nominated already ...But just in case Nigeyb's post didn't count: Master & Commander, by Patrick O'Brian. The best of all the Napoleonic Naval series (and I read most of them in my time - Bolitho, Drinkwater, Hornblower, Ramage ...)
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NOMINATIONS SO FAR:
Nigeyb: HMS Ulysses by Alistair MacLean
Rosina: Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian
I’m having a Thomas Cromwell-themed January. I shall read Thomas Cromwell: A Life before the buddy read of Wolf Hall. I think I could only manage a short nautical read in addition to this, so here’s my nomination:Every Man for Himself
This is the blurb from Amazon: ‘Shortlisted for the Booker Prize. For the four fraught, mysterious days of her doomed maiden voyage in 1912, the Titanic sails towards New York, glittering with luxury, freighted with millionaires and hopefuls. In her labyrinthine passageways are played out the last, secret hours of a small group of passengers, their fate sealed in prose of startling, sublime beauty, as Beryl Bainbridge's haunting masterpiece moves inexorably to its known and terrible end.’
Sounds good.
I will nominate A High Wind in Jamaica by Richard HughesNew edition of a classic adventure novel and one of the most startling, highly praised stories in English literature - a brilliant chronicle of two sensitive children's violent voyage from innocence to experience.
After a terrible hurricane levels their Jamaican estate, the Bas-Thorntons decide to send their children back to the safety and comfort of England. On the way their ship is set upon by pirates, and the children are accidentally transferred to the pirate vessel. Jonsen, the well-meaning pirate captain, doesn't know how to dispose of his new cargo, while the children adjust with surprising ease to their new life. As this strange company drifts around the Caribbean, events turn more frightening and the pirates find themselves increasingly incriminated by the children's fates. The most shocking betrayal, however, will take place only after the return to civilization.
The swift, almost hallucinatory action of Hughes's novel, together with its provocative insight into the psychology of children, made it a best seller when it was first published in 1929 and has since established it as a classic of twentieth-century literature - an unequaled exploration of the nature, and limits, of innocence.
I'm more of a non-fiction reader. Came up with a few suggestions but haven't really decided on a nominee yet.The Wreck of the Whaleship Essex by Owen Chase or perhaps Nathaniel Philbrick's version, In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex.
In the Wake of Madness: The Murderous Voyage of the Whaleship Sharon by Joan Druett, The Bounty: The True Story of the Mutiny on the Bounty by Caroline Alexander.
Death on the Black Sea: The Untold Story of the 'Struma' and World War II's Holocaust at Sea by Douglas Frantz, Grey Wolf, Grey Sea by E.B. Gasaway.
Just a few suggestions.
I have read The Log from the Sea of Cortez - very interesting. Involves a lot of science, as I recall.
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It has a rating of 4.23 on here, and here's the blurb:
It is an epic drama of adventure, courage, ruthlessness and passion by one of Scandinavia’s most acclaimed storytellers.
In 1848 a motley crew of Danish sailors sets sail from the small island town of Marstal to fight the Germans. Not all of them return – and those who do will never be the same. Among them is the daredevil Laurids Madsen, who promptly escapes again into the anonymity of the high seas.
As soon as he is old enough, his son Albert sets off in search of his missing father on a voyage that will take him to the furthest reaches of the globe and into the clutches of the most nefarious company. Bearing a mysterious shrunken head, and plagued by premonitions of bloodshed, he returns to a town increasingly run by women – among them a widow intent on liberating all men from the tyranny of the sea.
From the barren rocks of Newfoundland to the lush plantations of Samoa, from the roughest bars in Tasmania, to the frozen coasts of northern Russia, We, The Drowned spans four generations, two world wars and a hundred years. Carsten Jensen conjures a wise, humorous, thrilling story of fathers and sons, of the women they love and leave behind, and of the sea’s murderous promise. This is a novel destined to take its place among the greatest seafaring literature.
Sounds enticing, no?
I will nominate Typhoon by Joseph Conrad.Penguin describe this as:
'The crew aboard a ramshackle steamer faces a treacherous storm in this gripping tale, inspired by Conrad's own time at sea.'
and for a collection of three of Conrad's nautical novellas:
'Joseph Conrad’s long experience as a working seaman enriched and deepened his literary gifts, making him the most brilliant and convincing writer of seafaring’s greatest age. In the three sea stories collected here, he makes deft use of the maritime setting to enact moral dramas of men tested by the elements and by one another.'
'“Typhoon,” the gripping story of a steamship captain who stubbornly steers into a major tempest and the crew’s ensuing struggle to survive the raging waters, is distinguished by one of the most thrillingly evoked storms in all of literature.'
Amazon of a different collection of three sea stories describe it as:
'Conrad's funniest story that sees a captain blunder stubbornly into a treacherous hurricane.'
and Conrad as:
'our greatest writer of the sea.'
Wikipedia has:
'Typhoon is a classic sea yarn, possibly based upon Conrad's actual experience of seaman's life, and probably on a real incident aboard of the steamer John P. Best (according to the book by Jerry Allen on the "Sea years of Joseph Conrad", first published in 1965). The author of the mentioned book - an American journalist - did not reveal in her book any further details. Joseph Conrad himself described it as a "recent and much-discussed incident" (Author's note to the novella).
The "Typhoon" describes how Captain MacWhirr sails the SS Nan-Shan, a British-built steamer running under the Siamese flag, into a typhoon—a mature tropical cyclone of the northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean. Other characters include the young Jukes - most probably an alter ego of Conrad from the time he had sailed under captain John McWhirr - and Solomon Rout, the chief engineer. The novella classically evokes the seafaring life at the turn of the century. While Macwhirr, who, according to Conrad, "never walked on this Earth" - is emotionally estranged from his family and crew, and though he refuses to consider an alternative course to skirt the typhoon, his indomitable will in the face of a superior natural force elicits grudging admiration.'
The most popular edition here on Goodreads has:
'Many chronicles have been written about life at sea, but few, if any, can compare with Joseph Conrad's masterpiece. It is the story of one unremarkable steamship captain, pitted against a storm of incredible fury. Captain Macwhirr has a reputation as a solid, steadfast man, who "having just enough imagination to carry him through each successive day, and no more" cannot fully believe any storm would be a match for his powerful ship. So, when the barometer and other clues begin to hint at trouble ahead, he is only moderately concerned and unwilling to change course and lose precious time-a decision that may prove more costly than he could ever have imagined.'
The novella is in the public domain, so here are a couple of links to it:
https://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/c/conr...
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1142
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NOMINATIONS SO FAR:
Nigeyb: HMS Ulysses by Alistair MacLean
Rosina: Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian
Clare: Every Man for Himself by Beryl Bainbridge
Jill: A High Wind in Jamaica by Richard Hughes
Roman Clodia: We, the Drowned by Carsten Jensen
Val: Typhoon by Joseph Conrad
What an amazing selection of eminently readable books with nominations still to come from Jan and Elizabeth, and possibly a few more people too
Tricky, tricky
I think I won't nominate. I'm already torn between at least two titles already on the list.
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I know Jan is considering a nomination, and Judy too. Anyone else thinking of nominating?
How about In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by Nathaniel Philbrick. It has been sitting on my bookshelf for a long time. And I should get back to it.The basis for Moby-Dick, or, the Whale. Philbrick also wrote Why Read Moby-Dick?.
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Judy, have you decided what to nominate?
Anyone else thinking of nominating?
NOMINATIONS SO FAR:
Nigeyb: HMS Ulysses by Alistair MacLean
Rosina: Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian
Clare: Every Man for Himself by Beryl Bainbridge
Jill: A High Wind in Jamaica by Richard Hughes
Roman Clodia: We, the Drowned by Carsten Jensen
Val: Typhoon by Joseph Conrad
Jan: In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by Nathaniel Philbrick
May I nominate Across Islands and Oceans by James Baldwin, It is not THE James Baldwin, but another.
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NOMINATIONS SO FAR:
Nigeyb: HMS Ulysses by Alistair MacLean
Rosina: Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian
Clare: Every Man for Himself by Beryl Bainbridge
Jill: A High Wind in Jamaica by Richard Hughes
Roman Clodia: We, the Drowned by Carsten Jensen
Val: Typhoon by Joseph Conrad
Jan: In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by Nathaniel Philbrick
Chrissie: Across Islands and Oceans by James Baldwin
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Wow! Nominations of nine titles. Some months the polls barely have that number of voters!
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Votes-wise it’s between 11 and 27 per poll. Usually around 14/15.
I wouldn’t have predicted this topic would have been so popular
I wouldn’t have expected to be so interested in all of the titles!
Nigeyb wrote: "I wouldn’t have predicted this topic would have been so popular"Pleasant surprise, no?
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However, just in case, I'll leave it another 24 hours.
Last call for nominations
NOMINATIONS:
Nigeyb: HMS Ulysses by Alistair MacLean
Rosina: Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian
Clare: Every Man for Himself by Beryl Bainbridge
Jill: A High Wind in Jamaica by Richard Hughes
Roman Clodia: We, the Drowned by Carsten Jensen
Val: Typhoon by Joseph Conrad
Jan: In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by Nathaniel Philbrick
Chrissie: Across Islands and Oceans by James Baldwin
Pam: The Voyage of the Narwhal by Andrea Barrett
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HMS Ulysses - 1 vote, 20.0%
Master and Commander - 1 vote, 20.0%
The Voyage of the Narwhal - 1 vote, 20.0%
Typhoon - 1 vote, 20.0%
We, the Drowned - 1 vote, 20.0%
Across Islands and Oceans - 1 vote, 20.0%
A High Wind in Jamaica - 0 votes, 0.0%
In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex - 0 votes, 0.0%
Every Man for Himself - 0 votes, 0.0%
Six selections all tied on one vote
Vote now....
https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/1...
NOMINATIONS:
Nigeyb: HMS Ulysses by Alistair MacLean
Rosina: Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian
Clare: Every Man for Himself by Beryl Bainbridge
Jill: A High Wind in Jamaica by Richard Hughes
Roman Clodia: We, the Drowned by Carsten Jensen
Val: Typhoon by Joseph Conrad
Jan: In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by Nathaniel Philbrick
Chrissie: Across Islands and Oceans by James Baldwin
Pam: The Voyage of the Narwhal by Andrea Barrett
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Joseph Conrad takes the lead
* Typhoon - 2 votes, 25.0% *
HMS Ulysses - 1 vote, 12.5%
Master and Commander - 1 vote, 12.5%
The Voyage of the Narwhal - 1 vote, 12.5%
We, the Drowned - 1 vote, 12.5%
Across Islands and Oceans - 1 vote, 12.5%
Every Man for Himself - 1 vote, 12.5%
A High Wind in Jamaica - 0 votes, 0.0%
In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex - 0 votes, 0.0%
Vote now....
https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/1...
NOMINATIONS:
Nigeyb: HMS Ulysses by Alistair MacLean
Rosina: Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian
Clare: Every Man for Himself by Beryl Bainbridge
Jill: A High Wind in Jamaica by Richard Hughes
Roman Clodia: We, the Drowned by Carsten Jensen
Val: Typhoon by Joseph Conrad
Jan: In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by Nathaniel Philbrick
Chrissie: Across Islands and Oceans by James Baldwin
Pam: The Voyage of the Narwhal by Andrea Barrett
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Joseph Conrad's Typhoon still out in front
* Typhoon - 4 votes, 30.8% *
Every Man for Himself - 2 votes, 15.4%
The Voyage of the Narwhal - 2 votes, 15.4%
HMS Ulysses - 1 vote, 7.7%
Master and Commander - 1 vote, 7.7%
We, the Drowned - 1 vote, 7.7%
Across Islands and Oceans - 1 vote, 7.7%
A High Wind in Jamaica - 1 vote, 7.7%
In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex - 0 votes, 0.0%
Vote now....
https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/1...
NOMINATIONS:
Nigeyb: HMS Ulysses by Alistair MacLean
Rosina: Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian
Clare: Every Man for Himself by Beryl Bainbridge
Jill: A High Wind in Jamaica by Richard Hughes
Roman Clodia: We, the Drowned by Carsten Jensen
Val: Typhoon by Joseph Conrad
Jan: In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by Nathaniel Philbrick
Chrissie: Across Islands and Oceans by James Baldwin
Pam: The Voyage of the Narwhal by Andrea Barrett
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Everything I have read so far by Joseph Conrad has been powerful and worthwhile. I'll definitely be reading this one if it ends up winning the poll.
Nigeyb wrote: "Typhoon is a wonderful title for a sea-based novel, or novella in this instanceEverything I have read so far by Joseph Conrad has been powerful and worthwhile. I'll ..."
I loved his The Secret Agent, but didn't at all warm to Heart of Darkness. I suspect that was a one off, but hope Typhoon will be the decider for me to read other titles.
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Like you I loved The Secret Agent
Heart of Darkness is certainly harder to penetrate however as a big fan of Apocalypse Now I had the added incentive to constantly draw parallels between both works. If it hadn't been for that I might have felt less positively towards it.
At 144 pages, even if Typhoon is challenging, and I get the impression it's fairly accessible, then it won't take much time to read. I'm hopeful that it's going to have plenty to appreciate and enjoy and, if it wins, plenty to discuss too.
I rarely read reviews of a book just before I actually read it. But when I know there will be some weeks or longer before picking up the book, I'm not so picky. So I went off to look at some of the GR reviews for Typhoon. Several commented on Conrad's prose/writing. The other thing mentioned is the characterization of Captain McWhirr. I might not have found this left to my own devices and I'm very much looking forward to it whether or not it wins the poll.
(My second choice was HMS Ulysses, another in the same I-wouldn't-have-found-it-on-my-own category.)
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Joseph Conrad's Typhoon out in front with almost a third of the votes
* Typhoon - 5 votes, 29.4% *
A High Wind in Jamaica - 4 votes, 23.5%
Every Man for Himself - 2 votes, 11.8%
The Voyage of the Narwhal - 2 votes, 11.8%
Master and Commander - 1 vote, 5.9%
We, the Drowned - 1 vote, 5.9%
Across Islands and Oceans - 1 vote, 5.9%
In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex - 1 vote, 5.9%
HMS Ulysses - 0 votes, 0.0%
Vote here....
https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/1...
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A vote switch gives Joseph Conrad's Typhoon a more commanding lead...
* Typhoon - 6 votes, 35.3% *
I think we can start planning on all getting hold of a copy of Typhoon for our group read in January.
A High Wind in Jamaica - 4 votes, 23.5%
Those who are keen to read A High Wind in Jamaica could consider a buddy read in January - if you're keen I will get it planned in
Every Man for Himself - 2 votes, 11.8%
The Voyage of the Narwhal - 2 votes, 11.8%
Master and Commander - 1 vote, 5.9%
We, the Drowned - 1 vote, 5.9%
Across Islands and Oceans - 1 vote, 5.9%
In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex - 0 votes, 0.0%
HMS Ulysses - 0 votes, 0.0%
Link for the poll....
https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/1...
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Yes, yes and yes
I've added it to the schedule - so that's two of us. Who else is tempted?
There are several on the list or suggested as possibilities that I would like to read or read again.I haven't read Master and Commander or any others in the series, so I will probably join in that buddy read.
Ditto A High Wind in Jamaica, which I have read, but a long time ago.
I think I really liked We, the Drowned when I read it, but it is quite long, so would be better as a buddy read than a group read.
In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex, the inspiration for Moby Dick, also looks interesting, if I can find a copy (but I would probably side with the whale).
I have read all three of the WWII convoy books mentioned and would read any of them again.
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I might have voted for Master and Commander but it looks like its been conceded. I may join the Buddy read though and will likely try Typhoon. Here are my other Conrad ratings:Almayer's Folly (1895) - 3 stars
An Outcast of the Islands (1896) - 4 stars
Heart of Darkness (1899) - 4 stars
Lord Jim (1900) - 4 stars
Nostromo (1904) - 4 stars
The Secret Agent (1907) - 3 stars
Under Western Eyes (1911) - 3 stars
Victory (1915) - 4 stars
The Rescue (1920) - 4 stars
I have enjoyed Conrad's ship-based novels, such as Almayer's, Outcast and the Rescue, more than I thought I would. I had thought I'd like his more political novels best so I was surprised that I actually liked The Secret Agent and Under Western Eyes less. Nostromo, which is not nautical or island based, is my favorite Conrad, though I really liked Victory too.
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Thanks Brian. I hope to read you comments for both Master and Commander and Typhoon
It woud be interesting to learn your thoughts on Typhoon given that you have read so many other works by Joseph Conrad
I haven't read as many as you, Brian.So far I have:
Heart of Darkness (1899) - 4 stars
Lord Jim (1900) - 5 stars
Nostromo (1904) - 4.5 stars
The Secret Agent (1907) - 3 stars
which is broadly in agreement with your ratings.
Although I preferred Lord Jim to Nostromo, they are both very good. I should read Victory next, I might even have a copy somewhere.
Reading the 20th Century
Books mentioned in this topic
Written Lives (other topics)Thunderstruck (other topics)
Thunderstruck (other topics)
Thunderstruck (other topics)
The Space Between Us: Negotiating Gender and National Identities in Conflict (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Greg King (other topics)Joseph Conrad (other topics)
Joseph Conrad (other topics)
Joseph Conrad (other topics)
Richard Hughes (other topics)
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Nautical books/books about boats and/or the sea
This is our theme for group read nominations for January 2020
Some interesting ideas of 20th century nautical fiction here....
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nautica...
There's quite a bit of 20th century nautical fiction which is about other centuries. It's fine to nominate a novel written in the 20th century but about a different era like the Master and Commander series or the Hornblower seies
Or perhaps you'll be more attracted to those Arthur Ransome books in the Swallows and Amazons series (published 1930–1947) which involve sailing at sea (Peter Duck, We Didn't Mean To Go To Sea, Missee Lee)?
Or maybe The Old Man and the Sea?
Or The Cruel Sea?
Or Das Boot?
Or The Caine Mutiny?
Or HMS Ulysses?
Or Captain Blood?
Or The Sea-Hawk?
Or A High Wind in Jamaica?
Or The Sea Around Us?
Or The Sea Wolf?
Or Kon-Tiki?
Or Lord Jim?
Or The Log from the Sea of Cortez?
Or The Silent World?
Or something else completely?
The choice is yours
Please feel free to add a synopsis and why you think it would make a good book to discuss as part of this topic
We've already had some preliminary discussion over at The Midnight Bell discussion thread....
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...