The Solitude of Thomas Cave

Set in the 17th Century, Thomas Cave is a quiet whaler who agrees to a wager, overwintering alone in the harsh Arctic wilderness with only the basic shelter, food and provisions. His fellow seafarers have little hope for his survival, yet he is determined to remain behind. Relying on his own determination and skill to survive the bitter conditions, Cave finds himself in a physical and psychological struggle, not only against the environment, but also his reasons for accepting the ordeal.

With almost painfully beautiful prose and evocative imagery of the stark landscape of the Arctic, Harding has not only created a situation that feels utterly believable, but a powerful and engaging struggle that alludes to man's tremendous impact on the show more environment around us. A short read, this book is best digested slowly, allowing the true beauty of the prose to sweep over you. Don't rush it!

I have always been fascinated with man's desire for solitude, self-discovery and need to understand what it really means to experience the wild. Books that delve into this are great sources of contemplation for me, with other examples being the heartbreaking "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer and gorgeous "The Snow Leopard" by Peter Matthiesen. I will be the first to admit that the title and cover (of both hard-and paperback) caused me to pick up this title in the first place, but the book had a far greater impact on me that I would have expected. I was actually unable to read anything for several days afterwards, with my thoughts constantly being drawn back to Thomas Cave. A breath of fresh air. show less

Arctic whaler Thomas Cave, took up a wager to spend the winter of 1616 alone at the whaling station. He was given generous provisions that would last until the following summer when the appropriately named ship Heartsease would return. Darkness and solitude played with Cave's mind bringing visions of his wife and child who both died at the birth, explaining the heartache that moved him to take on this self-induced penance. Harding's writing is poetic and sonorous, recreating 17th century style. Descriptions of the gory whaling compares starkly with the pristine icy wilderness coinciding with a revelation of sorts to Cave who recognizes the repellent nature of the work. In beautiful prose, Harding has created a moody, thought-provoking show more story with foreshadowing of modern ecological danger. show less

The Solitude of Thomas Cave, by Georgina Harding (Bloomsbury, 2007) is a cold, brooding novel; not surprising, perhaps, considering that the main portion of the book occurs during a Greenland winter in 1616-17. Thomas Cave, a sailor from the ship Heartsease, takes a wager from a shipmate that no man could survive a solitary winter on the desolate coast of Greenland - with supplies from the ship, Cave sets up camp and prepares to wait a full year for the ship's return.

The months of loneliness are a fertile ground for Cave's memories, which stray often to a lost wife and child. He hunts polar bears when he can, but otherwise hunkers down to wait out the battering storms and anticipate the return of sunshine. Accompanied by comments by show more Thomas Goodlard, a young sailor on Heartsease who sees Cave as the bet begins and in its aftermath, Harding's novel is a beautiful reminder of the nature of solitude in the human mind. Written sparingly, but brilliantly, this is a short book, but one which deserves much attention.

http://philobiblos.blogspot.com/2007/03/book-review-solitude-of-thomas-cave.html show less

Oy vey. A death match between Stoner and Moby Dick was never going to work for me, and nearly pitched my reading slump into a full blown coma. All I wanted was a book about Svalbard! Can someone please write a chick lit novel set in modern times on the island, please? Miserable white men need not apply and definitely no animal cruelty ('hey, here's a vomit-inducing description of a baby seal being skinned alive, which will be repeated later on in the book because grr, two for one deal on the macho bullshit'). The author gets a bonus point for fully embracing the nineteenth century style of drawn out expositional narrative, however - I hated every page, but the dedication was full on.

One of the fascinations of this novel is the constantly changing point of view. Although the theme is solitude, or perhaps because of that, the tale is not left to one voice. There is the journal of the crewman of a whaling ship who spends a winter in the Arctic, the narrative of that episode, and the view of a companion sailor beforehand and afterwards. Solitude changes Thomas Cave, but it is perhaps in the observation of him, rather than by him, that the effect is best seen. This, of course, raises the question of how well we see ourselves, and allows comparative views of attitudes and behaviour.

The Arctic descriptions stand out, and the mental battles during the winter are given a good portrait. Perhaps the final third of the book show more drags somewhat in an attempt to add tension to our discovery of what the experience has done to the eponymous hero. Perhaps the age, the early-to-mid 17th century, could be given better detail and atmosphere. But this is certainly a worthwhile read. show less

The Solitude of Thomas Cave is a carefully and beautifully written book that I will certainly re-read more than once. A story about a 17th century sailor who winters on an island off Greenland is a deep reflection on human condition. I was a bit surprised to see where Ms. Harding eventually decided to take the story, but all together, she pulls it off rather successfully. Highly recommended read.

A superb book - I wasn't at all sure what to expect with this, and it's outside my normal parameters for a book to pick up, but I was glad I did. This manages to be original, gripping, thought provoking, easily read but deeply rewarding. Read it.