THE JONAH MAN

by Henry Carlisle ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 6, 1984

As in Voyage to the First of December (1972), Carlisle draws a strong, plain piece of fiction out of a nautical-history sidelight: this time his narrator is George Pollard (1791-1870), the whaling-boat captain involved with the notorious ""Open Boat"" case of justified murder/cannibalism. Writing in old age, Pollard recalls his Nantucket-farm childhood, his determination (against parental wishes) to become a whaler, the homecoming from his first voyage at age 17: ""I was by then certain that I was put on earth to kill whales."" So, at age 28, Pollard becomes the youngest whaleship master in Nantucket, captaining the Essex. In 1819, leaving behind new bride Mary, he sets off on the long voyage to the Pacific; his first mate is dear old chum/rival Owen Chase; among the apprentices is handsome lad Owen Coffin, Pollard's young cousin (son of Aunt Nancy, who introduced Pollard to sex some years back). But the journey is ill-omened from the start: a Haitian steward goes into doom-prophesying fits; the crew shows mutinous streaks; there are tensions (implicitly homosexual) among those competing for Owen Coffin's friendship. And Pollard himself is shaky in command--too proud and ambitious, too wary of religious faith and human love. Then, the disaster: the Essex is wrecked in the vast Pacific, the 20 crewmen wind up in three small whale-boats--drifting, suffering from heat and hunger and thirst. In Pollard's boat (eventually separated from Chase's), some men weaken and die--providing a food-source for the survivors. But, when four men remain, they agree to draw lots; young cousin Owen is the unlucky one--bravely accepting his fate (shot, then eaten). And so Pollard survives--returning to a valiantly loyal wife, a bitterly vengeful aunt, a subtly hostile town, official vindication But after his next voyage also ends in tragedy, the ""Jonah Man"" is retired from seafaring: he becomes a night watchman, learns humility, wrestles with his guilt, and explains to Ralph Waldo Emerson why the ""Open Boat"" behavior was less exemplary than it might seem. A little thin and murky as a study in ethics/psychology, but graceful fiction nonetheless--with elegant narration, spare atmosphere, a fine balance between starkness and charm. . . and firm shaping of an always-potent story.

Pub Date: June 6, 1984

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Knopf

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 1984

Categories: FICTION