The Thumbnail Book Reviews
by John Q McDonald --- 3 March 1998
by Peter Matthiessen
This is the story of a group of men aboard a turtle fishing boat wandering the coral reefs of the Caribbean late in the turtle season. The boat isn't in its finest shape, the captain is suspected of deliberately burning another boat for insurance money and the crew members are reluctant, frustrated and violent. On top of that, there are few green turtles to be found. At first, this book can be incredibly difficult to read. Most of the text is dialogue that is unlabeled and is of a dense Caribbean pidgin. This is atmospheric, but very confusing. Most of the characters seem to overlap and become indistinguishable. Ultimately, though, the book is very rewarding. The story becomes deeply engrossing. Heavily remeniscent of Moby Dick and Old Man and the Sea, there is a dense atmosphere of sea travel and the culture of the fishermen from the Cayman Islands. Matthiessen weaves the dialogue together with short and efficient text that pulls in incredibly well observed details and gives power to the story.
Also by Matthiessen: [East of Lo Monthang] [At Play in the Fields of the Lord] [Blue Meridian] [Killing Mr. Watson]