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In this autobiographical debut novel from one of America's most acclaimed poets, a writer's sentimental journey across the Atlantic becomes a crucible of heartbreak and mental anguish William Demarest settles into his room, checks his pockets for his seasickness pills, and wanders onto the deck of the ship that will be his home for the next few days. The lights of New York City are still faintly visible, but Demarest's mind is on London, where he hopes to be reunited with the woman he adores. He has spent countless nights pining for her and is finally ready to declare his love. In a state of feverish anticipation, Demarest steals onto the first-class section of the ship. There, to his surprise, he discovers the woman he is traveling thousands of miles to see, only for her to dismiss him with devastating coldness. For the rest of the voyage, Demarest must wrestle with golden memories turned to dust and long-cherished fantasies that will never come to pass. A brilliant novel of psychological insight and formal experimentation reminiscent of the stories of James Joyce, Blue Voyage is a bold work of art from a winner of the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize.… (altro)
Reading Aiken’s BLUE VOYAGE again, and it makes more sense this time. Not sure if it just took a while to get used to Aiken’s style, or if I’m paying closer attention now, or if it’s because I understand the story better. Regardless, it’s becoming one of those books I’ll return to every couple of years just because it’s so deep, atmospheric and puzzling. Sex, death, eternity, spirituality, religion- it’s all there in one form or another.
As for structure and tone, it moves forward in time, over a series of days, but the voyage is fraught with flashbacks, internal and external conversations, dreams, letters, multiple streams of dialogue vying simultaneously for the reader’s attention. To read this book is to walk into the middle of conversations, stories, relationships and voyages. There’s no beginning and no end; it feels like we’ve been on the ship forever. Though countries are mentioned, the world is this ship, an island isolated from everything in the past or future.
What doesn’t make sense yet are the recurring images/thoughts of crucifixion. Why didn’t Aiken instead speak of self-sacrifice in terms of martyrdom or masochism? To be crucified is not necessarily something that one submits to willingly, like a martyr, but ending up on the cross has never been something one couldn’t avoid, if they put their mind to it. Maybe Aiken is simply implying that a commitment to something like marriage- matrimony or avoidance of the same figure prominently in this tale- is only worthwhile if someone is willing to give up freedom and comfort.
Marriage doesn’t fare well, as an institution, in the book. Smith’s marriage- Smith being a secondary character- failed years before; Demarest (the main character) is a confirmed but unfulfilled, bachelor; Cynthia, his ex-fiancé, is about to be married; one of the ship’s staff is married, but ready to cheat on his wife; the Major stays away from his wife for months at a time; the alluring Faubion is married, but on the cusp of a divorce due to her infidelity. None of the characters in Blue Voyage appear with their spouses- and of all of them, Demarest seems the closest to desiring a meaningful relationship. Yet he seems unable, due to fear or a lack of confidence, to effect the relationship he desires.
As for the characters, one of the most annoying is the geriatric Smith; more pathetic than lecherous, he is the personification of regret. Allegedly on the prowl for women, he is more talk than action. He flirts when he should be charming, charming when he should be genuine, friendly when he should instead be a friend. He seems to be the future that Demarest sees himself destined to become- unless this protagonist can overcome a fear of failure enabled by narcissism. Smith is the closest thing to a friend that Demarest has on board the ship, yet the elderly man is more of a co-conspirator in the quest for sex. To say that Smith is past his prime would be understatement; he is on death’s door, or might as well be, so unable is he to connect with the opposite sex.
I could go on and on, for BLUE VOYAGE is one of those books of which another book could be written, there is so much going on- the author’s psyche embedded everywhere one looks. His affairs, wordplay, poetry career, musings on religion, witnessed deaths in his family, and father-son dysfunction. It’s all there, and put together in such a way that I’ll never get to the bottom of it- not as long as his other puzzler, USHANT, is around. ( )
I'm calling it finished 2/3 of the way through. I tried, really tried, to make it to the end. This author uses flow of consciousness, and he's a poet, so I think he just had a hard time leaving poetry out of what he said was a novel. Just, no. But later I'll quote some part of it. ( )
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E coelo descendit γνῶθι σεαυτόν. ---Juvenal IX, 27
What is there in thee, Man, that can be known?--- Dark fluxion, all unfixable by thought, A phantom dim of past and future wrought, Vain sister of the worm--- ---COLERIDGE: Self-Knowledge
Dedica
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To C. M. L.
Incipit
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"Will you stop," said William Demarest, leaning his head out of the taxi window, "at that corner drug store?"
Citazioni
Ultime parole
Dati dalle informazioni generali inglesi.Modifica per tradurlo nella tua lingua.
In this autobiographical debut novel from one of America's most acclaimed poets, a writer's sentimental journey across the Atlantic becomes a crucible of heartbreak and mental anguish William Demarest settles into his room, checks his pockets for his seasickness pills, and wanders onto the deck of the ship that will be his home for the next few days. The lights of New York City are still faintly visible, but Demarest's mind is on London, where he hopes to be reunited with the woman he adores. He has spent countless nights pining for her and is finally ready to declare his love. In a state of feverish anticipation, Demarest steals onto the first-class section of the ship. There, to his surprise, he discovers the woman he is traveling thousands of miles to see, only for her to dismiss him with devastating coldness. For the rest of the voyage, Demarest must wrestle with golden memories turned to dust and long-cherished fantasies that will never come to pass. A brilliant novel of psychological insight and formal experimentation reminiscent of the stories of James Joyce, Blue Voyage is a bold work of art from a winner of the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize.
As for structure and tone, it moves forward in time, over a series of days, but the voyage is fraught with flashbacks, internal and external conversations, dreams, letters, multiple streams of dialogue vying simultaneously for the reader’s attention. To read this book is to walk into the middle of conversations, stories, relationships and voyages. There’s no beginning and no end; it feels like we’ve been on the ship forever. Though countries are mentioned, the world is this ship, an island isolated from everything in the past or future.
What doesn’t make sense yet are the recurring images/thoughts of crucifixion. Why didn’t Aiken instead speak of self-sacrifice in terms of martyrdom or masochism? To be crucified is not necessarily something that one submits to willingly, like a martyr, but ending up on the cross has never been something one couldn’t avoid, if they put their mind to it. Maybe Aiken is simply implying that a commitment to something like marriage- matrimony or avoidance of the same figure prominently in this tale- is only worthwhile if someone is willing to give up freedom and comfort.
Marriage doesn’t fare well, as an institution, in the book. Smith’s marriage- Smith being a secondary character- failed years before; Demarest (the main character) is a confirmed but unfulfilled, bachelor; Cynthia, his ex-fiancé, is about to be married; one of the ship’s staff is married, but ready to cheat on his wife; the Major stays away from his wife for months at a time; the alluring Faubion is married, but on the cusp of a divorce due to her infidelity. None of the characters in Blue Voyage appear with their spouses- and of all of them, Demarest seems the closest to desiring a meaningful relationship. Yet he seems unable, due to fear or a lack of confidence, to effect the relationship he desires.
As for the characters, one of the most annoying is the geriatric Smith; more pathetic than lecherous, he is the personification of regret. Allegedly on the prowl for women, he is more talk than action. He flirts when he should be charming, charming when he should be genuine, friendly when he should instead be a friend. He seems to be the future that Demarest sees himself destined to become- unless this protagonist can overcome a fear of failure enabled by narcissism. Smith is the closest thing to a friend that Demarest has on board the ship, yet the elderly man is more of a co-conspirator in the quest for sex. To say that Smith is past his prime would be understatement; he is on death’s door, or might as well be, so unable is he to connect with the opposite sex.
I could go on and on, for BLUE VOYAGE is one of those books of which another book could be written, there is so much going on- the author’s psyche embedded everywhere one looks. His affairs, wordplay, poetry career, musings on religion, witnessed deaths in his family, and father-son dysfunction. It’s all there, and put together in such a way that I’ll never get to the bottom of it- not as long as his other puzzler, USHANT, is around. ( )